Peter Tarjanyi
Visiting Assistant Professor of French & Francophone Studies
- Office
- CHT 114
- ptarjanyi@middlebury.edu
- Office Hours
- Spring 2024: Mon & Fri 10:00-11:00; Wed 2:00-3:00 and by appointment
Peter Tarjanyi (he/him) holds a Ph.D. in French and queer studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
His research centers on contemporary French and Francophone media culture. Building on queer studies and migration scholarship, his work interrogates how sexuality and mobility are bound up in the imaginary of the postcolonial nation-state. His additional teaching and research interests include Maghrebi Francophone literature and film, representations of gender in popular culture, and digital humanities.
Courses Taught
FREN 0102
Beginning French Part Two
Course Description
Beginning French
This course is a continuation of FREN 0101, dealing with more complex French. Oral skills are stressed and students participate in the French language table at lunch. This course does not fulfill the foreign language distribution requirement. (FREN 0101)
Terms Taught
Requirements
FREN 0105
Accelerated Beginning French
Course Description
Accelerated Beginning French
This intensive course is a condensation of FREN 0101 and 0102 for students who have never before studied French. We will focus on the development of all four communicative skills in an immersion-style environment. Primary emphasis will be placed on increased oral proficiency through audiovisual, conversational, and drill methods. Upon successful completion of this course students will be prepared for second-year French in the fall. Weekly attendance at the French language table will be required. 6 hrs. lect./disc./1 hr. drill
Terms Taught
FREN 0209
Upcoming
Self&Society Writing in French
Course Description
Self and Society: Effective Writing in French
In this course, students will deepen their knowledge of the French language and French-speaking cultures while developing their reading and writing skills through examination of a variety of texts and media. This course facilitates the transition from language-oriented courses (FREN 0205) to content-oriented courses (such as FREN 0220 and FREN 0230) by introducing students to strategies for interpretation and discussion, with a focus on effective writing. Course materials may include essays/articles, theater, fiction, poetry, videos, and films. (FREN 0205 or by placement) 3 hrs. lect./disc.
Terms Taught
Requirements
FREN 0226
Upcoming
Dystopian Visions
Course Description
Dystopian Visions in French and Francophone Culture
Contemporary popular culture is captivated by dystopian imagery. From post-apocalyptic worlds and environmental disaster to totalitarian regimes and the rise of malevolent artificial intelligence, dystopian tropes are ubiquitous in many forms of media. In this course, we will explore representations of dystopia in French and Francophone cultures through the study of a diverse archive of film, fiction, video games and visual art. After a brief overview of utopian thought originating in the Renaissance and the Enlightenment period, students will learn about the historical and sociopolitical context of dystopian representation in French from the end of the nineteenth century to the present. In addition, the course will emphasize the development of written and oral expression in French to facilitate the transition between introductory and advanced-level classes.
Terms Taught
Requirements
FREN 0500
Current
Upcoming
Independent Projects
Course Description
Independent Project
Qualified students may be permitted to undertake a special project in reading and research under the direction of a member of the department. Students should seek an advisor and submit a proposal to the department well in advance of registration for the term in which the work is to be undertaken. (Approval required)
Terms Taught
FREN 0700
Current
Upcoming
Senior Honors Essay
Course Description
Senior Honors Essay
For this one-term course, qualified senior majors who wish to be considered for Honors in French must submit a proposal well in advance of registration for the term in which the work is to be undertaken. (Approval required; see requirements.)
Terms Taught
FREN 0701
Current
Upcoming
Senior Honors Thesis
Course Description
Senior Honors Thesis
Qualified senior majors who wish to be considered for Honors in French must submit a proposal well in advance of registration for the term in which the work is to be undertaken. (Approval required; see requirements above.)
Terms Taught
FREN 3303
Upper Intermediate
Course Description
Level 3 - Upper Intermediate French is designed for students who have had significant previous instruction in French and are already able to function independently in full immersion. Typically, students at this level demonstrate textual/writing ability beyond the sentence level. The individual components of the program are designed to complement one another, and all include intensive study of the language. Students will also arrive at a broader appreciation of French and Francophone cultures and literatures. Students in Level 3 take the following four classes each day, awarding a total of three units of credit.
By the end of this seven-week immersion program, students should reach a B2 level of proficiency in all language skills. They will have no problem navigating a variety of real-world situations and will be able to speak with increasing ease, fluency, and spontaneity, to engage with a wide range of materials from various contexts, to recognize implicit meaning, and to show sophistication in all their skills.
3303 Developing oral and written communication
Through cinema, reading, oral presentations and performances, students will improve their spoken French. Whether for public speaking, oral exams, presentations, conferences, or job interviews, this course will provide the strategies, tools and practice for more assertive and confident speech. In addition to oral communication skills, we will practice written communication throughout the session.
No required text:
Terms Taught
FYSE 1065
Sexual Dissidence in French
Course Description
Sexual Dissidence in the Francosphere
What is the relationship between sex, power, and subjectivity? Why are certain forms of sexuality worthy of protection while others are subject to political regulation? In this seminar, we will examine non-normative representations of sexuality in contemporary French and Francophone cultures. Through the study of primary sources ranging from fiction and film to social media and graphic novels, students will learn about the ways in which sexuality intersects with gender, race, social class, and citizenship. In addition, we will seek to develop comparative perspectives on sexual politics between the United States and the French-speaking world. The course is taught in English and requires no knowledge of French.
Terms Taught
Requirements
GSFS 1010
Film, TV & Gender
Course Description
Film, TV & Gender
In this course we will examine unconventional representations of gender and sexuality in current television series and movies, as well as a few earlier films. We will use feminist approaches to think about spectatorship, femininity and masculinity, transgender politics, the family, cult films, and fan cultures. Our goal will be to investigate how popular film and television can inform our understanding of gender and sexuality by following existing models and gesturing toward new possibilities. Students will write short critical and creative pieces in addition to a longer critical essay.
Terms Taught
Requirements
GSFS 1035
Current
Queer Media Cultures
Course Description
Queer Media Cultures
This course introduces students to queer media scholarship through the lens of contemporary film and television, social media and popular culture. We will learn about the foundational concepts of queer and feminist theory, transgender studies and biopolitics. In addition, we will consider how popular media has the potential to resist—or sometimes ends up reifying—dominant ideologies of sexuality, gender, race, citizenship and labor. Training and assessment will focus on visual literacy and media analysis (including a review of basic concepts of cinematography and editing) in the form of short critical and creative assignments. (Not open to students who have already taken GSFS/FMMC 1010.)
/Peter Tarjanyi is a Visiting Assistant Professor of French and Francophone Studies at Middlebury College./
Terms Taught
Requirements
Publications
“When iel broke the Internet: a social media study on the reception of non-binary pronouns” (co-authored with Gyula Zsombok), Contemporary French Civilization, 48.3 (forthcoming in 2023).
“Diasporic returns and queer kinship networks in contemporary French and Maghrebi Francophone cinema,” Queer Studies in Media & Popular Culture, 7.3, 2022, pp. 193-207.
“Tourisme homosexuel et décolonisation dans l’œuvre de Dominique Fernandez,” Inverses: Littératures, Arts, Homosexualités, n°18 (“Les écrivain(e)s des années 1980”), 2018, pp. 143-159.
Review of Todd. W. Reeser’s Queer cinema in contemporary France. Five directors (Manchester U.P., 2022). Modern & Contemporary France (forthcoming).
Review of Mehammed Amadeus Mack’s Sexagon: Muslims, France, and the Sexualization of National Culture (Fordham U.P., 2017). College Literature: A Journal of Critical Literary Studies, 46.2, 2019.