René Char has long been recognized as one of France’s greatest modern poets,  whose prolific career began with Surrealism and ended only with his death in 1988.  On February 27-28, 2015, Princeton University will host a series of academic talks, a film, and readings of Char’s work by poets, critics, and students.  This colloquium, open to the public, will address philosophical, historical and aesthetic issues raised particularly through Char’s texts from 1938-1947. It will include remarks by filmmaker Jérôme Prieur and several scholars, a conversation with Marie-Claude Char, René Char’s widow and editor of numerous books on his poetry, as well as a set of readings and translations by well-known poets, translators and members of Princeton’s French theater company, L’Avant-Scène.

For information and a schedule of events (below), please consult the Princeton University website (http://complit.princeton.edu/events) or write to Sandra Bermann ([email protected]) or Michael Wood ([email protected]). This colloquium is co-sponsored by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty, the Department of French and Italian, the Department of English, the Humanities Council, the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies, the University Center for Human Values, and the Department of Comparative Literature.

 

RENE CHAR: POETRY AND WAR 

(All conference events at Whitman College Theater, Princeton University)

 

Friday, 27 February, Class of 1970 Theater, Whitman College

     4:30: Welcome: Sandra Bermann

     4:45: Showing of film by Jérôme Prieur, René Char,
              nom de guerre Alexandre.

     6:00: Joint Reception with Inventory, the Princeton-based journal of
              literary translation, followed by dinner for speakers:
              Whitman Common Room

 

Saturday, 28 February, Class of 1970 Theater, Whitman College

     8:30-9:00: Continental Breakfast, Whitman Gallery

     9:00-9:30:  Michael Wood, ‘Poetry and War’

     9:30-10:00: Jérôme Prieur, René Char, nom de guerre Alexandre,
                        in historical context

     10:00-10:45: Poems and poets I:

          Catherine Barnett
          Paul Muldoon
          C K Williams
          Monica Youn
               with student actors from Princeton Avant-Scène

10:45-11:00: Coffee break, Whitman Gallery

11:00-12:00: Words and images:

          Liesl Yamaguchi, 'René Char and the specter of synonymy'
          Brigid Doherty, 'Painting and the belonging together of poetry and
               thought'

12:00-1:00: Lunch, Whitman College Private Dining Rooms

1:00-2:30: Char and others:

          Effie Rentzou, 'Surrealist Char'
          André Benhaïm, 'The  brotherhood of the sun: on René Char and
               Albert Camus'
          Zakir Paul, 'On Refusal: Blanchot and Char'

2:30-3:30: Translating Char:  Mary Ann Caws, Nancy Kline

3:30-3:45: Coffee break, Whitman Gallery

3:45-4:15: Sandra Bermann, ‘Char’s Poetry in Action Today’

4:15-5:00: Poems and poets II:

          Michael Dickman
          Tracy Smith
          Susan Stewart
          Susan Wheeler
               with student actors from Princeton Avant-Scène

5:00-5:45: Marie-Claude Char in conversation with Michael Wood

5:45:  Reception, Whitman College Common Room

7:00: Dinner for participants (home of Sandra Bermann: 57 Hemlock Circle,
         Princeton)

 

DIRECTIONS TO WHITMAN COLLEGE

 

Driving from Nassau Street

Turn onto Elm Drive, the main entryway into campus. You will come to a guard booth. Please tell the security guard you are attending an event at Whitman College. Proceed past the booth and down Elm Drive. You will pass Whitman College, a large collegiate gothic structure, on your right hand side.  Keep driving past Whitman College along Elm Drive. Drive past the second guard booth and continue driving until you reach a traffic circle. At the circle bear right. Proceed past the parking lot on the left and the garage on your right hand side. Go through two stop signs and you will be in Lot 6. You can park anywhere in Lot 6 after 5 PM without a parking pass.

After parking in Lot 6, head back toward Whitman College, which will be on your right.  (New South, a modern high rise, will be on your left.)  As you approach Whitman, you will notice on your right a bridge, the Jordan McCall Bridge.  Turn right onto the bridge, and under the archway that soon follows. Once you are through the archway, you’ll notice a large wooden door at the other end of the courtyard. Head to that door and take the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs go right through the double set of doors. This will bring you into the Gallery. The Class of 1970 Theater is on your right. If for some reason you have any problems whatsoever, please call, 609-258-8900 and someone will help you out.

 

Driving from Alexander Road

Turn onto Faculty Road (traffic light, gas station), and proceed to the traffic circle. Go three quarters of the way around the circle and turn right onto Elm Drive. At the next traffic circle, go three quarters of the way around and proceed past the garage on the right. Go through two stop signs and you will be in Lot 6. You can park anywhere in Lot 6.  You can park anywhere in Lot 6 after 5 PM without a parking pass. If it is before 5 PM you will need to park in the parking garage. Once you’ve parked, follow the directions above. 

 

Driving from Washington Road

Follow Faculty Road to the traffic circle. Go a quarter of the way around the circle and turn right onto Elm Drive. At the next traffic circle, go three quarters of the way around and proceed past the garage on the right. Go through two stop signs and you will be in Lot 6. You can park anywhere in Lot 6. You can park anywhere in Lot 6 after 5 PM without a parking pass. If it is before 5 PM you will need to park in the parking garage. Once you’ve parked, follow the directions above.

 

On foot from Nassau Street

Go to Elm Drive, which is the main entrance to campus for cars from Nassau Street, and walk onto the campus.  After a couple blocks, you’ll see Dillon Gym on your right.  Whitman is the large complex of collegiate gothic buildings after Dillon.  After you pass Dillon Gym, turn right off of Elm Drive onto the access road, toward Spelman apartments. You'll come to a little street, turn left on it.  The street will lead to a bridge, the Jordan McCall Bridge, over the moat.  Turn left onto the bridge.  After you've gone through an arch, you'll see on your left a building with a cloister in front of it.  That's Wendell Hall.  Follow the directions above.