COURSE DESCRIPTION
Discover and discuss contemporary classics in this lively class for high-intermediate and advanced French speakers. You’ll read a book at home, either a short novel or play, then participate in a class discussion. The instructor will supply context and cultural elements, as well as discussion questions intended to spark reflection and debate. In the spirit of literary cafés, the class will help you gain a deeper knowledge of French societal issues and controversies.
For the spring term, we will read...
"Dans les rapides," Maylis de Kerangal : In the 1980s, Lise, Nina and Marie are students in the same high school. Through rowing in the cold, at dawn, they become inseparable and learn to navigate the perils of their daily life : boys, popularity, choosing Debbie Harry or Kate Bush... This poetic short novel captures the subtle essence of adolescence. Éditions Folio.
"Migraaaants, ou On est trop nombreux sur ce putain de bateau ou Le salon de la clôture" Matei Visniec, who fled the Romanian dictatorship himself, wrote this dark comedy after months of investigating immigration issues for Radio France Internationale. In this series of short texts, we will read the point of view of migrants, but also smugglers, politicians receiving media training, and citizens willing to help. Éditions L'Oeil du Prince
"Le petit prince cannibale" : This novel interweaves the story of the narrator, mother of a young autistic child, and the story of the book she is trying to write when he is finally in bed. The little prince she struggles to raise and give access to the world, devours her time, creativity and words. Françoise Lefèvre won the Prix Goncourt des lycéens in 1990 for this beautiful novel. Éditions Babels
About the instructor
Bleuenn Simon has taught French literature and French as a second language for over 18 years in France and in the United States. She is also a theater teacher, amateur actress, and author.
