French professor publishes book on Louisiana French literature

Evelyne M. Bornier's co-authored book "Parcours Louisianais: Panorama de la littérature francophone de Louisiane de ses origines à 1900" was released by UL Press on June 1.

Bornier is a professor of French in the Department of World Languages, Literatures & Cultures. The book was co-authored with Margaret Marshall, a renowned Louisiana Creole and Cajun linguist.

In "Parcours Louisianais: Panorama de la littérature francophone de Louisiane de ses origines à 1900," authors Bornier and Marshall offer a unique collection of Louisiana poems, fables, tales, novels, song lyrics and historical texts in French in a format that makes them accessible to anyone with an interest in francophone literature. The authors bring to light works from the 1680s to 1900 that reflect the diversity of voices present throughout Louisiana’s history: men and women, explorers, political leaders, Native Americans, Africans and African Americans and Creoles. Language varieties also are represented in this volume, with passages in Louisiana Creole as spoken by enslaved peoples and their descendants and the French of the Acadians who sought refuge following their expulsion from Nova Scotia in 1755.

The book was recently featured at the Conseil International d'Etudes Francophones Conference in Trento, Italy, in June and at the American Association of Teachers of French Conference in New Orleans in July. An official book release and signing event took place on July 14 at the Beausoleil Bookstore in Lafayette, Louisiana.