CFP: revue "Suite francaise" 1/2018: Thinking (with) Todorov

A new magazine is born: «Suite française». It is dedicated to French culture in all its accepted senses and disciplines, traditional and pop: from politics to art, from history to fashion. The first issue concentrates on a great scholar whose interdisciplinary works represent the sense of our initiative well: Zvetan Todorov (1939-2017). «Thinking (with) Todorov» His writings form an impressive list of titles, a succession of great publishing successes among which, however, it is not always easy to find one's way: how do Introduction à la littérature fantastique (1970) and La conquête de l’Amérique (1982) relate to each other? What brings Nous et les Autres (1989) together to Éloge de l’individu (2000)? Is there a common thread between Les Énnemis intimes de la démocratie (2012) and his latest work, Le Triomphe de l'artiste, which appeared posthumously only a few months ago? It is difficult not to give in to the temptation to bypass the obstacle: it is no coincidence that, when delivering the prestigious prix Charles Veillon, way back in 1998, the speaker brilliantly dodged the issue defining Todorov … un lecteur décidé. Today perhaps it is no longer time to seek shortcuts. The recent demise of this leading actor of French speaking culture – literary critic, philosopher and semiologist as well historian of ideas - calls on us to (start to) come to terms with a considerable intellectual legacy. The proposal of «Suite française» is to start from the man and his production: contributions (in French, English or Italian) may, without ruling out other suggestions, focus on: - aspects of his biography, such as the exile's experience, his ideas on the country he chose, his national and international academic life, relations with publishers also abroad; - the development, content, reception of one or more of his works; - the major thematic categories (such as the fantastic, otherness, the canon of conquest, the crossroad of democracy, the totalitarian experience, the interpretation of the récit), also through other themes and/or authors, if the work contributes to casting light on such categories. Manner of presentation: Proposals, written in French, English and Italian, no more than 2,000 characters, with a provisional title and a very short biographical note, must be sent to suitefrancaise@labcd.unipi.it no later than February 28th, 2018.