OuLiPo in Paris

A list of OuLiPo related things that I've done or will do in Paris:

Séminaire ALGORITM: This is a new seminar that will happen a few times this year. I've talked to the professor in charge (Camille Bloomfield) and she said not only am I more than welcome, but I can even do a small presentation on my work!

Transcription Project: This is part of the séminaire ALGORITM, more another aspect of another larger project called the DifDePo. I've finished my first batch of transcriptions and have already been given four more. It turns out the groupe of "jeunes chercheurs anglophones" (young Anglophone researchers) is the dream team for such a project! Seems that Americans accomplish somewhat mindless tasks efficiently. Also, I was the first one to finish a transcription!

Séminaire Perec: In addition to meeting with Camille Bloomfield, I met with Christelle Reggiani, a Perec specialist who is a professor at La Sorbonne (Paris IV). She told me that in June, she will hold her annual Perec seminar, and that if I send her an abstract by December, she would love for me to speak about something Perec-related.

Archives: There are Perec archives that I can access right near my apartment, apparently. Also, the OuLiPo archives are located at the Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal. Once I know exactly which documents I need, I can head over to those archives and do some real archival research.

OuLiPo class at La Sorbonne: Next semester, Christelle Reggiani will be teaching a class on the OuLiPo and has invited me not only to attend, but also to guest lecture on something related to my dissertation!

Book Review: Yes, another one! This one is a book by Christelle Reggiani that I got through David Bellos' suggestion to the French Studies journal as well as an enthusiastic recommendation from my former medieval literature professor, Sophie Marnette!

Jeudi de l'OuLiPo: I will be missing the first one (which is the day I'll head to Puerto Rico for the conference), but then they will be once a month until I leave.

L'Atelier de George Orrimbe, member of the OuPeinPo (Ouvroir de Peinture Potentielle): A chance encounter with a man in a bookstore in Versailles a few weeks ago has resulted in my being invited to visit his workshop. He is both an engineer and an artist who works in one of the OuXPo spinoff groups. He saw me buying Perec books, we started talking about the OuLiPo, and it seems that chance (or was it? since the OuLiPo is anti-chance...) has introduced me to someone who is very much tangential to the group!

Conference at Hopkins: Yes, this one is not in Paris. But there will be a conference on translating the OuLiPo, and I'll be going on Friday! I did so miss Baltimore.

There is probably more, but this is a good start for now. Back to work!