Employment History

• Professor of French, University of New Mexico, 2022-present
• Associate Professor of French, University of New Mexico, 2007-2022
• Visiting Professor, University of Yaoundé I (African Literature and Culture), 2014-2015 
  Research/Teaching Fulbright award (2014-2015)                
• Assistant Professor of French, University of New Mexico, 2000-2007
• Visiting Assistant Professor of French, 1999-2000, University of New Mexico

Education

• Ph.D. in French and Francophone Literature, University of Michigan, May 1999.
• M.A. in French and Francophone Literature, University of Michigan, May 1994.
• J.D. (Law), University of Michigan, May 1993.
• Institut des Etudes Européennes (Law), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Jan.-July 1992.
• B.S. in Biology, magna cum laude, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, June 1990.

Teaching and Research Interests

• Confluence of shame and guilt in the formation of postcolonial African identities.
• Child soldiers in Africa.
• Interdisciplinary work in law and literature in African, French, and US literature.
• Comparisons of French and Francophone Feminist Theory.
• Cameroonian literature, politics, and culture.

Current Book Project

• (Over)Representations of Violence in African Literature

This book considers the popularity in the West of African narratives of violence in the 21^st century despite pronounced decreases in real-world violence on the continent and how that commercial literary popularity drives and distorts representations of Africa.

Recent Book 

• Scripting Shame in African Literature (LUP)

This book examines the uses of shame in sub-Saharan African literature to encourage or discourage specific individual identities, group affiliations, and/or the willingness to conform to or revolt against dominant social models. Shame is defined both through Western psychological models and African theoretical and anthropological treatments. The book then considers literary examples from across genres, national borders, and time periods to consider shame’s multitudinous roles in struggles involving colonialism, women’s rights, corruption, violence, and homosexuality.

Selected courses taught

• African Folktales and Proverbs
• Immigrant Europe
• La Justice littéraire
• African Women and Liberation Struggle
• Law and Literature
• African Great Books
• Le devoir de violence (African Lit.)
• Children in Conflict (African Lit.)
• La honte et la culpabilité dans la littérature africaine
• Rebels With a Cause (African Lit.)
• French Composition (Francophone Cinema)
• La littérature française tout courte
• From Paris to Provence (study abroad course)
• French Composition (Un regard sur l’Afrique Centrale)
• Féminisme(s) Français et Francophone
• La Criminelle de la France
• African Women Writers
• Stylistics and Translation
• (R)évolution de la justice
• Ecrire l’Identité au Québec
• A Literary Evolution of French Justice
• Advanced French Grammar
• Beur ou Français?
• Three Examples of Post-Colonial Development
• Bad Boys and Girls de la France
• French Philosophy and Literature
• Stamp Out Malaria
• Images of the Self: From Ancient Greece to Modern France
• Images of the State: The Western Tradition

Publications

Books Authored

(2021) Scripting Shame in African Literature (Liverpool University Press)

(2008) Legal Oppositional Narrative: A Case Study in Cameroon (Lexington Books)

Book Chapters in Peer-Reviewed Volumes

(2019) “Anansi the Spider: Individual Trickery and Communal Integrity,” Portraits of Integrity (Eds. Rachael Wiseman, Amber Carpenter, and Charlotte Alston) Bloomsbury Publishing, p. 168-74.

(2009) “Oppositional Approaches to Female Genital Mutilation in African Literature,” Empathy and Rage, Ayebia Clarke Publishing, p. 38-51.

(2002) “Literature in the Law: The Legal Clando in Cameroon.” Cycnos (“Droit et Littérature” special edition) Vol. 19 No. 2, p. 147-60.

(2001) “Témoignage du sang: la justice des vieilles familles.”; The Art and Genius of Anne Hébert; ed. Janis Pallister; Fairleigh Dickinson UP, p. 264-73.

Articles in Refereed Journals

(TBD) “Frieda Ekotto’s Queering of the African Subject,” TBD (to be submitted 2022)

(TBD) “Decolonizing the Sign: Towards Independence of Expression in African Deaf Pedagogy,” with Emmanuel Asonye, Critical Multilingualism Studies (to be submitted 2022)         .

(2006) “Hallucinatory Mimicry and the Quest for an Identity à l’Orient.” Dalhousie French Studies 77 Winter, p. 117-27.

(1998) “From a Judicial Authority to a Judicial Power.” Juridis Périodique 33, p. 96-99.

(1996) “Black Hats, White Faces: Banning ‘les Westerns’ in Cameroon.” Society for the Interdisciplinary Study of Social Imagery, p. 33-39.

Authored Introduction to Book

(2017) “En guise de Préface,” preface to Mboa land: autopsie d’une république, Maurice Tetne. Africavenir.

DVD

(2015) “Quel(s) féminisme(s) pour l’Afrique?” (DVD), University of Yaoundé I, 50 mins.

Translation

(2005) “Des discours contraints et de l’occulte: Procès et représentations de la  (post)colonie dans le cinéma camerounais”; Cinema and Social Discourse in Cameroon (Alexie Tcheuyap). Bayreuth African Studies, p. 173-194.

Encyclopedia Articles:

(2013) “Imperialism-Africa” in Encyclopedia of Race and Race Relations, 2nd edition, ed., Patrick L. Mason, Palgrave Macmillan, p. 357-361.

(2007) Entries for Le déterreur, Légende et vie d’Agoun’chich, Mohamed Khaïr-Eddine, Yahia, pas de chance, and Nabile Farès entries; Dictionnaire des pays du Maghreb; ed. Ambroise Kom, 15 total pages.

(2002) Entries for Séverin-Cécile Abega, Antoine Abel, Stanislas Adotevi, Philomène Bassek, Mongo Beti, Mbella Sonne Dipoko, Kenjo Jumbam, Ferdinand Oyono, and Guillaume Oyônô-Mbia; Encyclopedia of African Literature; Routledge; 3, 11, 51, 62-5, 148, 252, 427-9.

Presentations (since 2010)

(2022) “La prolifération de la guerre littéraire africaine”, CIEF Conseil international d’études francophones, Trento.

(2021) “Ecrire Queer: Les paroles de Frieda Ekotto en évolution,” CIEF Conseil international d’études francophones, Madeira (online).

(2020) “Decolonization and Diversity Outside the Classroom: The Case for Refugee and Asylum Assistance in French,” Diversity, Decolonization, and the French Curriculum Conference, Lafayette (online).

(2020) “How ‘Legal’ Is a Faculty Ethics Committee?” UNM Law School Lecture Series, Albuquerque (online)

(2020) “Networking for Change: Policy Approaches to a Sexual Assault Free Environment,” Western History Association Conference, Albuquerque (online)

(2020) “Alternative Abroad Experiences for an International Studies Program,” International Studies Association Conference, Seattle (online) 

(2019) “Competing Truths about Truth & Reconciliation Commissions,” International Studies Institute Fall Lecture Series (Peacemaking in Africa), Albuquerque

(2018) “L’Homosexualité et la honte en Afrique,” CIEF Conseil international d’études francophones, La Rochelle.

(2017) “Teaching Human Rights through Literature,” Albuquerque International X, Albuquerque.

(2016) “Reclaiming a Sense of Humanity through Creativity,” Children and War Conference, Salzburg.

(2016) “Le caractère d’un canon africain,” CIEF Conseil international d’études francophones, Dakar.

(2015) “What Is Adaptation?” CLCS Lecture Series, Albuquerque.

(2015) “How to Connect with Your Audience,” STEM UP and STEM Gateway Professional Development series, Albuquerque.

(2015) Interview on Comparative American and Cameroonian Feminism, Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), Yaoundé.

(2015) “Quel(s) féminisme(s) pour l’Afrique?” Grandes Conférences, University of Yaoundé.

(2015) “Histoire de la violence en littérature africaine,” University of Yaoundé I.

(2015) “The Relevance of Native American Literature in Africa,” University of Yaoundé I.

(2014-15) “How to Apply for Grants and Programs of Study in the United States,” four total - United States Embassy, Université Catholique, and University of Yaoundé I (twice).

(2014) “How to Develop an American Style Research Agenda and Thesis,” Université Protestante, Yaoundé.

(2014) “Children as Victims (and Perpetrators?) of Genocide,” Genocide Awareness Conference, Albuquerque.

(2013) “The Delicate Art of Shaming in African Child Soldier Narratives,” Children and War Conference, Salzburg.

(2013) “Child Soldiers in Africa”, Oasis Foundation, Albuquerque.

(2012) “Service Learning in French: Helping Students Help Immigrant Communities,” American Association of Teachers of French, Chicago.

(2012) “Between Trauma and Entertainment: Child Soldiers as Cultural Critics,” Modern Languages Association, Seattle.

(2011) “L’exotisation des rites des enfants-soldats,” Rocky Mountain Modern Languages Association Conference, Scottsdale.

(2011) “La mort de l’enfance dans la mort de l’enfant,” Conseil international d’études francophones, Aix-en-Provence.

(2011) “Telling the Stories Behind the Law: Female Genital Mutilation and Human Rights Law,” Modern Languages Association Conference.

(2010) “Child Soldiers in Africa: from Degradation to Reintegration,” International Studies Institute Lecture Series, Albuquerque.

(2010) “The Hungarian Sisyphus: Sándor Márai Before Camus,” Rocky Mountain Modern Languages Association Conference, Albuquerque.

(2010) “Romancing Violence: Entertainment's Encouragement of Visual Pleasure in Female Victimization,” Gray-Torres Domestic Violence Conference, Albuquerque.

(2010) “Tuez-les!: les enfants-soldats et l'assassinat des relations traditionnelles,” Conseil international d'etudes francophones, Montreal.

(2010) “Jean-Marie Teno: The Legal Outsider of Cameroonian Cinema,” Law and Literature Conference, New York City.

(2010) “Unsustainable Conflict: Child Soldiers as Cultural Critics,” African Literature Association, Tucson.

Languages

• French: near-native speaking, comprehension, writing, and reading
• Spanish: speaking, comprehension, and reading knowledge
• German: reading knowledge, elementary speaking and comprehension
• Italian: reading and comprehension knowledge, elementary speaking
• Portuguese: reading knowledge
• Swahili: elementary speaking and comprehension