Group+Two+Literature+Page

=Literature! =



While on board, guests can enjoy discussions about some of the amazing literature France has offered the world.The books being focused on will be provided in the reservation confirmation packet in both the original French and English translation.Texts in other languages are also available upon request. This club will meet three times over the course of the cruise and allow the guests a chance to convene with others who are enthralled by literary works and discuss openly. Meeting times and room numbers will be provided in the welcome package placed in each cabin. The books that have been selected are as follows: //Les Miserables// by Victor Hugo //The Little Prince// by Antoine de Saint-Exupery //The Three Musketeers// by Alexander Dumas
 * Transfrancelantic Book Club:**

The first day aboard the ship, after having left port in New Orleans, there will be an informative lecture about the history of French literature and the impact it has hand all over the world. The purpose of the lecture is to give a basic overview of many of the topics that will be further explored in future on board and on land activities. Some topics to be covered include but are not limited to many twentieth century French literary movements including: //Dada// is an " early 20th-century art movement, whose members sought to ridicule the culture of their time through deliberately absurd performances, poetry, and visual art". This movement within all forms of artistic expression including literature focused on the use of contradictions and irrationalities to make a point. ("Dada.")
 * Lecture on the History and Legacy of French Literature:**

//Surrealism// is, according to Oxford English Dictionary, is "a movement in art and literature seeking to express the subconscious mind by any of a number of different techniques, including the irrational juxtaposition of realistic images, the creation of mysterious symbols, and automatism (q.v., sense 5); art or literature produced by or reminiscent of this movement" “Surrealism.". It was officially established in France in 1924.

//Existentialism// is "philosophical movement or tendency, emphasizing individual existence, freedom, and choice" (5)

//Theater of the absurd:// is a "term used to identify a body of plays written primarily in France from the mid-1940s through the 1950s. These works usually employ illogical situations, unconventional dialogue, and minimal plots to express the apparent absurdity of human existence" (6). Authors such as Albert Camus often used the term absurd by itself to provide social commentary on the state of human dignity and existence.

According to Wikipedia, the play The Barber of Seville, was written in French by playwright Pierre Beaumarchais in 1773 and was eventually turned into an opera in 1816. The play will be enacted on the ship's full sized theater by past San Diego State University Alumni who have gone on to pursue a career in theater or other forms on acting as well as some highly talented and hand picked current San Diego State University theater students. Small roles will be available to guests interested in participating.
 * The Barber of Seville:**

The story of The Barber of Seville has stood the test of time and seeped into other forms of media present even in contemporary pop culture. This clip from a Looney Tunes directed by Chuck Jones short entitled "Rabbit of Seville" media type="youtube" key="rxzusRY55Rc" height="344" width="425"

J.M.G. Clezio was the winner of the Nobel prize for literature in 2008 making him the fourteenth French author to receive the prestigious award. He will be on board doing a reading from several of his novels and singing complementary copies of some of his various works. He will also help with the tour of Nice on Day 8 of the cruise.
 * Book Signing and Reading with J.M.G. Clezio:**

Nobel Prize of Literature -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2m78qBZPow

One of the literary themed activities happening off board the ship is a visit to The Notre Dame Cathedral, setting for Victor Hugo's //The Hunchback of Notre Dame//. The Notre Dame Cathedral, located in Paris, France was built between 1163 and 1250 with finishing details being added over many years. It has been the site for many historic events including the overturn of the Catholic church's claim that Joan of Arc was a heretic as well as her canonization into saint-hood. It is considered on the most pure examples of Gothic architecture ever to have been built. (“Notre Dame de Paris”). Following our exploration of this French landmark, we will travel to Victor Hugo's home while he was in Paris.
 * Victor Hugo Excursion:**

Another lecture available while on board the ship will take a look at autofiction, a genre of fiction that centers around the idea of fictionalized biography. "Autofiction combines two paradoxically contradictory styles: that of autobiography, and fiction. An author may decide to recount his/her life in the third person, to modify significant details or 'characters', using fiction in the service of a search for self ("Autofiction"). Serge Doubrovsky officially created the genre by giving it a name in 1977 and we are fortunate enough to have him coming to our cruise to discuss an increasingly more popular genre of French Fiction.
 * Lecture of Autofiction with Serge Doubrovsky :**

Playwright and author Patrick Chamoiseau will be joining us about our cruise to have a workshop focusing of the art of drama in its written form. He will be both lecturing and giving one on one attention in order to guide people in the process of transforming their ideas into this difficult dramatic form.He will go in to great depth about the process as well as the struggles. Bring your ideas! One play will be selected to be performed at SDSU the semester following the cruise!
 * Script Writing Class with author and playwright Patrick Chamoiseau:**

At the beginning of the cruise, each guest will be provided with a journal to jot down their thoughts, feelings and experiences during the cruise and off ship excursions. On the last day of the cruise, Journalist Audrey Pulvar with be leading a project to help guests transform those quick notes into polished works of nonfiction.She will share her own personal experience and help each guest in attendance come up with a theme to write about based on their feelings about the activities they participated in. She will also be talking about televised journalism and how to translate your written experiences into something concise enough to be aired on the news.
 * Journal Writing Project led by Audrey Pulvar:**

**Works Cited:** "Autofiction." __Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia__. 6 Nov. 2008 .

"The Barber of Seville (play)." __Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia__. 3 Dec. 2008 <[|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Barber_of_Seville_(play])>.

"Dada." __Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2008__. 3 Dec. 2008 http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2008 Microsoft Corporation.

"Existentialism." __Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2008__. 6 Nov. 2008 http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2008 Microsoft Corporation.

"French Literature." __Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2008__. 6 Nov. 2008 http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2008 Microsoft Corporation.

Laushway, Ester. "Paris: The man behind the monument." __Europe__ Iss. 414 (2002): 40-42.

“Notre Dame de Paris." __From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia__. 1 Dec. 2008 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris>.

“Surrealism." __Oxford English Dictionary__. __Oxford English Dictionary__. 2008. 9 Nov. 2008 .

"Theater of the Absurd" __Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2008__. 6 Nov. 2008 http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2008 Microsoft Corporation.