Parcours Louisianais: Panorama de la littérature francophone de Louisiane de ses origines à 1900
by Evelyne M. Bornier and Margaret M. Marshall
About the Book
In Parcours Louisianais: Panorama de la littérature francophone de Louisiane de ses origines à 1900, authors Evelyne M. Bornier and Margaret M. Marshall offer a unique collection of Louisiana poems, fables, tales, novels, song lyrics, and historical texts in French in a format that makes them accessible to anyone with an interest in francophone literature. The authors bring to light works from the 1680s to 1900 that reflect the diversity of voices present throughout Louisiana’s history: men and women, explorers, political leaders, Native Americans, Africans and African Americans, and Creoles. Language varieties are also represented in this volume, with passages in Louisiana Creole as spoken by enslaved peoples and their descendants, and the French of the Acadians who sought refuge following their expulsion from Nova Scotia in 1755.
Where relevant to the texts, grammar points, pronunciation tips, linguistic background, and versification rules are included. Each selection is complemented by activities challenging the readers to go beyond the text and expand their knowledge of art, music, history, linguistics, and culture as they relate to Louisiana and the francophone world. Parcours Louisianais presents francophone Louisiana literature in all of its rich complexity and diversity, and encourages its audience to discover, enjoy, and preserve it.
About the Authors
Evelyne M. Bornier is a Professor of French at Auburn University. She holds a Diplôme d’Études Approfondies from the Université de Franche-Comté and a PhD from Louisiana State University. She served as CODOFIL Consortium president (2006–2011). Her research focuses primarily on francophone literatures and cultures of the Maghreb, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and Louisiana. Her book, Georges Henein, poète francophone d’Égypte, was published by Peter Lang in 2015 and her latest collection of poems, Le Lit de l’exilée/The Bed of the Exile, appeared in 2017 (L’Harmattan).
Margaret M. Marshall earned a PhD in French from The Pennsylvania State University. A specialist in Creole languages and Louisiana French, she is one of the co-authors of The Dictionary of Louisiana Creole (Indiana University Press). Dr. Marshall served as president of the CODOFIL Consortium (1994-1998). She is the co-recipient of a 2020–2021 Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities grant, “Creole voices along the Mississippi,” a project dedicated to preserving original recordings of native speakers of Louisiana Creole. Marshall is a Fulbright Scholar and a Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques.
Praise for Parcours Louisianais
“A remarkable collection of writings from French Louisiana including biography, history, linguistics, grammar, and literature, covering the best material from several centuries.”—Gwendolyn Midlo-Hall, Professor Emerita of Latin American and Caribbean History at Rutgers University
“The documentary and literary heritage of Louisiana's French-speaking communities opens a window onto the fascinating development of this corner of the Francophone world. . . . Bornier and Marshall have rendered a tremendous service to all learners of French seeking to expand their cultural horizons as they deepen their knowledge of the language.”—Clint Bruce, Chaire de recherche du Canada en études acadiennes et transnationales (CRÉAcT)
“In Parcours Louisianais . . . Bornier and Marshall offer valuable and concise contextualization, carefully selected excerpts, insightful questions, and engaging activities that both prepare and challenge students. This scrupulously crafted volume finally gives educators a resource to bring this important part of Louisiana’s history and culture to a more prominent place in the classroom.”—Nathan Rabalais, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
“Un outil important dans l’effort d’intégrer la spécificité louisianaise dans l’enseignement du français, cette présentation met en considération non seulement la littérature mais aussi la tradition orale, non seulement des textes historiques mais aussi des oeuvres contemporaines.”—Barry Jean Ancelet, professeur éméritus d’études francophones, Université de Louisiane à Lafayette
© 2022 University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press
Softcover | 390 pages | 978-1-946160-88-1