Volume 19
Fall 2010
Inside
2 • Taking Time to See the
World
Jeff Vredenburg
3 • Anne Larsen Awarded
• Dreams of Paris
Julia Peterson
• Hope Students Overseas
4 • Opportunities to serve:
Cameroon
Christa Bonin
• Top New French Films
5 • Summer on the Côte d’Azur
The French Newsletter
Finding Family in France
Jamie Poppema (’11) is from Wayland, MI. She
has a double major in French and International
Studies and a minor in History. She plans on
working either with a non-governmental
organization in French speaking countries or
possibly doing mission work.
I don’t think I can even begin to
explain the learning, growing, and
changing that I experienced during my
year studying abroad in France in just a
few paragraphs. I lived for nine months
in Rennes, in a northwestern region of France – where the
rare days of sunshine are cherished and Breton pride swells. I stayed with a
host family who did a lot to make my year incredible; with them, and even
the extended relatives, I always felt like part of the family. It was with this
family that I learned the most about language, culture, food, values, and
issues. The classes that I took with the CIEE program were useful, but it
was the real life, daily conversations, and relationships that challenged me
more. I have to say that staying for the whole year (as opposed to only a
Annalise Almdale
• Honors and Awards
6 • Student Research
• Awards Continued
7 • The Co-curricular
Program
• Une nuit étoilée: A poem
Delaney Erickson
8 • Faculty News
Photos: Top: Jamie
(Right) and her “host
cousin” formed a very
close bond.
Right: Christian group
“Agapé”
“…it was the real life, daily conversations, and
relationships that challenged me”
semester) was beneficial to
me in so many ways – if I
had only stayed a semester,
I might have come home
with a negative
perspective, but with time,
growing comfort levels,
higher language skills,
and closer relationships, I
ended the year sad to go. I
found that staying only
one semester was not
nearly enough time to
delve deeply into the
Continued on page
2
The French Newsletter
Taking Time to See the World
By Jeff Vredenburg (’11)
“What do you want to be when you
grow up?” The fantasy of pre-teens,
encouragement for high school students, and bane of
college students; finding the answer to that question has
been my goal at Hope.
We students are part of the generation that is breaking
free from the cultural constraints of the “correct” order
of doing things. Maybe it is a retort to the sluggish job
market, but people are taking more time to dabble in
various other careers and activities before settling on
their future profession. Those that do, gain a tangible
edge on those who stay home.
A 5th year senior, (super-senior, if you will), I have
taken two semesters off during college to pursue
international experiences and I originally postponed
my college enrollment out of High School to live in
France for a year.
The quest for my future
profession has been exciting, frustrating, and
always something new.
Ever since my first Spanish class in 6th grade, I
have had a passion for language and culture that
has fueled my itch to see the world. My first semester
off found me first in China, where I took the equivalent
of 8 semesters of intensive Mandarin study. Next, I went
to South America where I finished my Spanish major
and volunteered with a conservation project, teaching
adults about the environment. The contrast between the
beauty of the South American Andes and the megaindustry of the Yangtze River Delta in China shaped my
Vol. 19, Fall 2010
Jeff Vredenburg in the Three Gorges Dam
region of the Yangtze River in China, wearing
a traditional costume of the people from that
area.
Jeff is a triple major in French, Spanish and
Biology.
views of our personal
responsibility to
take care of the
world. Back at
Hope I became
involved in the
Environmental
Issues Group and
additional work at
a
biological
station,
which
persuaded me to
add a Biology major
with the goal of
attending Graduate
school in ecology and
conservation.
Although
I
have
concentrated much of
my time to language, I
am excited to meld those
skills with my biology
degree
in
order
to
work
internationally, and am fortunate that Hope gave me
the flexibility to figure out what I wanted to do within
my own time frame. The question, “What I want to be,”
is one that I am excited to answer, and although it
might still go through a few revisions, I’m well on my
way to who I want to be.
Continued from page 1
culture and language or to fully immerse yourself in the
lifestyle.
I am happy to say that I went through the typical
experiences of a study abroad student through which I
learned independence, better communication, and
confidence. Indeed, traveling across Europe – sometimes
alone – by trains, planes, metros, and buses required all
three! Just living the European lifestyle encouraged me to
look at my own life and reevaluate my priorities, values,
and perspectives. I came away with skills and strengths
that, before, I didn’t know I had, and I am very
appreciative of that.
The most important part of my study abroad
experience is actually something much more personal: my
faith. It took leaving the comfort of home, college, and
church to realize how much I needed and wanted that
close relationship with God. It took living in a place that
seems void of spirituality to realize that I wanted to live a
life fully and completely devoted to Him. And I am so
thankful for this. I also was blessed to find a Christian
group on campus called Agapé, which provided an
opportunity to go on an evangelical mission trip to
Belgium that opened my eyes to so many new
possibilities for mission work. By getting out of my
comfort zone and learning about everyday life, not just
facts, I became closer to God, stronger in a foreign
language, confident of who I am, independent… and able
to decipher a metro map.
2
The French Newsletter
Vol. 19, Fall 2010
Dreams of Paris
French
Professor
Anne Larsen
Recognized
for Book
Julia Peterson (’11)
Julia Peterson is from Grand Rapids, MI and
is a Senior at Hope. She is majoring in French
and Communications and minoring in Studio
Art. After graduation she plans on finding a
job in Marketing, Advertising or PR and hopes
to do some traveling as well!
As a nine year old girl touring Paris and the
Loire Valley with my family, I dreamed of
nothing more than learning French and going
back one day to live in Paris, speak the
language, and embrace the people, culture,
art and food France is so famous for. This
Spring ’10 semester I was able to fulfill those
dreams and spend four months living in the
17th Arrondissement of Paris with a host
family and studying with the IES Paris
French Studies program. As a French and
Above: Julia in front of Notre Dame.
Communications Major with a minor in
Studio Art, it was my goal to take full advantage of all the art and history at my
disposal, so I was able to take classes in French that took weekly excursions to
different museums in the city, experiencing first hand the pieces and movements
in art that we studied each day in class. I also took a class at the Sorbonne Paris
IV: “Art et Architecture on the Stained Glass Windows in 12th and 13th Century
Gothic Architecture,” which allowed me to study the most
influential architects, sculptors and artists of the time
“…life can be
period by visiting the very cathedrals that made them
so full of
famous.
flavor, color
During my time in Paris I learned how to ask more
questions
than I ever thought possible, how to find my
and vibrancy
way home after a wrong change on the metro, how to
that it doesn’t open my mind and palette to a plethora of dishes, how to
seem real”
disguise my pointedly Anglophone accent and how to
dress à la parisienne. But beyond those trivial things I
learned, there are also those more significant elements: how home can be so many
places and people at once, how life can be so full of flavor, color and vibrancy that
it doesn’t seem real, and how sometimes the best decision you can make is not
making one but just allowing life to unfold as it will. I truly enjoyed my time in
Paris and traveling in France and around Europe, and I am so blessed to have had
the opportunity to fully experience such a different culture and meet such amazing
people. Wherever my French may take me in the future, I know that living in
Paris was a formative part of who I am today.
Dr. Anne Larsen
recently co-edited
a book entitled
Early Modern
Women and Transnational
Communities of Letters, which was
published in November 2009. The
book is a collection of essays which
compares the writings of early
modern women from various social
classes and ages. It explores the
different communities and circles of
letters shared between multilingual
European women. Women writers,
Larsen explains, were not “lone
prodigies” as they were often
thought to be during this time, but
were part of supportive networks
and worked with each other in
response to the struggles of the
time.
Larsen and her co-editor, Dr. Julie
Campbell, an English professor at
Eastern Illinois University of
Charleston, Illinois, presented the
book in March at a colloquium at
the Newberry Library in Chicago.
The book was also chosen to receive
honorable mention by the Awards
Committee at the Society for the
Study of Early Modern Women in
the 2010 Collaborative Award
Competition.
Hope French Students Overseas: 2009-2010
Fall 09
Abraham de la Rosa, IES Nantes
Kady Neal, IES Nantes
Cori Schild, IES Nantes
Avril Wiers, IES Nantes
Lacie Rawlings, IES Rabat, Morocco
Jamie Poppema, CIEE Rennes (also
Spring 10)
Megan Pepper, CIEE Dakar, Senegal
Rachel Sikkema, CIEE Dakar, Senegal
Matthew Diepenhorst, CIEE Brussels
Marcus Reagan, SIT Morocco
Kevin Soubly, SIT Switzerland
Spring 10
Jamie Poppema, CIEE Rennes
Julia Peterson, IES Paris
La Belgique
May 10 (Pre-med in Nice)
Paris
L'Afrique
Rennes
Joseph Habbouche
Annelise Almdale
Summer 2010
Anna Bouma-Prediger, IES Arles
Miriam Chaponniere, SIT
Switzerland
Maroc
Senégal
Nantes
La Suisse
La France
Nice
Arles
3
The French Newsletter
Vol. 19, Fall 2010
Opportunities to serve.
Cameroon
Christa Bonin (’10)
As I flipped through the
study abroad catalogs that I had
just received in the Martha
Miller Center on Hope’s campus,
my mind was filled with the
endless possibilities of travel,
adventure, and learning that a
semester abroad had to offer.
Knowing that I wanted to
continue my studies in French, I
automatically began searching
for programs that integrated the
French language into the
coursework and home-stay
Christa Bonin is a French and
experiences. I soon realized that
International Studies double major.
During the Spring 2010 semester,
it is possible to study French in a
Christa participated in an internship
multitude of settings and
with World Vision in Washington D.C.
cultures throughout the world.
Christa hopes to work for World Vision
During high school, I had taken
or another non-profit organization after
a two-week trip to Kenya. Ever
she graduates in December.
since my experience, I had a
profound interest in returning to Africa and discovering more about the
difficulties faced by many of the third world nations and peoples that
are so different than my own struggles and difficulties. I longed to
experience adventure and step out of my comfort zone in a way that
would cause me to mature, not only academically, but also spiritually
and mentally.
After studying the glossy photos and reading the various
program descriptions in the study abroad brochures, I soon decided that
I would spend my semester abroad in Yaoundé, Cameroon, a midsized West African country that is known for its incredible geographical
and cultural diversity. Cameroon is technically a bilingual country with
French and English being its official languages, but the French
speaking population far outweighs the number of people who speak
English.
Living in Cameroon for three and a half months afforded me a
vast number of opportunities and experiences that I had never imagined
I would encounter. I had the opportunity to learn and improve my
French language skills through relationships with a number of different
host families. These host families helped me to see and experience
firsthand the diversity of Cameroon’s people as well as the incredible
similarities that exist between people, no matter their economic or
cultural backgrounds. We were all created by God and placed in
different circumstances. Traveling throughout Cameroon helped
reinforce this concept in my mind and in my heart. Although it was
oftentimes difficult to witness the poverty and injustices that exist in
many areas of the country, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity
as my eyes were opened to opportunities to serve the community and
the world around me.
Above: Best wishes to Laura Stritzke
and Zach Nielson, two 2010 French
majors, who tied the knot!
Top New
French
Films of the
Year
Coco before
Chanel (2009) by
Anne Fontaine
explores Chanel’s life before she becomes
the icon of fashion of later years. The
movie shows the steely determination of a
poor and young but ambitious woman who
sets out to simply reinvent the way women
are dressed. With
Audrey Tautou as
Chanel.
L’Autre
Dumas (2010) by Safy
Nebbou is a period
piece set in the
19th century. Maquet,
a forgotten writer, who
collaborated with Alexandre Dumas to
produce among many classics, Les trois
mousquetaires and Le comte de Monte
Cristo, finally gets recognition. Great
acting makes this film a must-see. Gerard
Depardieu is perfectly cast in the
larger than life Alexandre Dumas.
4
The French Newsletter
Vol. 19, Fall 2010
Summer on the Côte d’Azur
Annalise Almdale ('11) is from Fort Wayne, Indiana. She
(Left) is a Biology and Chemistry Major and a French
minor. She plans to continue studying at graduate school in
the field of medicine.
This summer I had the opportunity to study abroad in France,
specifically in Nice. Like any city in the Côte d’Azur, Nice is
meridional but because of its location, offers a variety of both
scenery and activities. Nice is situated on the Mediterranean and
is surrounded by the French Alpes. And yes, if you were
wondering, Nice is very nice. While in France, I was able to
experience the French culture and language to the fullest as I
was working, studying, living and eating with real French people.
Through a program titled France for the Pre-Med, I was able to shadow several pediatric doctors at l’Hôpital Lenval for
five weeks. Watching every part of a doctor’s routine was exciting as I was able to see complex surgeries, rotations,
and consults. By actually being a part of the hospital, I was able to more effectively compare and contrast the French
medical system to the system in the US. The facility was exquisite and even offered a view of the Mediterranean and
the beach from the lobby. A menial task such as studying for class became
enjoyable as locations for studying included the beach or an outdoor café
while sipping espresso. And while I did enjoy eating a fresh baguette every
day, this program allowed for more substantial benefits such as the study of
the French language and culture in a beautiful location.
Living with a family was an experience as I was able to travel to cities such
as St. Tropez and Aix-en-Provence with them as well as go on several
day hikes in the Alpes. One can never experience French culture the way
you can in France or another francophone country, so I suggest that if you
can, take the opportunity to
travel and
experience la belle vie dans
un beau pays, la France.
Above: Annalise (Right) in France
Pi Delta Phi
Inducted to Pi Delta Phi, French
Honorary Society (pictured left):
Prof.
Anne
Larsen,
Ian
Amin,
Natalie
DeGeorge,
Christine
Hostetler,
Prof.
Alvarez,
honorary
member
Aude
Mauviel,
Corinne
Schild,
Amy
Rollefson,
Amy
Kamps,
Laura
K.
Stritzke
and
Prof.
Hamon‐Porter.
Not
pictured:
Zachary
Nielsen,
Katelyn
Sherman
and
Amy
Speelman.
Above: Graduates at the Awards
Ceremony at Dimnent Chapel
5
The French Newsletter
Vol. 19, Fall 2010
French Students Present Insightful Research
French Students and Faculty
Make Michigan Academy
Presentations
Several French graduates presented research in March at the Celebration of
Undergraduate Research
Several French students and faculty participated in
the 116th Conference of the Michigan Academy of
Science, Arts and Letters, which was held at Calvin
College in March 2010.
Among 375 presenters, Professor Isabelle ChapuisAlvarez organized a section on literature. Seniors
Amy Kamps and Natalie DeGeorge, and Junior,
Lauren Clack presented their topics (see right) in
French.
Prof. Chapuis-Alvarez also delivered a presentation
entitled, “Qui a peur du grand méchant ‘Nook’?” (Who
is afraid of the Big Bad ‘Nook’?) posing the question of
whether traditional reading is in danger.
Ian Amin presented his research on Une Femme, a biography of 20th century
sculptor, Camille Claudel, by Anne Delbée. His presentation focused on the
surprising intimacy of the biography and personal approach.
Lauren Clack explored the testimonies of women who are survivors among
the 5,000 women killed yearly because of honor crimes: crimes committed
against women who have ‘dishonored’ their family.
Natalie DeGeorge’s research, entitled, “The Graphic Novel: An acceptable
Medium for Recounting One’s Life?” explores two main examples of graphic
novels in biography form from Majane Satrapi and Didier Lefèvre.
Karly Fogelsonger (pictured right) explored Islam in France. As Islam is the
second largest religion in France, there have been many conflicts and cultural
divisions. Fogelsonger concluded that mainstream France and French
Muslims are concurrently adapting. Although there is still a ways to go,
dialogue and compromise are
taking place.
Christine Hostetler’s “L’Eden
Cinema: Life, Haunting and
Obsessions in Marguerite Duras’s
Theater” explores and connects the
life of the playwright to the plays
themselves
and
the
many
connections between the characters
and her relationship with her
mother.
Amy Kamps researched and
compared two novels, both written about concentration camps during WWII:
Maus by Art Spiegelman and Si c’est un homme by Primo Levi.
Corrine Schild discussed Turkey and its goals to join the European Union
despite the opposition of some European countries.
Above: Lauren
Clack, Prof.
Alvarez, Natalie
DeGeorge and
Amy Kamps at
the Michigan
Academy
Right: Students
and Professors at
the Celebration
of
Undergraduate
Research
Awards and
Congratulations
Hope College carries a tradition of academic
excellence. Among students recognized, the
French Department is proud to have a number of
French majors and minors recognized for their
accomplishments.
Phi Beta Kappa, the country’s oldest and very
prestigious honorary society welcomes new
French majors and minors: Natalie DeGeorge
Karly Fogelsonger, Amy Kamps and Amy
“Cultural Identity in the Second Generation of
Maghrebi Immigrants in France,” was presented by
Amy Speelman. She examined the different
responses of children of immigrants as they try to find
a cultural identity in the midst of their conflicting
Muslim family values and French society.
Laura Stritzke presented, “The Role of Images in the
Grieving Process: Le Voile Noir by Anny Duperey.”
Stritzke examined the grieving of Anny Duperey, a
French actress and comedian, who buried the grief of
her parents’ death for more than 30 years. When she
discovered her father’s photography, she wrote Le Voile
Noir (The Black Veil).
Speelman
The French Department gave several awards
to exceptional French students.
Amy Kamps and Amy Rollefson received the
Linda D. Palmer Memorial Award in French
Amy Speelman and Laura Stritzke received
the Marguerite Prins French Award
Katelyn Sherman and Ian Amin, the French
Faculty Book Award
Natalie DeGeorge received the AATF
Outsanding Senior in French Award
(as well as the Technos International Prize).
French students also succeeded in other
disciplines and have been awarded:
Amy Speelman received an NSF Graduate
Research Fellowship and the Hope Chemistry
Senior Award for Research.
Jamie Poppema received the Paul Norman
Timmer Memorial Award
Julian Hinson, a Senior Sigma Xi Research
Award
Christine Hostetler, the Jon F Kay Award
(in the Art Department)
Karly Fogelsonger received the Clarence
DeGraaf English Award
Jacob Douma, the Metta J. Ross History
Prize.
6
The French Newsletter
Vol. 19, Fall 2010
The Co-curricular French Program ’09-’10
The French Department organized and presented
school year and was celebrated with a
many exciting and thought-provoking activities
gourmet French dinner in the
for Hope students, and especially French students
cafeterias.
to enjoy. The Fall 2009 semester commenced with • And of course, the department
a Soirée Crêpes at the French House.
featured two fabulous films from the
• The French Department sponsored two
French Cinéma and Ciné-Club:
speaker events in September. Professor Julia
Indigènes, a story of African soldiers
Douthwaite of Notre Dame University
during WWII and Le Fils de
came to Hope College to present a lecture
L’Epicier, a drama about a French
entitled “The French Frankenstein of 1790”
family living in the country side who
Douthwaite discussed her discovery of a
runs a mobile grocery.
French Frankenstein novella (by François- In the Spring, the department
Félix Nogaret) predates Mary Shelley’s featured another Round Table of
Frankenstein by decades. In this ‘French Study Abroad students as well as
Frankenstein’ novella, a musical creature, several colloquia.
“Frankenstein,” was created to impress a • Amy Kamps, first discussed her year in
La Maison Française (The French
woman in order to receive her hand in
Rennes with a host family. Returned from
House) at the end-of-year party
marriage. Although there were many
Nantes was Cori Schild. Lauren Clack also
similarities between Shelley’s Frankenstein
spoke about her stay in Nice with Washington
and Nogaret’s piece, influences from the
University in St. Louis’ France for the PreFrench Revolution are striking in the French
Med program. Also at the Round Table was
Frankénsteïn.
Lacie Rawlings, who spent Fall 2009 in
• Later that month, Professor Glenn Fetzer
Morocco and discussed the
from Calvin College spoke on Tahar Bekri
(born 1951), a Tunisian poet, who writes in
both French and Arabic. Bekri “exiled
himself” in 1975 to Paris. Professor Fetzer
had returned from a Morrocan stay where
he studied the Arabic language. Fetzer
touched on Bekri’s self-exile and his choice
to be a wanderer.
• In October, French students presented their
papers in French and a Round Table of four
seniors (2010) returning from France was
held. The conference began with Natalie
Une nuit étoilée
DeGeorge, a French and International
Delaney Erickson (’12)
The Round Table of Study Abroad
Studies double major, who spent a year living
Students: Spring 2010
Le clair de lune, par une nuit étoilée,
in both Rennes and Toulouse. Her insights on
Défini par quelques touches de peinture
getting lost in a foreign country, finding your
dominating Muslim culture and using both
D’un jaune clair
way, and self-growth were helpful to students
the French and Arabic languages.
Qui écrivent dans le ciel les étoiles parsemées.
hoping to study abroad. Alyssa Cassabaum, a • In March, the department hosted Professor
Pre-Med major and French minor spent Spring
Dramane Deme, filmmaker and visiting
C’est l’œuvre d’un artiste
2009 in Nantes. She recalled her experience
Qui ressemblait aux étoiles.
professor of French and film at Western
switching her classes from the university to the
Sa vie était triste
Michigan University, from Burkina Faso.
Et il l’a écrite sur ses toiles.
institute because of a strike. Alyssa chose not
An
interview
was
conducted
on
to take classes with other Americans and found
Francophone African cinema.
Il a peint le vent dans le ciel,
that she grew out of her comfort zone as well • Another colloquium was presented by
Et a exprimé avec des touches de bleu
as in her language skills. Laura Stritzke, a
Duncan
MacLean,
entitled,
“The
Le rapport sensuel
French and International Studies double
Accidental Globalist: A discussion of the
Entre l’artiste et un lieu.
major, spent Fall ’08 in Paris and discussed the
significant career benefits provided by even
benefit of a host family. Julian Hinson, a
a basic understanding of a foreign
Cet homme inspiré par Dieu
French and Pre-Med dual major, discussed his
Avait pour plus cher désir
language.” MacLean is director
6 weeks with
De nous montrer la vie devant ses yeux
of global planning and launch
“France for the
Afin de nous faire partager son plaisir.
Julian’s advice list for travelers:
systems with Johnson Controls
pre-Med,” the
1. Don’t be shy
Inc. in Holland. Even though his
Il a peint les arbres comme animés par Dieu
challenges he
first trip to France was 24 years
2. Plan ahead
Au milieu du village,
faced there and
after
his
last
French
class,
The
3. Minimize travel
On dirait des langues de feu
also
the
Accidental Globalist discussed
Qui naissent entre les nuages.
4. Buy a “Guide du Routard”
connections he
how his 4 semesters of French
5.
Conserve
funds
made
in
changed his career. Duncan
On l’a dit fou,
6. Speak French
France.
Mais ce n’est pas vrai du tout
MacLean encouraged students to
• A Soirée of
7. Get to know classmates
Ses peintures dévoilent un talent à l’époque
broaden
their
cultural
incompris.
Musical Lyrics
8. Get to know your host
awareness. He “made me realize
Il a écrit avec son cœur, le vrai sens de la vie.
was organized
that knowing three languages is
family
by the French
not as far-fetched as it first
9. Study early!
and
Music
sounded,” says French student
Departments.
Katherine Kirby (’12).
Professor Norman Spivey for an evening of • And of course, the year concluded with
Note: The electronic version of the Newsletter features
singing in beautiful French. National French
crêpes and conversation at the French
more poems by students.
7
Week was another notable event during the
House.
French Faculty:
Burgundy and visited several
castles before going back to Paris to
immerse herself in the hectic period
What have they been doing? of “les soldes” and sit at the
“terrasses des cafés”. She is
currently working on a new French
Isabelle Chapuis-Alvarez presented a seminar for next spring on the various
three-hour workshop on pedagogy on the French “arts de vivre.”
use use of “Bandes Dessinées” in a
French language classroom across grade Pamela Edmunds spent the summer in
levels at the Michigan World Language Ontario, Canada, watching her five-yearAssociation (MIWLA) Conference in old niece develop in a French immersion
Lansing and a paper on the way school. Although she is learning a French
technology is changing the literary world Canadian accent, rather than a Parisian
with electronic books in March, at the accent, Prof. Edmunds was excited to
annual meeting of the Michigan watch her mind come alive with speaking
Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters at and understanding the French language.
Calvin College. While in France during On a more personal note, her family has
her summer vacation with her family in become a foster family. She and her
Provence, she travelled through history family had an older boy live with them
while visiting roman cities like Vaison- for an extended period of time and as a
la-Romaine, medieval villages like family, they came to experience and
Gordes and beautiful Christian churches treasure God’s faithfulness during this
like the Abbaye of Sénanque surrounded difficult time. As believers, Edmunds
by lavender fields. On the “marchés writes, “we are all called to humility, the
provençaux” she enjoyed the flavors and interests of others and love. Love God,
fragrances of local products: quality love others …”
wines, truffles, olives, tapenade, fruits In November, Brigitte Hamon-Porter
brimming with sunshine, herbs and presented a conference paper on New
spices… She also spent a week in Caledonia’s literary scene titled « Dire le
The French Newsletter
vrai dans la littérature émergente de
Nouvelle-Calédonie » in St Louis, MO
and her research on Maryse Condé (« La
transgression dans Les Belles ténébreuses
de Maryse de Condé » at a conference in
Cincinnati in May. She had two book
reviews
on
seventeenth-century
literature published. In the spring, she
taught a new seminar on African and
Caribbean culture and society. She
traveled to D.C. and explored the coast of
Maine with her family in the
summer. Biking close to the steps of the
Capitol at twilight will certainly remain
a favorite memory.
Anne Larsen published in November
2009 Early Modern Women and
Transnational Communities of Letters in
the series ‘Women and Gender in the
Early Modern World’ (Aldershot: Ashgate
Publishing) (see article on her book in
this issue). In June, she attended Scuola
Insieme, an intensive Italian language
program in the charming fishing port of
Grado, Italy (north of Venice), where she
enjoyed particularly the local cuisine, the
5th and 6th centuries paleochristian art,
and concerts by local Italian groups. She
visited Rome on her trip back.
Volume 19, Fall 2010
From the Editor's Desk. Our gratitude goes to the staff and faculty of International Education
who advise students on study-abroad programs, an essential component of
the language experience. Un grand merci also to Gina Veltman ('12) for her editing and designing
skills, and boundless creativity. Enfin, merci to all those who submitted essays to the 2010 Hope
French Newsletter. Please contact Brigitte Hamon-Porter (hamon@hope.edu) for items to be
included in the next issue. And as always, we love to hear from alumni! You can also read the online
version of the Newsletter at http://www.hope.edu/academic/language/french/.
Hope College
Department of Modern &
Classical Languages
P.O. Box 9000
Holland, MI 49422-9000
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