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David Franco

Faculty member David Franco

Assistant Professor of French and Spanish

Contact

Hall College Center

Academic Program Affiliation(s)

Languages and Literature, French and Francophone Studies, Spanish and Latin American Studies

Areas of Specialization

  • French Literature
  • Classical tragedy

Interests

Research Interests: 17th century French drama, Greek mythology and tragedy, French cinema (Poetic Realism, Gangster Movies, Transcendentalism)

Teaching Interests: Early Modern French drama, modern French narratives of disenchantment, language acquisition (Spanish and French), creative writing, French cinema

Other Interests: Latin American short story, New Journalism.

Biography

Ph.D., French Literature, Rutgers University
M.A., French Literature, Rutgers University
M.A., Hispanic Literature, Villanova University
B.A., Journalism, Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia

Dr. Franco’s research examines the notion of heroism in 17th century French drama, with Greek mythology and Classical tragedy as points of reference. His current book project, entitled Corneille: a Tragedy of the Ethos, focuses on the works of Pierre Corneille, and challenges the myth of a dazzling cornelian hero by showing his struggle to obtain recognition. His work has appeared in French Studies, The French Review, and at Classiques Garnier. A native Spanish speaker, Dr. Franco has extensively taught both language and Literature classes in French, Spanish and English. He has presented his work at the annual conference of SE17 (Sociéte d’Études du dix-septième siècle français) and at the University of Gent, Belgium. He joined the faculty at Simon's Rock in 2019.

Highlights

PUBLICATIONS

  • “Obéir pour se libérer: stratégies d’héroïsation dans le film Indigènes de Rachid Bouchareb (2006)”, Nottingham French Studies, volume 62.1, Spring 2023 (forthcoming).
  • “Agir pour se faire aimer et aimer pour empêcher d’agir: effets et fonctions de l’amour dans la logique héroïque cornélienne”, L'Amour et l'amitié au Grand Siècle, éd. Delphine Calle et Astrid Van Assche, Classiques Garnier, “Rencontres”, October 2022.
  • “Monstruosité de l’héroïne: réecriture de Médée dans Chanson Douce de Leïla Slimani”, French Studies, Volume 76, Issue 4, October 2022, https://doi.org/10.1093/fs/knac163.
  • “Suréna: l’héroïsme est-il possible en dehors de la représentation?” The French Review, Vol. 92. no. 4, 2019. pp. 117-130, doi:10.1353/tfr.2019.0279.
  • “Desaparecido”, short story. El Espectador. Bogotá, Colombia, March 2012.