Worldwide Women Writers in Paris: Francophone Metronomes by Alison Rice

Abstract

Reviewed by: Worldwide Women Writers in Paris: Francophone Metronomes by Alison Rice Julia Praud Rice, Alison. Worldwide Women Writers in Paris: Francophone Metronomes. Oxford UP, 2021. ISBN 978-0-19-284577-1. Pp. xi + 307. With an unconventional, syncopated approach, clear prose, a musically thematic structure, and a broad theoretical base providing key references for researchers in the field, this polyphonic analysis of eighteen women writers (Evelyne Accad, Etel Adnan, Eva Almassy, Nathacha Appanah, Bessora, Hélène Cixous, Maryse Condé, Fatou Diome, Chahdortt Djavann, Eun-Ja Kang, Julia Kristeva, Anna Moï, Pia Petersen, Zahia Rahmani, Leïla Sebbar, Yumiko Seki, Shumona Sinha, Svit Brina) from around the world, will be useful to both seasoned and emerging scholars. These writers who hail from countries ranging from Algeria, Iran, Lebanon, and Japan to South Korea, Hungary, Bulgaria, Senegal, and Slovenia, have chosen to live in Paris and publish in French. Although not an exhaustive list, they are representative of the types of writers who "are contributing to a revolution in the Francophone literary landscape" (1). Drawing upon these remarkable interviews that "chronicle a particular time in French literary history" and "mark what might be considered a moment of transition toward greater acceptance of women writers from outside of France," Alison Rice composed this book with a foundation set in the theoretical works of Roland Barthes, Daniel Barenboim, Edward Said, Françoise Lionnet, Shu-mei Shih, Christopher Miller, and others (14). In Worldwide Women Writers, Rice anticipates questions, tackles contested terminology, defines key terms, and refrains from making assumptions about her readers' prior knowledge of these writers, or of the theoretical references she provides. For example, she addresses the debate surrounding the terms francophone and world literature, underlines multiple perspectives, and allows the writers to speak for themselves. Her exploration of the publishing world, and discussion of current practices in literary criticism, also open possibilities for new lines of inquiry. With thoughtful and thought-provoking explanations, the author's use of music as a "fil conducteur" provides the conceptual framework, terminology, and opportunities for categorization that make this project come to life. The juxtaposition of musical lexicon (rhythms, odes, overtures, suites, preludes, postludes, interludes, glissandos, acapella, chord progression, chorus, interpretation, riff) and literary analysis, organizes her study and allows her to forgo traditional categorization of these writers. Opting instead for what Françoise Lionnet termed a "transversal comparative approach," Rice encourages her readers to engage with this study as they choose, according to their own "passions and interests […] whether melodically, harmonically, or contrapuntally" (21). Finally, although Worldwide Women Writers can stand alone, readers will be delighted to know that "these women's voices are readily available online to confirm and complexify, corroborate, and elaborate" should they wish to listen to and engage directly with them (2). Indeed, access to all eighteen of Rice's archived interviews is available through her website, Francophone Metronomes website (www.francophonemetronomes.com). [End Page 285] Julia Praud United States Military Academy, West Point Copyright © 2023 American Association of Teachers of French