Proposed Calendar of Events (subject to change):

Festival du film francophone, 14-17 February

organized by graduate students of the Department of French

See the program at http://www.student.virginia.edu/~maison/festival/

Thursday, February 14th

Attend a graduate class:

9:30-10:45 FREN 428/711 – History of The French Language

Professor Gladys Saunders (New Cabell 330)

This course will look at some of the ways in which the French language has changed through time, with respect to vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, orthography, meaning, discourse, and the like. Social, cultural, political, environmental, as well as purely linguistic, factors that have played some part in language change will be considered. Our approach will be non-traditional and somewhat novel. We begin with an inventory of penetrating questions, for example: why does one say ‘cheval’ in the singular but ‘chevaux’ in the plural (and cf. ‘animal ~ animaux, bail ~ baux’; but ‘vache ~ vaches’, 'pied ~pieds', 'femmes' ~ 'femmes', etc.); or why did ”nos ancêtres les Gaulois” ‘bequeath’ so few of their words to the French lexicon; or what type of French is spoken in Belgium, Canada, and Africa and why; or why does the utterance “t’as pas dix balles?” immediately strike you as being ‘non-standard’-- and when was the language conventionalized anyway ...?. Answers to such questions will provide the impetus for a more in-depth study and discussion of some of the major (underlying) diachronic changes and currents in the language.

Visit a 200 level course taught by a current Graduate Teaching Assistant:

9:30-10:45 FREN 202

Aline Charles (New Cabell 316)

 11:00 Teaching French in our Department (Cabell 329)

Learn what it’s like to be a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the French department by attending a Teaching information session organized by Professor Cheryl Krueger, the Director of the Language Program.

12:00 : Lunch on The Corner (Place TBA) with graduate students. rdv Cabell 329.

Participants: TBA.

Attend a graduate class (or two!):

2:00-3:15 FREN 530/830 – Literature of 17th-Century: Tragedy

Professor John Lyons (French House 102)

This course will concentrate on the tragedies of Pierre Corneille (principally Médée, Le Cid, Horace),  and Jean Racine (Phèdre,  Andromaque, Iphigénie).  Initially, however, we will sample some earlier works by Alexandre Hardy, Jean Rotrou, and Tristan L’Hermite. 

3:30-6:00 FREN 511/810 – Art and War: The State of Literature during the Hundred Years War

Professor Deborah McGrady (Wilson 141A)

From 1337 to 1453, Europe was shaped by a political and military feud that initially divided the kingdoms of England and France, before resulting in the fracturing of the French kingdom into competing territories. During this period, Francophone societies looked on as their kings and princes became prisoners or died in battle, as royal relations plotted the assassinations of one another or the exiling of the rightful heir to the French throne. In spite of such upheaval and the financial repercussions that came along with paying exorbitant ransoms and funding wars, francophone literature continued to thrive, although in a radically different form from earlier medieval models.

This class will explore the impact of war on shaping literature as much as the power of literature to shape war and society. We will read a diverse selection of writings, ranging from escapist courtly literature to political manifestoes, debate poetry to the writings of the first recognized “war correspondent,” poetry by and for prisoners, and legal trials of booksellers charged with treason as well as the most famous case of Joan of Arc. These primary texts will be read in conjunction with theoretical writings, especially those of Bataille (on violence), Kristeva (on the abject), Bourdieu and Foucault (on social constructions), and Robert Darnton (on the circulation of literary materials).

Friday, February 15th 

9:00-10:30 Library tour, Participants: TBA.

rdv. Inside main entrance of Alderman Library

10:30- 12:00 Open Doors/Open House : French Department, 3rd floor Cabell

Meet individually with French Department faculty members and graduate students.

Participants:TBA

12:00-1:00 Lunch at the French House with faculty and graduate students

1:30-2:45 Open Doors/Open House : French Department, 3rd floor New Cabell

Meet individually with French Department faculty members and graduate students.

Participants: TBA.

3:00  Lecture: Dr. Régine Michelle Jean-Charles, Harvard University (title: TBA)

Saturday, February 16th: Free day to explore Charlottesville.

See http://www.law.virginia.edu/html/insider/intro.htm for tips on what to see and do.

11:00 : Tour of Grounds with current graduate students: rdv South end of the Rotunda (facing the Lawn)

3:00-5:00: Reception with faculty and graduate students, place TBA

While in town, we also highly recommend a visit to Monticello.

Lodging during your stay:

The French Department receives a preferred rate of $69.99 (+ tax) per night from the Red Roof Inn, which is adjacent to the university (1309 Main Street West, Charlottesville).  Please call them directly at (434) 295-4333, select option 4 ("guest service representative") and mention the French Department rate and that Professor Amy Ogden at UVA referred you.

You will find a listing of other hotels in the area at  http://www.virginia.edu/placestostay.html

Several of our current students have also generously offered to host prospectives during the weekend.  If you would like to stay with a student, please contact Prof. Amy Ogden (avo2n@virginia.edu) as soon as possible.