Date: Thu, 26 Feb 1998 02:06:38 -0500 (EST) From: Bayard Gardiner Bell <bbell01-AT-vader.cc.emory.edu> Subject: Re: Request for info To refer back to a previous message, Prof. Lyotard is currently scheduled to teach a course entitled "Le Differend, l'affect, la fatigue" through the Departments of French and Philosophy and the Program in Comparative Literature. Prof. Lyotard's health problems were chronic and necessitated his regular return to France. They necessitated that a colleague (I believe it was Claire Nouvet but am not sure) to take over a course he was to have offered last year. Prof. Lyotard has been able to offer a number of day-long colloquia in the last two years which have featured such guests as his Emory colleague Prof. Philippe Bonnefis, Prof. Denis Hollier, and Prof. Dolores Dziczek-Lyotard of University of Littoral-Dunkirk. Prof. Lyotard is a member of all three faculties listing his current course. I would, however, emphasize what Charles has already said: if you wish to have news of him, you would be best advised to contact the French Department. Having *talked* to a couple of graduate students who have took a class he offered in the fall of 95 and seen one of his symposia, I would say that while French language competence is not an absolute prerequisite (the last class I knew him to have taught was in English), his current syllabus is entirely in French, as was his last, that one need not be in either of the three programs to take his class (registration for his class this semester did not close and theology students were able to take the last class he taught), and that he is very generous with deadlines andin no way lacking in his zeal for teaching (I did not detect the slightest tone of arrogance in the open question and answer session of the round-table I saw, he gladly made himself available for further questions afterwards). Don't expect him to reveal directly you the light and the way: from my minimal experience and from what I have heard, he tends to muse aloud for a while and then turn things over to his students or audience, sometimes with seeming abruptness. I'm afraid that I can only give these few rather scattered impressions. As I am not his physician, I cannot say what limits his health might impose (and I would rather not have the Emory French Department asking for my head on a platter for making irresponsible conjectures). I would add that Emory does have rather remarkable faculties in French and Comparative Literature (as wanting in the competence I might imply I have in either subjects, I cannot comment on the quality of the Philosophy faculty for even greater want--for this I would refer you to Charles, who is so qualified), so I would say that there is no reason to apply to any Emory program in which he teaches strictly because he's there but, rather, because one desires the greater range of opportunities that your program of choice might present (for I example, I seem to recall that all fourth-year French Ph.D. are sent to Paris for a year). And, more simply, you cannot make it through any graduate program with the one course listed every year under Lyotard's name, even if you could spend your entire graduate career and more just reading Lyotard's works. And every admissions committee knows that ("put that application in the "would-be disciple of Lyotard" stack). The address for the Department of French and Italian Studies (through which Lyotard receives the office he shares with Philippe Bonnefis) is: N405 Callaway Center Emory University Atlanta, GA 30322 Further information is available through the French department web site: http:\\www.emory.edu\FRENCH\index.htm And for anyone who's wondering, Prof. Lyotard does not have e-mail through Emory. Do you really think that his phone number is a direct line? -Bayard Bell part-time student in the Program in Comparative Literature Emory University On Wed, 25 Feb 1998, Charles Latham Sherman wrote: > A brief note on all that I know. Lyotard currently teaches in the French > Department at Emory University (www.emory.edu). However, he is currently > ill and is not teaching this semester. My best guess is that he is > probably back in France during his convalescence. If you want to get in > contact with him, I would suggest doing so through the French Department > at Emory.
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