July 24 Meeting Follow Up

A few quick items from Thursday, July 24:

Be sure to complete the To Do list handed out and sent via email after the meeting. Be sure to print and save the email I sent granting permission to register for English 289/289W. You will need that email to register for the course.

We will cover the reading assigned for July 24 during our first couple of days in Paris. If you've already read it, you'll need to review it with your reading journal. If you haven't, you have some extra time. Also, be sure to complete the reading required before you arrive in Paris.

I will meet all of you at Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris and accompany you to Cite Universitaire. One important difference between CDG and Seatac and other American airports--only ticketed passengers may enter the baggage claim areas. So, I'll be waiting for you just outside the security checkpoint beyond baggage claim. Get your bags and follow the crowd--I'll be there.

I leave on Tuesday, July 29 (yikes!), for Paris, but will be available via email and my cell phone (on the contact list handed out and sent via email).

Less than a Month Before Departure!

The countdown is on everyone! Less than a month before departure for all of you! I hope you are getting as excited as I am.

Thursday's meeting was good one. We covered some essential background information regarding France's history as a colonial power, North African immigration to France, and the concept of "laicite." We'll be returning to all of these elements, especially laicite, many times during our study. If you have any questions regarding these topics, let me know!

Be sure to review all the items on the Travel Essentials handout. I've posted both handouts from Thursday here on the blog.

Next Thursday's meeting will focus on several important readings (review the Reading Schedule) and some last minute travel information.

See you next week!

Great Meeting on July 10!

Great job yesterday everyone!

We did a good job covering some essential information such as the international student ID card, course registration, and the blog. If you have any questions about any of these items, feel free to email me.

In terms of Cesaire and Senghor, we discussed some important themes to begin our study. Neither Cesaire nor Senghor fit the rest of our course content in terms of geography, religion, or era. But, they do represent authors from French colonies who resisted the French government but in doing so became part of the French literary canon and National Assembly.

In addition, we began a discussion of "negritude," a contested and dynamic term that refers to an essential connection between those around the world who have African roots. For Senghor it is the spirit of being African. As we move forward, we should consider "negritude" as an example of an essential connection amongst people that is antithetical to Western values of rationalism, science, technology, militarism, individuality, and Christianity. I would like to propose that we compare "negritude" to the literature we will focus on and if there may be a comparable idea in our primary texts.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Welcome to the Paris Summer Institute Blog!

Hi all! I thought this would be a great way to keep track of our preparations and our trip. We can all post, others can read and follow along with us, and we'll have a free way to share photos, links, and comments along the way.

What do you think?