Mississippi State University students, staff and visitors from around the Southeast filled John K. Bettersworth Auditorium Monday night to hear keynote speaker and Nobel Laureate J.M.G. Le Clézio discuss his literary influences and inspirations.
“Your state looks like a garden with well-organized nature,” Le Clézio said in his opening remarks. “It seems to have a slow way of life, which I greatly appreciate.”
In addition, he said the mixture of old and new cultures in Mississippi has a resemblance to the Creole cultures he loves in his home island, Mauritius.
“You have the cotton fields, we have the sugar cane fields,” Le Clézio said, in reference to the crops cultivated in Mississippi and Mauritius, respectively, and also to the institution of slavery which existed in both places.
Keith Moser, assistant professor of French, introduced the award-winning author to the audience, mentioning the themes of globalization, bigotry, war, poverty and modernization that are often found in Le Clézio works.
Gary Myers, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, welcomed the author and humanitarian to campus in what he deemed the event of the year.
MSU President Mark Keenum said Le Clézio’s visit was a great opportunity for MSU students.
“This is the very first time for a Nobel Laureate to visit campus in the history of MSU,” he said. “We are grateful to Le Clézio for making this his first and only visit in the United States.”
During his lecture, Le Clézio discussed the changes occurring in literature over the past century, referencing works of other renowned French authors such as Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus. Describing his influences, which span
the globe, he also referenced works from authors native to Mauritius, as well as Egypt, Senegal and an assortment of other countries, which he claimed offer new and vital outlooks on cultures and global events.
“[Le Clézio’s] narratives remind us of atrocities while simultaneously reminding us that life is priceless,” Moser said. “He is not merely a writer, but a humanitarian.”
In addition to his views on the evolution of literary theory during the 20th century, Le Clézio discussed the impact of globalization, and at one point, discussed some of his first memories, one relating to World War II.
“It is a strange but happy memory,” he said of his recollection of hiding in some mountains outside of Nice, France, with his mother and brother. He explained that on the advice of the British consulate, his mother chose to flee from the soldiers occupying Nice due to her fears that her British origins would make her and her children candidates for concentration camps.
The 2008 Nobel Prize recipient for literature, Le Clézio elected to visit MSU after a series of events put into motion by Moser and his recent book on Le Clézio.
After first discovering Le Clézio and his work while working on his doctorate in 2004, Moser said he found inspiration in the author’s narratives and joie de vivre. Moser eventually came to MSU to teach in the department of foreign languages and during this time published a book on Le Clézio.
After meeting his idol at a conference and several correspondences later, Moser, with the assistance of the department of foreign languages and the College of Arts & Sciences, was able to have Le Clézio visit campus.