the department of french university of california ......zola, dreyfus, christ: fin-de-siècle...

The Department of French University of California, Berkeley

The 2020 Newsletter

Afteratraditionofissuingourannualnewsletterinearlywinter,theDepartmentofFrenchdecidedtoreserveitsreleaseforMarch—“BigGive”time.Restassuredthatthisspringeditioncontainsalloftheupdatesonourmanyactivitiesthathavekeptourcommunitybusyinthe4200-4300blockofDwinelleHall.BigGiveisasuitabletimeforthis,becausemuchofwhatwe’reabletodoforourmajorsandgraduatestudentsismadepossiblebyfriendslikeyou.SopleaseusethislinktosendagifttotheFrenchDepartmentonThursday,March12,2020.Andifyou’reanalumwho’dlikeslightlymoreregularnewsfromus,don’thesitatetolikeusonFacebook,followusonTwitterorInstagram,orcontactCarolDolciniatfrendept@berkeley.edutoletusknowifyouwouldliketobeaddedtotheFrenchDepartmentannouncementsemaillist!

NickPaige,ProfessorandChairofFrench

BigGiveGreetingsfromtheStaffandChair(CarolDolcini,NickPaige,MaryAjideh,andLydiaYoon;notpictured,AmanSandhu)

The Library of French Thought

SuchisthenamewesometimesnowuseforthegoodoldFrenchLibrary.It’ssimplyatranslationofthenameusedtorefertoacollectionofbooksthattheFrenchgovernmentsenttothe1915PanamaPacificInternationalExposition,heldinSanFrancisco.ThesebooksweresupposedtorepresentthebestofFrenchthought,overthecenturies,inalldomainsofknowledge,andtheywerehousedinanelegantroomattheexpositioncalledthe“Bibliothèquedelapenséefrançaise.”WiththeoutbreakoftheFirstWorldWar,therewasnohopeforrepatriatingthecollection,anditwassenttoUCBerkeley.Atthattime,bookshavingtodowithFrenchliteraturewereseparatedoutandformedthekerneloftheFrenchLibrary.(Others,Ibelieve,weresimplyintegratedintothemaincollectionofDoe.)

Asnotedlastyear,wenowhaveanewon-linecatalogcalledTinyCat,accessibleviaourwebsite.Itdoesn’thaveallofourholdings(especiallymorebibliophilicitems,andwe’reworkingonthose)butitdoeshavemost.Andtoreprisemyhorriblepunfromlastyear:Ihopeyou’llcheckitout.

I’dliketoacknowledgeheresomegiftstothelibraryfrompastalums.PaulSchwarzbart,a1963MA,donatedhisentirecollectionofthefamousleather-boundPléiadevolumes—235ofthem.We’veintegratedsomeintoournon-circulatingcollectionofPléiadesfromtheTorczynerestate,andmergedduplicatesintoourregularstacks.(Mr.SchwarzbartalsogaveusacopyofhisheartbreakingholocaustmemoircalledBreakingtheSilence;it’sonTinyCat.)AndtwoFrenchmajors—BarbaraShapiro,’67,andClaudineJones,’73—gaveusmanyboxesofFrenchbooksfromtheirlibraries.We’llbesortingthroughthose,keepingtheonesweneedforourstacksandgivingawayotherstoourGraduatesandUndergraduates.Thankyou,alums!

PaulSchwarzbart(MA’63),beforeandafterthedonationofhisbelovedPléiades…

The Fifth Annual Distinguished Alumni Lecture

InSeptember,wewerejoinedbyProfessorRobertHarvey,whoearnedhisPh.D.in1988underthedirectionofDenisHollier.And in fact,Robert isoursecond“doublealum”todeliver thislecture (after Christophe Wall-Romana a few yearsago): he received his B.A. fromus, too, class of ‘72.RoberthastaughtatSUNYStonyBrooksinceleavingBerkeley—butnotalways,interestingly,inthesamedepartment. Initially hired into French, he migratedfrom there into Comparative Literature, and fromthere, in2014, to theDepartmentofPhilosophy.Healsospentsixyearsintheearly2000sasadirecteurdeprogramme at the Collège International dePhilosophie. Recent major books of his includeWitnessness:Beckett,Dante,LeviandtheFoundationsof Responsibility, from 2010, and Sharing CommonGround:A Space for Ethics of 2017; bothhavebeentranslatedintoFrench,andthelatterintoJapanese.AgoodportionofhisscholarshiphasbeendedicatedtoMarguerite Duras, Michel Deguy, and Jean-FrançoisLyotard, all figures he has translated, edited, anddirectedcollectivevolumeson.Heiscurrentlywritingabookonwhathecalls“semanticperversion”forMITentitledScareQuotes.

RobertHarvey’slecturewastheoccasionforanotherhappyhomecoming:ProfessorEmeritaAnnSmockwasgoodenoughtojoinusasarespondent.

The Second Annual Rex Lecture

ThespringpendanttothefallAlumniLectureistheRexlecture,namedinhonorofthelateProfessorWalter(“Ted”)E. RexIII.TheRexlecturerischosenandinvitedbytheDepartment’sgraduatestudents,whosewelfareissupportedbytheRexbequest.LastMarch,wewereveryhappytowelcomeAssistantProfessorMorganeCadieuofYale,whospokeofsocialclimbingincontemporaryFrenchliterature.

The UCB French Department

presents

the second annual

Rex Lecture

M o r g a n e C a d i e u Yale University

Rastignac in the Twenty-First Century: The

Emancipation of a Literary Character

5 p.m., March 19 • Library of French Thought Refreshments will be served

On March 20, Prof. Cadieu will also be offering a lunchtime seminar on developing

a critical framework for the PhD dissertation: 12 p.m., 4125A Dwinelle Hall

Some other lectures and events

A Lecture:

“Wilde,

Zola,

Dreyfus,

Christ:

Fin-de-siècle

Passions”

Andrew Counter University of Oxford

Thursday, February 14, 4 p.m.

Library of French Thought, 4229 Dwinelle

Professor Counter will lead a follow-up seminar for graduate students on Friday, February 15 from noon to 1:30 in 4125A Dwinelle. Two brief background readings are available in the French Department Library or from mlucey@berkeley.edu. Sponsored by the Department of French.

Pajus times two! ThankstothePajusbequest,madetotheDepartmentofFrenchinthelate1990s,weareableeveryyeartoinviteadistinguishedguest,typicallyfromFranceortheUK,tocomevisitforaseriesoftalks,seminars,androundtables.PastguestsincludeJacquesRancière,GisèleSapiro,JocelyneDakhlia,ChristopherPrendergast,WendyAyres-Bennett,andFrédéricWorms. Becauseofthelonger-than-usualtimecoveredinthisnewsletter,we’veinfacthadtwoPajusDistinguishedVisitorssincelastIwrote.

ESimonGauntofKing’sCollegeLondonwas2019’sPajusvisitor

AndMarielleMacé(EHESS/CNRS)justwrapped

uphervisitacoupleofweeksagoF

THE FRENCH DEPARTMENT PRESENTSTHE PAJUS DISTINGUISHED VISITOR

for 2019

SIMON GAUNTProfessor of French, King’s College London

TUESDAY, APRIL 9 AT 5 PM

“Babel and the Language(s) of Universal History in the Middle Ages”4229 Dwinelle Hall (French Department Library)

• • •FRIDAY, APRIL 12 FROM 12-2 PM

“Supralocal Literary Cultures before the Nation-State” Roundtable with Nasser Meerkhan (UC Berkeley),

Diego Pirillo (UC Berkeley), and Marisa Galvez (Stanford)Geballe Room (220 Stephens Hall)

Lunch will be served at 12; Roundtable will begin at 12:30• • •

TUESDAY, APRIL 16 FROM 4:30-6:30 PM

“Doing Digital Research in Literary Studies: A Practical Seminar for Graduate Students and Faculty”

4125A Dwinelle Hall

Image: the tower of Babel from BnF f.fr. 686, f. 14r. Source: Gallica.bnf.fr.

Comings and Goings: Professors and Lecturers FromAtoZ,here’saround-upofwhatsomeoftheresearchactivityofourfaculty.KarlBritto'sessayontheplaceofParisinVietnamesediasporicfictionappearedintheeditedvolumeParisandtheMarginalizedAuthor:Treachery,Alienation,Queerness,andExile.AsecondpieceongenderandcolonialmilitaryserviceinPhạmDuyKhiêm'sLaPlaced'unhommewillbeoutsooninFrenchStudies.Freshoffhiswidely-reviewedbookonBobDylan’ssongsandundauntedbyhisdutiesasdirectoroftheTownsendCenterfortheHumanities,TimHamptonhaswrappedupanotherbook,AHistoryofCheerfulnessfromShakespearetoFacebook.ItwillbecomingoutwithZoneBooksin2021.HealsoparticipatedintheVillaFinalytranslationworkshop,describedonthenextpage.Michael

Luceyhasbeenworkinghardtofinishhislatestproject,abooktentativelycalledTalk’sWork:ProustandtheNovel’sEthnographyofSpeaking,andislookingforwardtoasabbaticalyearin2020-2021tolaunchacouplenewprojects;apreviewofoneoftheserecentlyappearedasanarticleinCollegeEnglishcalled“Real-TimeLiteraryTexts.”He’llbesplittinghissabbaticaltimebetweenParisandOxford,wherehewillbeaffiliatedwithMertonCollegeandSt.John’sCollege.SusanMaslanspokeatanexcitingfallsymposiumatNYUon“RewiringDemocracy.”MairiMcLaughlin’ssecondbook,LaPressefrançaisehistorique:Histoired’ungenreetl’histoiredelalangue,willbeappearingwithGarnierlaterthisyear.Shealsoco-authored,withastudentintheRomanceLanguagesandLiteraturesProgram,asoon-to-appearchapteronGallo-Romansyntax.Atpresent,she’swritingacoupleofarticlesabouttranslation.AlongwithTim,shewaspartoftheVillaFinalyprogramlastsummer.NicholasPaige’snewbookTechnologiesoftheNovelwillbecomingoutthisyearwithCambridge.Hebillsitasthefirstquantitativehistoryofthenovel’sevolution,writtenwiththetoolsandperspectivesprovidedbytheDigitalHumanities.Hehasbeenlecturingwidely,includingvisitstoZurichandGöttingen;aforthcomingpieceonDiderot’ssalonswillbecomingoutinDiderotStudiesbytheendoftheyear.VesnaRodichascontinuedtodevelopsecond-andthird-yearcurriculumonenvironmental

sustainability,bothasaFellowattheBerkeleyLanguageCenterandasareturningDigitalPedagogyFellowattheCenterforTeachingandLearning.ShehaspresentedherworkataLibraryofCongressSymposiumonTeachingwithPrimarySources.Basedontheredesignedcurriculum,French3studentsengagedinEvideoconferencingexchangeswith

studentsfromAix-MarseilleUniversitéinSpring2019.DebaratiSanyalguest-editedanissueofthejournalCriticalTimes,entitled“TimeandPoliticsinContemporaryCritique:EntanglementsandAftermaths.”ThispastJuneshewasinMadridfortheMemoryStudiesAssociation

conference,whereamongotherthingssheparticipatedinaplenarysessionwithPulitzerprizewinnerVietThanhNguyen;andattheMLAinSeattlebothsheorganizedapanelonStatelessMemoryandspokeonHannahArendtandaesthetics.MayaSidhu’sarticle“ReconsideringJeanRenoir'sLaMarseillaisethrougheditorMargueriteRenoir”willbecomingoutinFrenchScreenStudies;she’llalsobepresentingherresearchonthedirectorNinaCompaneezinParisthisMay.Foodiealert:Margo

SzarkehasanarticleinFrenchStudiescomingoutnextmonthcalled“ModernSensitivity:EmileZola'sSynaestheticCheeses.”AndSorayaTlatlihashadacoupleofarticlespublishedinthepastmonths,oneonAssiaDjebar’soeuvre,thesecondonQuisesouvientdelamerbyMohammedDib.

Here’sMairiMcLaughlin’sreportontheVillaFinaly2019PrograminTranslation:

Andfinally,thehappyannouncement(atleasthappyforhim!)thatDavidHult,whocametoBerkeleyin1997afterteachingatYale,JohnsHopkins,andtheUniversityofVirginia,willberetiringattheendofthisspring.COVID-19permitting,theDepartmentwillbehostingacelebratoryconferenceonMay4th;anumberofDavid’sformerstudentswillbecominginfromfarandwide.We’rethankfulthatDavidhasagreedtobe“recalled”nextyearfortheteachingofaseminar,givingusalittlemoretimetofindareplacement.

Au revoir! Iamhappy-sadtoannouncetheretirementthispastspringoftwolongtime,indispensablefacultymembers.Formanyofyou,SedaChavdarianhasbecomevirtuallysynonymouswiththeDepartmentofFrench.She’doftensaidthatshecouldneverconceiveofretiring;butlife,nottomentionanincreasinglyintolerablecommute,madetheunimaginableimaginable.SedacompletedherdissertationonMichelButorin1981hereinBerkeley,underthedirectionofDenisHollier.Shestartedaslecturerin1988,andwaspromotedtoSeniorLecturer(adesignationreservedforthosewhohaveofferedextraordinaryservicetoUCBerkeley)in2006.Fornearlytwentyyears,untilherdeparturelastJune,SedaservedasActingDirectoroftheLowerDivision;shealsodirectedtheSummerSessionprograminParisfrom2002to2007.In2008,shewasgiventheFacultyAwardforOutstandingMentoringofGSIs,afterhavingreceived,in2001,thecampus’shighestaccoladeforpedagogy,theDistinguishedTeachingAward.

SedaChavdarianandfriends

Andaftertwodecadesteachingwithus,SuzanneGuerlactookherroll-topdeskandmoveduptheMendocinocoasttoliveandwrite.JoiningusforacelebrationofherscholarshipandmentorshipwerepastPhDsDavidPettersen,CatherineTalley,andLiviYoshika-Maxwell;presentABDsVictoriaBergstromandTrevorSanders;andlongtimefriendanderstwhilecolleaguePierreSaint-Amand.Don’tbeastranger,Suzanne!

SuzanneandPierreSaint-AmandG(behindthem,aportraitofGeorgesGerard,an

extraordinaryDepartmentbenefactor;acopyofhisautobiography,Ariadne’sThread,

canbefoundinourLibrary)

As a Matter of Thought

A Celebration in Honor of Suzanne Guerlac

Friday, May 3, 2019, 1:30-6:30 p.m. 4229 Dwinelle (French Library)

A reception will follow talks

1:30 p.m. David Pettersen (University of Pittsburgh), “Neorealist Casting Practices in French Minority Cinemas”

Victoria Bergstrom (UC Berkeley), “Inscription & Erasure: Lithographic Time in Francis Ponge’s Matière et mémoire”

2:30 p.m. Elisa Russian (UC Berkeley), “Self and Milieu in the Late Foucault” Trevor Sanders (UC Berkeley), “Why We Read Germaine de Staël”

3:30 p.m. Catherine Talley (Skidmore College), “Reading and the Time of Thought”

Livi Yoshioka-Maxwell (St. Olaf College), “The Elevator Speech: An Hommage to Professor Guerlac” Pierre Saint-Amand (Yale University), “Forgetting Time: Rousseau”

Comings and Goings: Graduate Students We’redelightedtoannouncethearrivaloffour(more)amazingstudentsthisyear,Thomas

Corbani,ErinDunbar,CameronFlynn(RLL),andAlanYeh.Averywarmwelcome,withspecialthankstoAlanforalreadysteppinguptobecomeheaddesignerofouratelierd’affiches(you’llseesomeofhishandiworkinthenewsletter).Newsofsomeofthosearoundforlongerisasfollows.BenBeitlerwasawardeda2020-21BerkeleyLanguageCenterfellowshipforaprojectaimingtogetstudentstothinkabouttheirownlearningbyfamiliarizingthemwiththehistoryoflanguagelearningtechniquesastaughtovertheyearsatBerkeley.VictoriaBergstromisdelightedtoannouncetheacceptanceofher“Entresignalreçuetcrypté:PierreAlferi’sPoeticsofRemediation,”whichwillbeappearinginFrenchForum.SarahChristofides,whohasbeenresearchinginParisthisyearthankstoourENSexchange,publishedanarticlethisfall.Seetheinsert!FSarahHastings-RudolphparticipatedintheVillaFinalyintensivetranslationstudiesworkshopoverthesummer.ThisinvolvedaweekofseminarsinFlorence,followedbyaconferencepresentationatUniversitéParis8.Aspartoftheprogram,sheworkedonacollaborativetranslationofGeorgeSand’s“LesVisionsdelanuitdanslescampagnes,”whichwillbepublishedbyFlorenceUniversityPressinacollectivevolume.ThankstoagenerousawardfromtheDavidN.K.&AileenWangFamilyFellowship,AlexisStanleywasabletospendthepastsummertakingcodingcoursesundertheauspicesofUCBerkeley'sDigitalHumanitiesSummerCertificateProgram.EmilyLinares’sarticle“‘Cesgrandesdames,çanevapassouventàl’église’:Acorpus-basedinvestigationofdislocationfeaturingco-referentcliticça,”basedonastudycarriedoutinProf.McLaughlin'sAdvancedFrenchSyntaxseminar,appearedthisfallinJournalofFrenchLanguageStudies.We’realsothrilledtoannouncethatEmilyalsoreceivedthe2020MultilingualMattersawardfromtheAmericanAssociationofAppliedLinguisticsforbestpaperproposalbyagraduatestudent;sheisacceptingtheawardattheAAALconferencethismonth.PatrickLyonshassteppeddownfromtheeditorialboardofBerkeley’sgraduate-runjournalQuiParleaftertwoyearsatthehelm.RachelWeiherhasbeenextremelybusy,presentingatboththeMLAandtheHispanicLinguisticsSymposium,andtravelingtoParislastsummertoworkon-siteintheLaboratoireLattice(CNRS/ENS/Paris3SorbonneNouvelle).Whilethere,sheassistedthelabinthecreationofonlinetoolsforlanguageteachers,atthesametimesheconductedherownsociophoneticstudyofaphenomenoncharacteristicofParisianFrenchknownasphrase-finalvoweldevoicing.RachelhasalsobeenawardedaBerkeleyLanguageCenterfellowshipfor2020-21.

Andastheydoeachyear,manystudentssteppeduptopresenttheirongoingworkatourWorksInProgressseries:MikeArrigo,SarahChristofides,EmilyLinares,PatrickLyons,Simon

Rogghe,TrevorSanders,andMargotSzarke.Heartycongratulationstothisyear’sfilers,who’veprovedthatthereislifeafterABD-dom:MarionPhilips,SokratPostoli,BrockImel,KathrynLevine,andElyseRitchey.Woo-hoo!!!!Asforrelativelyrecentalumsorsoon-to-be-alumswhohaveleft“thenest”:VanessaBrutschehasacceptedatenure-trackpositionattheUniversityofUtah.ElyseRitcheystartedaslecturerinFrenchLinguisticsatQueen’sUniversityBelfast.CorineStofleisinherfirstyearofavisitingassistantprofessorshipatReedCollege.Andwereceivedtwomarvelousbitsofnews:MayaSmithhasbeengrantedtenureatUW;andJonathonRepinecz’sbookSubversiveTraditionswasawardedacovetedACLAFirstBookSubvention(anhonorheshareswithDamonYoung,whoseMakingSexPublicwasapreviouswinneroftheaward).Nicework!Andasalways,everyoneofusextendsprofusethankstoMaryAjidehforkeepingallthesemovingpieces…inorderlyandproductivemovement!

The Future of French Everyyearweinvitehigh-schoolersintheareastudyingFrenchtocometakealookatthecampusandourclasses.Thispastyear,wehadafewgroupsin.OnewasDoughertyValleyHS,accompaniedbytheirteacherMadameMoriya.AndMonteVistaHScamewithclassof’98majorAllison(Firestone)Sass,whohasobviouslydonesomethingwithherFrenchdegree!

GAllisonSassandNicholasPaige,Commencement1998!

EMmeMoriya’sclassfromDoughertyValley.KeepupyourFrench!

Undergraduate NewsTostartthingsoffonapracticalnote,here’saquotefromanalum:“Frenchkeepsgettingme

hiredorgettingmejoboffers;nojoke.It’soneofthemostmarketableskillsIhave.Ifyou

speakFrench,youcangetajobininternationaldevelopment!”•Ourlanguagecoursesaregoingstrong,supported,asalways,bythelowerdivisiontutoringprogram,coordinatedbyRickKern,VesnaRodic,andDanielHoffmann:8tutors—whoareFrenchmajorsthemselves,takingFrench197,“FieldStudies”—offeracombined16hoursoffree,drop-inFrench1and2tutoringperweek.•IwashopingtohavephotosofournewUndergraduateResourceCenterforStudentsofFrenchandComparativeLiterature,wherethattutoringtakesplace;unfortunately,thecontractorsorderedthewrongdoor,sowemustwaitabitlonger.•LeCercleFrançais,runlastyearbyClaireCombredetandnowbyMarianJoyce(withofficersLawrenceChang,MarcusJimenez,and

ErickGonzalez),offersUCBerkeleystudentstheuniqueopportunitytofurtherengageinFrenchlanguageandcultureoutsideoftheclassroom.SomeoftheeventsLCFhostsincludeweeklymeetingsatcaféFSM,anafternoonteatimewithaprofessor,karaokenight,monthlyexcursionstotheMaisonbleuecrêperiewithl’Alliancefrançaise,amovienight,andameetupwithUCDavis’sFrenchClub(seephotoG).Thismonth,theywillholdareceptionforacohortofbusinessstudentsvisitingfroml'InstitutUniversitaireTechnologique,situatedinDraguignan•FrenchcameoutstrongforCalDay,withmajorsstaffingourtable,SedaChavdarianrunningtheever-popular“FrenchinaFlash!”lessons—lecturerDanielHoffmannwillcarryonthetraditionthiscomingCalDay—andNicholasPaigedeliveringastanding-room-onlylecture,“AHistoryofParisin45Minutes.”Thisyear,anEiffelTowermarkedthespotofourevents(EChairPaigeandhissonWyatt).

2010FrenchBAStaceyPetersonwrites,“MyexcitingnewsisthatIjustgraduatedinDecember2018withmyPh.D.inLinguisticsfromGeorgetownUniversity.ThankstoallthefacultyandstaffthatweregreatatBerkeleyandledmetothispeakinmyacademiccareer.Mydissertation,AccountingforDiphthongs:DurationasContrastinVowelDispersionTheory,examinescross-linguistictrendsindiphthongproductionandperceptionpropertiesatdifferentspeechratesandevaluatesthemincurrentlinguistictheoryofvoweldispersion.InowworkincomputationallinguisticsforagovernmentcontractorinWashington,DC.Thankstoeveryoneforhelponthistremendousjourney!”Alums,pleasesendinyournews!

Jamais deux sans trois Actually,Idon’tknowwhatproverbisappropriatetointroducetheHanzaliksisters.Danielle,Bridgét,andSydneyHanzalikarethreesisterswhohaveall“hadthepleasure”—theirwords!—ofmajoringinFrenchatUCBerkeley.DaniellegraduatedfromCalin2015withadoublemajorinEnglishandFrench.ShethenwentontospendthreeyearsinFrance,teachingEnglishwithTAPIFandworkingforaChristianstudentgroupcalledAgapé.SheisnowinherfirstyearinthePh.D.programatUCLAinFrenchandFrancophoneStudies.BridgétgraduatedfromCalin2017withadoublemajorinLinguisticsandFrenchandtheDepartmentCertificateofDistinctioninFrench.ShehasbeenrunningEstelleBakery&Pâtisserie,aFrenchpâtisserieinSacramento,andhopestoapplyforgraduateschoolinSpeechLanguagePathologyinthenexttwoyears.SydneyiscurrentlyastudentintheFrenchdepartment.ShewillbegraduatingfromCalinSpring2020withadoublemajorinCognitiveScienceandFrench.Sacrebleu!Incroyable!“Wearegrateful,”theywrite,“tohaveallbeenabletobenefitfromBerkeley'sFrenchdepartmentandbondoverthisspecialconnection.”

Danielle,Bridgét,andSydneyHanzalik

Global interns!TwelvestudentsparticipatedthispastsummerintheGlobalInternsProgramthroughtheFrenchDepartment.TwowereGloriaFungandChinwenduOnonuju.Here’salittletestimony.

Money money money money! 14currentmajorsbenefitedfromPaulBrunMemorialScholarshipsthisyear;theseneed-andachievement-basedawards,madepossiblethroughthegenerosityofadonor,arealittle-knownperkofmajoringinFrench!(Forthefirsttime,BrunScholarshipswerealsodistributedto6ofourgraduatestudentswithdemonstratedneed.)

Books books books books!

IannouncedlastyearapilotinitiativeinFrench102,our“gateway”classtothemajor,whicheasesstudentsoutofourlanguageclassesintofull-oncoursesinlinguistics,literature,andculture.WithresourcesprovidedbyDepartmentbenefactors,westartedofferingall102students—freeofcharge—acopyofthefull-lengthworkreadintheclass.(It’softenMolière’sL’écoledesfemmes,butthisyearwe’vehadinstructorschooseIonesco’sRhinocérosandBeauvoir’sMémoiresd’unejeunefillerangéeaswell.)Sincethemeasurehasbeenappreciatedbothbystudentsandinstructors—whonowhaveeveryone“onthesamepage”—we’recontinuingwhatIhoperesourceswillallowtobecomeatradition.(Pictured:studentsinVesnaRodic’sSpring2019102,Molièreinhand!)

EStudentsperformingYasminaReza’sLeDieuducarnageinProf.SusanMaslan’sFrench103

Thanks to YOU I’vementionedbeforethatmanyofthethingsyoureadaboutinthenewsletterarenotactuallypaidforthroughstateappropriations(i.e.,byCaliforniataxpayers!)ortuition.Invitingspeakers,keepinguptheFrenchLibrary,buyingrefreshmentsforLeCercleFrançaisorcopiesofL’écoledesfemmes—thesearesomeofthethingsthatdonorsbigandsmallmakehappen.Andalongtheselines:The2019MousseauPrizeforbestundergraduatepaperinFrenchwasawardedtoAnnabelJankovicforheressay,“Surlasynergieentrel’hommepolitiqueetl’hommelittéraire:Lavisionpartagéedel'empereuretdupoète.”AnnabelwrotethisasherfinalpaperforProfessor(Emerita)SuzanneGuerlac’sSeniorSeminaronVictorHugo.ThePrizeCommitteewasdeeplyimpressedbytheeloquentintensityofherintellectualinvolvementwithHugo’soeuvre.CongratulationstoAnnabelontheprize,whichcomeswitha$250award.TheStudyAbroadFlightFundisthedefaultbeneficiaryofcontributionswereceive,whetheratBigGiveorthroughouttheyear.We’redelightedtoannouncethatwewereabletomakeourfirstsuchawardsthisyear!Fourstudentsbenefitedfrom$250awardsfromthefund,whichhelpstodefraytravelcoststhatarenotcoveredbyfinancialaid.Theyare:HarsimranBhandal,whoparticipatedinSummer2019“FranceforthePre-Med”inNice;HeatherBreaux,whostudiedinBordeauxforfall2019,andinParisforspring2020onaresearch/internshipprogramwiththeInstituteforFieldEducation(IFE);MollyPinder,whoisspendingSpring2020inStrasbourg,alsoonaresearch/internshipprogramwithIFEthatwillcombineherdualinterestsinFrenchandLinguistics;andAmyZhang,whoparticipatedintheSummer2019ParisGlobalInternshipprogram.HarsimranBhandalandfriend,duringhisstudyabroadinNice.FHarsimranwrites,“Theprogramwasfantastic!InotonlylearnedsomuchFrenchrelatedtomedicine,butIgainedinvaluableexperienceswithmyfriendsandwithmyhostfamily.IhadsuchawonderfulexperienceinFrance,andIfeelsoblessedtohavehadtheopportunitytostudythere.Itwasdefinitelyanadventuregettingtherewiththewaiting,butIwasfinallyabletoexperiencethelanguageandcultureformyself.”

Disparitions et parutions

I’msaddenedtoannouncetwodeathsintheDepartmentalfamily.FormerfacultymemberJacquelineLichtenstein,aspecialistofearlymodernaestheticsandarthistory,passedawayonApril3,2019.Prof.LichtensteinfirstcametoBerkeleyasavisitinglecturerin1984,beforebeinghiredtotheprofessorialranksthefollowingyear,asshewasfinishingherdissertationunderthedirectionofthecelebratedtheoreticianLouisMarin.In1991,shestartedteachingatParisXNanterre,andofficiallyseparatedfromBerkeleyin1996.In2004,shetookupthepostofprofessoratParisIVSorbonne.ItwaswhileshewasatBerkeleythatpublishedherwidelyinfluentialLaCouleuréloquente,in1989.Thosewhorememberhertenurehereweremarkedbybothherchain-smokingintensityandherabove-and-beyondgenerosity.PatrickReily,whodidhisBAandPhDintheDepartmentfrom1984to1996.CurrentlyAssociateProfessorofFrenchatColgateUniversity,PatricksentinthefollowingappreciationofJacqeuline’sinfluence

Asanundergraduate,Jacquelinewasmyhonorsthesisdirector,andIwasoneofhergraduateresearchassistantsinthePhDprogram.IdoubtIwouldbedoingwhatIdotodaywithoutJacqueline'smentorship,friendship,andaboveall,herextraordinaryintellect.Shewasarivetingteacher,abrilliantwriter,andatrueexemplarofacommitmenttothehumanities.Prettymuchallmytrainingin17th-centuryliteratureandculturecamefromJacqueline.IwouldliketothinkthatcontinuingtoteachFrenchClassicalliteraturetonewgenerationsofstudentsisatributetoeverythingshetaughtme,andinasmallway,ispartofherlegacy.Longmayitlive.

Jacquelinedidliveinacloudofsmoke.Classeswouldoftenbeginwitharhetorical“sijefumais?”ShebroughtasliverofFrancewithhertoCalifornia.Outofthesmokewouldemergeagravellyvoiceandpure,PascalianFrench.Invariably,atsomepointshewouldsay“j'ouvreuneparenthèse...”andoftenwouldnotsay“jefermelaparenthèse”untilanhourlater,afterabrilliantdetourthoughDescartes,Poussin,Deleuze,theiconographyofafrontispiece,thefreeway,anything.Anditwasalwayscaptivating.

ItpainsmetothinkthatJacquelineclosedherlastparenthesis.Butshehasleftanenduringmarkonthestudyofart,literature,andphilosophy;throughherunfailinggenerosityandkindness,shehelpedmanyothersalongtheirwayintheprofession.Ijustwantedtotakethismomenttosay:Thankyou,Jacqueline.

AndwewereverysadtolearninDecember2019ofthedeathofourformergraduatestudent,WillBishop.WillreceivedhisPhDin2003withadissertationon“AlliancesinTranslation:Beckett,Genet,Rimbaud,andCelan.”HelivedinParis,writing,translating,andteaching.ForanumberofyearshewasagreathelptoBerkeleystudentswhileservingastheacademic

coordinatoroftheUCCenterinParis.Inrecentyears,WilltranslatedanumberofimportantphilosophicalworksbyPeterSzendyandÉlizabethdeFontenayintoEnglish.Willhadalovelysmile,aluminousintelligence,andawonderfulcapacityforfriendship,allofwhichmeanshewillbesorelymissed.MemorialsinhismemorymaybemadetoTheLexingtonSchool,1050LaneAllenRoad,Lexington,KY40504

Andgiventheselosses,I’mallthemorehappytobeabletoannouncethebirthofAmaiaSofíaLinares,bornonNovember7,2019tograduatestudent(andFrenchBA)EmilyLinaresandherhusbandMiguel.Congratulationsmomanddad!

Give to French Oursisadynamicandgrowingprogramofstudythatencompassesculture,politics,currentevents,andtranslation.WeareconstantlydevelopingnewapproachesandprogramstoenhancetheexperienceofourextraordinaryCalstudents.Butasyou’veseenhere,wecannotdoeverythingtheydeservewithoutfinancialsupportfromourfriends.Ifyou’reabletogivetoFrenchatBerkeley,theStudyAbroadFlightFundisthedefaultbeneficiaryforyourcontribution;butifyou’dliketoearmarkyourdonationforadifferentcause(e.g.,merit-basedprizes,graduatestudentsupport,libraryacquisitionsandupkeep),simplyindicateasmuchinthespaceprovidedforthispurpose.Ifyoushouldbethinkingaboutestateplanning,pleasecontactmedirectly(npaige@berkeley.edu)andI’llbehappytohelpconnectyouwiththeLettersandScienceDevelopmentOffice.

Andifyoucan,don’tforgettorememberusduringBigGive,onMarch12,2020!EThingsarealwayslookingupforstudentsofFrenchatCal!