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Glass Slippers April 30, 2008

Posted by Lee in Education, French.
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I am certainly dating myself by saying this (for those that know I’m single, you can stop snickering now, I know a double entendre when I write it), but I remember when the first edition of Trivial Pursuit came out. I was really, really good at it, even though I was really, really young.

I can still remember the first question I missed. “What was Cinderella’s first name?” It’s bothered me for some time that I couldn’t get the fact that she was CinderElla, thus meaning her real first name was Ella. Since I’m amidst the study of French contes de fées, contes merveilleux, contes fantastique, and so on, I get to re-read the story in an earlier version: that of the master storyteller Charles Perrault.

Cendrillon

I’ll leave aside the discussion of whether “Cendrillon” can be broken into two pieces like its English counterpart (it can). Instead, I’ll ask you to play a word-association game and come up with the element of this story that distinguishes it from other courtly contes de fées. The title of this blog entry is a BIG hint.

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Next Semester’s Courses April 18, 2008

Posted by Lee in Uncategorized.
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For anyone that cares:

FL (ENG) 541 Critical Approaches to Literature and Culture 3(3-0-0) F,S

A survey of literary theory in the 20th century from New Criticism to postmodernism. Examines the virtues and pitfalls of theses approaches to the study of culture and literature. A course on issues, concepts, theorists and the sociohistorical and political context in which the theorists are writing.taught in English. No formal pre-requisites. However, students who have not had advanced literature will be disadvantaged.

FLF 521 French Cultures and Contexts 3(3-0-0) F

Study of important periods in the history of French culture through the reading of key literary texts. Films, slides, painting, music, and the Internet will be included to put the readings in a cultural context. Topics vary. Students cannot get credit for both 421/521.

Bad Hair Day April 18, 2008

Posted by Lee in Uncategorized.
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Don’t ask how, but I got a huge blast of superglue in my bangs and left side of my hair. No amount of rinsing would get it to even budge. So, the inevitable: I had to cut it out.

The results