Social media’s similarities to 17th-century French writings topic of Personally Speaking talk

Parallels between social media blogs, tweets and other virtual media to that of writings in 17th-century France is the focus of the next Personally Speaking talk scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 13, in the J. Murrey Atkins Library.

UNC Charlotte author Allison Stedman will explore how 17th-century writers and readers sparked a transformation in France. Their collections of diverse and experimental texts brought together rich and poor, Catholics and Protestants, children and adults (much like social media does today) and ultimately undermined the social and political status quo. This paved the way for the intellectual revolution of the French Enlightenment, the foundation of modern democracy.

Stedman is the author of “Rococo Fiction in France, 1600-1714: Seditious Frivolity.” The work is the first comprehensive study of 17th-century French experimental writing. These early modern texts allowed authors and readers of diverse age, gender, religion, social class and geographic location to connect and interact, and by doing so, created alternative social structures.

An associate professor of French and associate chair of the Department of Languages and Culture Studies, Stedman specializes in 17th-century experimental literature. She has published numerous articles on early modern French literary portraits, psalm paraphrases, novels and fairy tales, as well as on pedagogical strategies for teaching French and Italian literature and culture at the university level. With Perry Gethner, she is the co-editor and translator of the late 17th-century experimental novel “A Trip to the Country by Henriette-Julie de Castelnau, Comtesse de Murat,” and she is the lead author of a modern French version of the same novel, forthcoming from Rennes University Press.

“We invite the community to discover the stories behind Stedman’s book and the other fascinating books in our series,” said Nancy Gutierrez, dean of UNC Charlotte’s College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. “These (Personally Speaking) talks further connect the community with the college’s faculty and their research in a way that invites conversation and exploration.”

Stedmen’s Feb. 13 presentation will be the third of four talks by scholars from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences for the 2013-14 Personally Speaking community series, co-sponsored by the college and Atkins Library. A reception follows each free lecture. RSVPs are requested via email to CLAS-Event@uncc.edu or call 704-687-1429. Parking is provided.