French novel in light of modern culture discussed at free lecture
10/28/2013
 
 

Be it through iPads, tablets, online versions, comic strips or film adaptations, reading today includes far more than physically opening a book. A free lecture will discuss these changes in light of Marcel Proust’s novel, “In Search of Lost Time,” which has gained more readers thanks to Starbucks and the Internet. 

The lecture, “Starbucks, iPads and French Literature” will be presented by Vera Klekovkina, an assistant professor in the Department of Foreign Languages at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 12. Held in the Pinery Room of the Portage County Library, 1001 Main Street, Stevens Point, the presentation is the third of the eight-part University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point College of Letters and Science 2013-14 Community Lecture Series. The public may attend free of charge. 

“Today’s hectic life, accelerated by new technologies, may leave us little time to read,” said Klekovkina. “However, reading Proust in bits and pieces can still be enriching and even life-changing.” 

The year 2013 is special for Marcel Proust, she said. France, the United States and many other countries, festivities and cultural events commemorate the publication centennial of “In Search of Lost Time.” 

“To celebrate Proust’s work with the rest of the world, here at Stevens Point, is heartwarming,” Klekovkina said. 

Klekovkina earned master’s and doctoral degrees in French from University of California in Los Angeles. She teaches several courses including French, French Composition and French Literature. Her research ranges from 19th to 21st century French and francophone studies. She is also interested in cinematic adaptation and French film history. 

The entire College of Letters and Science Community Lecture Series schedule and previously recorded videos may be viewed at www.uwsp.edu/cols/lectureseries.

 

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