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About the University Seminar on Early Modern France
The
University Seminar on Early Modern France, formerly known as the
"Salon," started as a graduate student-run group. It is part of the University Seminars at Columbia University.
The
Seminar has a long history in the Department of French and Romance
Philology at Columbia University. It originated as an informal weekly
gathering of graduate students with a common interest in literature and
other issues related to the Early Modern period. Today the format is
slightly modified in that each meeting centers around a guest (usually
a scholar specializing in literature of the period) but the original
spirit of conviviality and informal discussion remains at the heart of
the group. We have had the pleasure of hosting such established
scholars as Christian Biet (Paris X), Tom Conley (Harvard), Patrick
Dandrey (Sorbonne), Pierre Force (Columbia), Yves Hersant (EHESS) and
Thomas Kavanagh (Yale), as well as many of the emerging and newer
voices in the field.
The focus of the Seminar is the cultural and intellectual history of Early Modern France
(from 1500 to 1800) and the approach is interdisciplinary. The seminar
includes literature scholars, historians and philosophers. The current
format, which has proven very successful, consists in circulating a
relatively short piece written by the invited speaker among the group
members and to discuss it at the meeting. Thus, instead of a formal
talk followed by a few questions, there is an in-depth, 90-minute
conversation.
The Seminar is graduate
student-run and meets approximately bi-weekly, although our calendar is
organized around the guests' schedules. Our members consist primarily
of graduate students and professors from the Department of French and
Romance Philology specializing in the Early Modern period, as well as
faculty members from related Columbia departments, such as History and
Philosophy.
For any questions related to the University Seminar on Early Modern France, scheduling and membership please contact us. If you are not a member of the Seminar, please visit our Membership Information page.
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