Dear colleagues, Please find below the call for papers for French and Francophone sessions at the annual convention of the Northeast Modern Languages Association (NeMLA). The convention will take place in Montreal, April 7-11 2010, and the deadline for all abstracts is September 30. More information is available at www.nemla.org Best wishes,Natalie Edwards (French Director at NeMLA) Advocating for a Good Cause: Building and Maintaining a Strong French Program Roundtable
Many of us have felt the repercussions of the general budgetary squeeze--numbers loom large, our programs sometimes shrink. Jobs seem fewer and further between. This roundtable seeks to propose solutions that work. It aims also to create a network that will aid us in advocating for our profession, for our programs, and for our students. Please send 250-350 abstract to E. Nicole Meyer, meyern@uwgb.edu.
Au Croisement des Chemins: La fermentation intellectuelle dans la littérature maghrébine
This session will examine the literature of North Africa as an expression of the Maghrebian soul, underline its place on the cutting edge of French literature, and reflect on the perspectives that arise from writing "in Arabesques." In this crossroads of cultures, inheriting the traditions of both Sheharazade and Antigone, writers are in a superb position to play with their multi-cultural linguistic and cultural heritage. Submit proposals in Microsoft Word in French; plan maximum 15 minutes to allow for discussion, reflection, and synthesis. Lora Lunt <luntlg@potsdam.edu>
Beauvoir Reloaded: Possibilities and Dangers of 'The Second Sex'
Like Godot, a proper translation of Simone de Beauvoir's 'The Second Sex' is never here, it is always 'still on the way.' Since it now appears that we may finally get the long-awaited new translation, this would be a good time to discuss some of the possibilities -- and some of the dangers -- that the new translation will present, especially to the generations of Anglophone feminists who have never actually 'met' Beauvoir. Stephen Gallagher <jeng_steveg@hotmail.com>
Between Present and Past: Nostalgia in Francophone Literature
"Nostalgia tells it like it wasn't," according to David Lowenthal's 1989 article, yet many are compelled to cling to their longing for the past. Francophone authors such as Marguerite Duras, Marie Cardinal, and Ken Bugul cannot help but recreate their colonial homes even though they write from a postcolonial position. In an attempt to understand how nostalgia affects memory writing and how writing sustains nostalgia, this panel will examine the recreation of the past in French and Francophone postcolonial literature. Email Amy L. Hubbell (ahubbell@ksu.edu) with proposed abstracts.
Detecting the Philosophical Ethos: The Persuasive Power of Enlightenment Literary Self-Fashioning
This panel seeks papers that will shed light upon strategies of identification of the authors; ethos in the literary France of the turn of the century to the 1760s. While in many genres the text's intentionality is made more obvious by a narrative voice which could often be conflated with the author's, we aim to better understand the impact of the intentional construction of an authorial presence upon the persuasive power of philosophical, scientific, and historical texts. Papers can be in English or French, send 250-400 word proposals to imonette.hroman@hotmail.com.
Elles réécrivent leur(s) H/histoire(s): le particulier et le collectif dans la littérature maghrébine
Ce panel a pour objectif d'explorer l'entrecroisement de l'individuel et du collectif et qui constitue un caractère intrinsèque de la réécriture au féminin, remettant ainsi en question l'ancienne dichotomie entre le particulier et le général. L'envergure historique dans ces textes est considérable, alors que le potentiel autobiographique reste propice à la révision de l'Histoire. Veuillez envoyer une proposition de communication (250 mots environ) en français ou en anglais à Névine El Nossery, University du Wisconsin-Madison: elnossery@wisc.edu.
Empowering Silence
As a rhetorical form of dissimulation, a liminal form between saying and not saying, silence communicates the inadequacy of language to convey experience, or can serve as a subversive rhetorical tool to critique the powerful. Silence may be more potent than words and can express the inexpressible. It can also be a creative force empowering a hermeneutical reading of the text. Please submit 250-500 word abstracts on the ambivalences of silence to co-chairs Valerie Dionne (vmdionne@colby.edu) and Audrey Brunetaux (abruneta@colby.edu).
From Nomad to Nobel Laureate: (Re-) Examining J.M.G. Le Clézio in 2010
This panel seeks papers that examine the work of J.M.G. Le Clézio in light of his new Nobel Laureate status. Any number of themes or approaches to Le Clézio's work will be considered. Possible topics to explore include: Why had his work remained under the international literary radar screen for so long? How can we effectively incorporate Le Clézio's body of work in French or World literature courses? In what ways is his work pertinent to readers worldwide today? Please send 250-500 word abstracts to Katharine Harrington at: Katharine.Harrington@maine.edu.
Fun and Games in Medieval France
Amusement in medieval France is the heart of this panel. Who had fun? How? How was this fun later concretized and/or embellished in such media as the lyric poem, the lay, the romance, the historical chronicle, or the illumination? Note: divertissements related to courtly love and chivalric pursuits are specifically excluded. Papers in French or English welcome. Please send a 250-word abstract to Paul Creamer, pcreamer@po-box.esu.edu
Générosité in the 17th Century
This panel seeks papers about the multifaceted and complex notion of Générosité in early modern France. How was générosité seen and understood in a society that privileged the individual? Was générosité a gendered concept, and if so, how? Did it have limits? What makes a person généreux? Générosité and ladrerie. Générosité and honnêteté. Louis XIV and générosité. Générosité and love, etc. Please submit 250-500 word abstracts to Bertrand Landry, bdlandry@uncg.edu.
Her Story: Telling Stories of French and Francophone Women's Lives
Diverse voices, common elements. How do these stories change across borders, literal and / or metaphorical? How do they stay the same? French and Francophone 20th century to the present, novel, autobiography, poetry, film, bandes desinees are all welcome. Please send 250-350 abstract to Professor E. Nicole Meyer, meyern@uwgb.edu
History and its Reflections
How are momentous events of the twentieth century reflected in its literary and artistic production? How do these translate the consequences that may be felt and lived on the political, demographic, social, philosophical, scientific or pedagogical levels? By what mechanisms do they bear effect on changes in aesthetics, literary and artistic movements, or literary theory and criticism? Papers may be presented in French or English. Please send inquiries or abstracts to: rima.joseph@stanford.edu
Intrangers: les écrivains beurs des origines à nos jours
L'immigration maghrébine en France a conduit, dès les années 80, à la naissance d'une nouvelle littérature, faite par les enfants des immigrés. Issus de France et d'ailleurs, ces «intrangers» - d'après la précieuse définition de l'écrivain Y.B. - nous obligent à repenser la problématique identitaire et à redéfinir le champ littéraire français. D'Azouz Begag aux auteurs plus récents, comme Faïza Guène, cette session propose d'étudier l'évolution de la littérature beure. Veuillez envoyer vos propositions à Ilaria Vitali <ilaria.vitali@unibo.it>.
Judging Women: Law, Literature and Female Guilt
This panel will explore the intersections of law and literature in relation to the representation of female characters in French and Francophone works. We will examine how legal norms and precedents, judicial authority, and a given period's notions of guilt and innocence shape portrayals of women. How and why do fictional women reverse, defy, or conform to law? Please send 250-500 word abstracts to: hbilis@wellesley.edu.
La lettre pose-t-elle de nouveaux enjeux en littérature?
La lettre épistolaire pose-t-elle de nouveaux enjeux à la littérature française et francophone d'aujourd'hui? Au tournant de ce nouveau millénaire, force est de constater que la lettre épistolaire est bien présente dans les oeuvres les plus récentes d'auteurs aussi variés qu' Orsenna, Ndiaye, Ken Bugul ou Pascale Roze. Ce panel se propose d'examiner les raisons socio-historiques de cette présence, les possibilités qu'offre peut-être la lettre à une littérature qui se dit tour à tour sans frontières, sans tabous, engagée et/ou désengagée,sensuelle et/ou artificielle, réaliste et/ou ludique. Frédérique Donovan <fdonovan@bu.edu>
Le cinéma français contemporain
L'esthétique cinématographique du cinéma français dans ce que qu'elle garde de son héritage et ce qu'elle acquiert de nouveauté: les rapports socio-culturels qui s'expriment dans un lien inextricable entre cinéma et identité nationale ; la représentation de « l'autre » ; l'annonce d'une société qui voudrait changer... mais change-t-elle vraiment? Celine Philibert <philibcg@potsdam.edu>
Les pratiques scripturales de la migrance littéraire
Cet atelier s'intéresse aux pratiques scripturales des écrivains dits ‘migrants', ‘francophones', ‘postcoloniaux' ou ‘translinguaux' entre autres. Nous examinerons la dynamique littéraire caractérisée par la multiplicité, l'ambiguïté, l'interstice, qui se tisse dans le texte. Quelles sont les stratégies employées par ces auteurs afin d'exprimer la migrance entre leur multi-appartenances, une migrance géographique, mais aussi une migrance linguistique voire ontologique, se situant au niveau de l'imaginaire ou de l'identitaire? Nous sollicitons des propositions de communication privilégiant l'étude de ces problématiques par le biais d'analyses de pratiques littéraires. Catherine Khordoc <Catherine_Khordoc@carleton.ca>
Les tropes artistiques: quelles nécessités textuelles?
Alors que la figure générique de l'artiste émerge, l'apparition des arts dans le texte romanesque répond à plusieurs besoins et prend diverses formes. Parmi ces vecteurs d'inclusion, les tropes artistiques feront l'objet de toute notre attention. Partant de la convocation des métaphores, comparaisons et métonymies artistiques, nous analyserons les différentes modalités du rapport entre l'art et le texte. Notre objectif est d'étudier, par une approche esthétique ou sociocritique, une rhétorique artistique à l'oeuvre dans les romans. Les propositions de contribution (300 mots) doivent être adressées avant octobre à vlabeille.ewicky@gmail.com.
Literature as the locus of questioning and evolution in French Caribbean writings
By situating herself outside of the literary currents that appeared in the Caribbean, Condé embodies a vision of literature that allows for the inscription of difference, of the evolution of the individual and the world in which he/she evolves. Literature is indeed the locus of questioning and evolution. This panel welcomes analyses that explore how the writings of Condé and other French Caribbean authors incarnate their perspective on literature and writing. Please submit a 250-300 word abstract to Emmanuelle Vanborre emmanuelle.vanborre@gordon.edu.
Littératures en langue française: quoi de neuf?
This panel invites papers exploring what is new in contemporary literature written in French and published after 2000. Are globalization, immigration, multiculturalism, or diasporic identities coloring the narratives? Is the concept of “littérature monde” impacting writing? Are the “old” genres revisited or are new ones created? Proposals pertaining to 21st-century literary texts or authors directly linked to French-speaking Canada are especially welcome. Please send a 300-word abstract to Annik Doquire Kerszberg at akerszbe@lhup.edu.
Madness in Women's French and Francophone Fiction
Madness is a theme that is prevalent in writings by women from throughout the Francophone world. The proposed panel seeks to explore the theme of madness in women's fiction, with particular emphasis on female protagonists, as a reaction to factors including, but not limited to culture, tradition, religion, family obligations, education, colonial legacy, and romantic love. Please submit a brief abstract of approximately 200 words in the body of an e-mail to Leah Tolbert Lyons (ltlyons@mtsu.edu).
Masculinities in Recent Francophone Literature: 1900-present
Literary representations of men in narratives of war, the quest for independence, and racial identity are as multifaceted as a nation's interpretation of male roles in post-modern society. These narratives, which often center around institutions dominated by men, illustrate the importance of homosocial relationships in promoting men's interests. This panel invites papers on any aspect of masculinities--such as labor, family, the military, migration, ethnicity, or sexuality--in recent Francophone literature. Please send one-page proposals with e-mail address to Edith B. Vandervoort (dobyabear@earthlink.net).
North African and Arabic literature: Resisting or Embracing Modernism? Roundtable
This round table will examine the role of arabic culture and islam on literature and especially on francophone literature. What specific concerns, themes and influences are portrayed by the authors or the characters in their works? How are taboos and cultural issues reinforced, modified or transformed? Are there any specific patterns, issues related to gender and/or family relationships, genre and particular trends which are relevant to modernism? Please send a 500 word abstract to David Delamatta <ddelamatta@lfcc.edu>.
Postcolonial Francophone Writers Narrating Places of Creation, Transformation and Connection
This panel will explore the relationships between space and place, as postcolonial Francophone writers rethink place as a potential for personal and social creation, for transformation and connection. Some themes to consider: how is the virtual site of the page a place where narrator and reader connect? How do old memories and new geographical place interact and connect? How do urban environment, nature, gender, sexuality or class affect the reconfiguring of place? Please send 250-300 word abstracts to Anna Rocca at arocca@salemstate.edu.
Recent Trends in Sub-Saharan Francophone Literature and Criticism
This panel welcomes contributions on any aspect of recent Francophone Sub-Saharan literature and theory/criticism associated with it. Please send 300-word abstracts to Christopher Hogarth at christopher.hogarth@wagner.edu.
Scénographie de la maladie et de la mort au XIXe et XXe siècle
Cette session (panel) propose comme point de départ La Dame aux camélias d'Alexandre Dumas et poursuivra sa réflexion jusqu'à la trilogie sur le sida d'Hervé Guibert, les communications voudront explorer toutes les évolutions littéraires, génériques, physiologiques et historiques du thème de la maladie mortelle dans le texte romanesque des XIXe et XXe siècles.Merci d'envoyer votre proposition de 250 à 500 mots en français ou en anglais à Clarisse Couturier-Garcia, université Michel de Montaigne garciaclarisse@yahoo.fr.
Secularization in Contemporary French and Québécois Literature and Film
How can we explain the recurrence of religious/Catholic themes in contemporary French and Québécois literature and film? Does current secularization theory, which understands “the secular age” not as the gradual sloughing off of religious sentiment, but rather as the coexistence of multiple secular and non-secular belief systems that constantly challenge and influence one another, help inform our understanding of the role of religion in otherwise secular works? Please send 250-500 word abstracts to Scott Powers, spowers@umw.edu.
Seventeenth-Century French Writers' Lives
Who really were the men who wrote the classicist masterpieces of French seventeenth-century literature? The goal of this panel is to think about the lives and value systems of these writers and their interactions with groups as diverse as Port-Royal, libertinage, world of the theater, preciosity, and the ideal of the honnête homme. Major seventeenth-century authors will include female and male moralists, poets, novelists, and playwrights. Send abstracts (200-300 words) by email to Stéphane Natan, Rider University: snatan@rider.edu.
Technologies et Acquisition du Français au Niveau Universitaire: Un Potentiel Pédagogique Tangible? Roundtable
Dans la perspective du 41e congrès de la NeMLA à Montréal, nous vous invitons à nous faire part de vos points de vue pour une table ronde ayant pour thème l'impact des technologies (TICE) sur l'acquisition en français langue seconde ou étrangère au niveau universitaire et plus particulièrement sur les trois aspects que sont la motivation de l'apprenant, les stratégies d'apprentissage, et l'autonomie d'apprentissage et langagière. Proposals can be in either French or English. Please send inquiries or 200-300 word abstracts to Marion Vergues, McGill University, marion.vergues@mcgill.ca.
War in French Literature
War has played a most significant part in the human experience from Antiquity to the present, encapsulated in much of French Literature, from its beginnings until the most recent times. From the “Chanson de Roland” to “Syngué Sabor” (Prix Goncourt 2008), French literature encompasses at its core the representation of war and its enduring albeit devastating effects on human life. This panel proposes to examine representations of war in French Literature, from the Middle Ages to the present. Abstracts should be addressed to Lison Baselis-Bitoun (lbaselis@fas.harvard.edu) and Philippa Kim (jpkim@bmcc.cuny.edu).
Rebelles, mécréantes et vilaines dans la littérature francophone (Womn In French Session)
Co-Sponsored by Women in French. Cette sessions vise à analyser les représentations de femmes déviantes par des écrivaines à travers les siècles. Quelques sujets de réflexion possibles: Qu'est-ce qui amène ces personnages à défier les normes de la conduite dite « féminine »? Quelle est la frontière entre rébellion et criminalité dans certains cas ? Comment est représentée la violence au féminin ? A travers leurs stratégies narratives, les écrivaines élicitent-elles notre compassion, notre révulsion ou restent-elles neutres? Colette Trout <ctrout@ursinus.edu>