James Ronald Lawler (1929–2013) was the foundation professor of French studies at the University of Western Australia (1963-1971) and later the Edward Carson Waller Distinguished Service Professor in Romance Languages and Literatures at the University of Chicago.[1][2]
Lecture de Valéry: une étude de Charmes The Language of French Symbolism Rene Char: The Myth and the Poem Rimbaud’s Theatre of the Self Poetry and Moral Dialectic: Baudelaire’s ‘Secret Architecture’
James Lawler was born on 15 August 1929 in Melbourne.
He studied French at the University of Melbourne in the period that Professor A. R. Chisholm was the head of the Department of French. In 1950 he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with first class honours in English and French[3] and in 1952 graduated with an M.A. with first class honours in French.[4]
He undertook research for a doctorate at the Sorbonne in Paris, France, which he successfully completed in 1954 with a "mention très honorable" for his thesis, Style et Poétique chez Guillaume Apollinaire.[3]
Academic careerEdit
In 1963, after two years as lecturer in French at the University of Queensland[5] and six years as a senior lecturer in the Department of French under Professor Ronald Jackson at the University of Melbourne,[6] Lawler became, at the age of just 33,[2] the foundation Professor of French Studies at the University of Western Australia. He proceeded to restructure the French department, introducing new courses in French civilisation and history to accompany the traditional offerings in French language and literature.[7]
During his tenure at UWA he founded Essays in French Literature, a "top ranking"[5] academic journal that still exists and is now known as Essays in French Literature and Culture.[8]
Lawler left Australia for North America in 1971 where he was appointed to a succession of chairs of French: at the University of California, Los Angeles, then at Dalhousie University, in Nova Scotia (1974–79), and finally at the University of Chicago (1979–97) where he became the Edward Carson Waller Distinguished Service Professor in Romance Languages and Literatures. While at Dalhousie University he founded the journal Dalhousie French Studies. While at Chicago, he was also a visiting professor at the Collège de France and an invited professor in Tokyo (teaching classes in the Master of Arts Program in the Humanities in Japan).[7][9]
In 1997 Lawler retired and moved to Paris with his wife. He remained active in his literary life and studies and served as the president of both the Association Internationale des Etudes Françaises and of the Association des Amis de Rimbaud.
LegacyEdit
According to Wallace Kirsop, Lawler was for more than fifty years "one of the most distinguished representatives of a remarkable group of [Australian] students of French poetry from Baudelaire to Valéry".[5]
He was a popular teacher who enjoyed the "give and take" of the classroom.[9] He preferred teaching smaller groups where he could "sit in front of a text with ... students and discover it with them, explore the many-sidedness of it, the sound, the different ways of entering into a text".[9] Previous students and colleagues remember him as an "inspirational teacher" and as a "mentor" who set other academics on the "path to a career in French".[7][2]
Personal lifeEdit
James Lawler was married to Christiane Labossière,[10] a French citizen and an anthropology graduate. She worked alongside him at the University of Western Australia and played a major role in establishing the French civilisation courses there.[7]
They had two children, Jérôme and Ariane (both born in 1960).[10]
He died 28 July 2013 in Paris at the age of 83. His wife predeceased him in December, 2004. His ashes were interred at the Père Lachaise Cemetery columbarium.[10]
Select bibliographyEdit
Music and Poetry in Apollinaire (Oxford: Blackwell, c. 1957)
Form and Meaning in Valéry's Le cimetiere marin (Melbourne University Press on behalf of the Australian Humanities Research Council, 1959)
An Anthology of French Poetry (Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1960)
Lecture de Valéry: une étude de Charmes (Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1963)
The Language of French Symbolism (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1969)
The Poet as Analyst: Essays on Paul Valéry (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1974)
The Existentialist Marxism of Jean-Paul Sartre (Amsterdam: Grüner, 1976)
René Char: The Myth and the Poem (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, c.1978)
Rimbaud's Theatre of the Self (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1992)
Poetry and Moral Dialectic: Baudelaire’s "Secret Architecture" (Madison, N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press; London and Cranbury, N.J.: Associated University Presses, 1997)
Paul Perron and Sergio Villani, eds., Lire Rimbaud: approches critiques. Hommages à James R. Lawler, Toronto: Canadian Scholars' Press Inc., 2000.
ReferencesEdit
^ abcJames A. Lawler: 1929–2013, The Australian Academy of the Humanities, Annual Report 2013–14, p. 35. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
^ abcdVale Professor James Lawler, une.edu.au. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
^ ab"New Appointments", University of Queensland Gazette, No. 31, May 1955, pp. 9-10. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
^"University Degrees Conferred: Two Sessions in the Union Theatre", The Age, 22 December 1952, p. 4.
^ abcWallace Kirsop, Scholar of French Poetry over Three Continents: James Ronald Lawler 1929-2019, isfar.org.au. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
^Members Council, Boards and Faculties, Committees and Staff, University of Melbourne Calendar, 1962, p. 56, unimelb.edu.au. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
^ abcdeBeverley Noakes, Vale Jim Lawler, University News: The University of Western Australia, 15 August 2013, uwa.edu.au. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
^Essays in French Literature and Culture, uwa.edu.au. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
^ abcJennifer Vanasco, Graduate Teaching Award: James Lawler, The University of Chicago Chronicle, Vol. 16, No. 19, 12 June 1997. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
^ abcPeter Evans, James R. Lawler – My Uncle Jimmy, isfar.org.au. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
^"James R. Lawler". John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
External linksEdit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to James R. Lawler.
Lawler, James Ronald: Correspondence and related papers..., 1948-2013 - State Library of Victoria
Fonds James R. Lawler ..., 1929 - 2013 - Bibliothèque Nationale de France
August 25, 2023
james, lawler, james, ronald, lawler, 1929, 2013, foundation, professor, french, studies, university, western, australia, 1963, 1971, later, edward, carson, waller, distinguished, service, professor, romance, languages, literatures, university, chicago, james,. James Ronald Lawler 1929 2013 was the foundation professor of French studies at the University of Western Australia 1963 1971 and later the Edward Carson Waller Distinguished Service Professor in Romance Languages and Literatures at the University of Chicago 1 2 James LawlerBornJames Ronald Lawler15 August 1929Melbourne AustraliaDied28 July 2013 2013 07 28 aged 83 Paris FranceOccupationAcademicNationalityAustralianNotable worksLecture de Valery une etude de CharmesThe Language of French SymbolismRene Char The Myth and the PoemRimbaud s Theatre of the SelfPoetry and Moral Dialectic Baudelaire s Secret Architecture Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Academic career 3 Later life 4 Legacy 5 Personal life 6 Select bibliography 7 Honours awards 8 Further reading 9 References 10 External linksEarly life and education EditJames Lawler was born on 15 August 1929 in Melbourne He studied French at the University of Melbourne in the period that Professor A R Chisholm was the head of the Department of French In 1950 he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with first class honours in English and French 3 and in 1952 graduated with an M A with first class honours in French 4 He undertook research for a doctorate at the Sorbonne in Paris France which he successfully completed in 1954 with a mention tres honorable for his thesis Style et Poetique chez Guillaume Apollinaire 3 Academic career EditIn 1963 after two years as lecturer in French at the University of Queensland 5 and six years as a senior lecturer in the Department of French under Professor Ronald Jackson at the University of Melbourne 6 Lawler became at the age of just 33 2 the foundation Professor of French Studies at the University of Western Australia He proceeded to restructure the French department introducing new courses in French civilisation and history to accompany the traditional offerings in French language and literature 7 During his tenure at UWA he founded Essays in French Literature a top ranking 5 academic journal that still exists and is now known as Essays in French Literature and Culture 8 Lawler left Australia for North America in 1971 where he was appointed to a succession of chairs of French at the University of California Los Angeles then at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia 1974 79 and finally at the University of Chicago 1979 97 where he became the Edward Carson Waller Distinguished Service Professor in Romance Languages and Literatures While at Dalhousie University he founded the journal Dalhousie French Studies While at Chicago he was also a visiting professor at the College de France and an invited professor in Tokyo teaching classes in the Master of Arts Program in the Humanities in Japan 7 9 Lawler was a foundation member of the Australian Academy of the Humanities 1 Later life Edit Lawler s burial niche at Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris FranceIn 1997 Lawler retired and moved to Paris with his wife He remained active in his literary life and studies and served as the president of both the Association Internationale des Etudes Francaises and of the Association des Amis de Rimbaud Legacy EditAccording to Wallace Kirsop Lawler was for more than fifty years one of the most distinguished representatives of a remarkable group of Australian students of French poetry from Baudelaire to Valery 5 He was a popular teacher who enjoyed the give and take of the classroom 9 He preferred teaching smaller groups where he could sit in front of a text with students and discover it with them explore the many sidedness of it the sound the different ways of entering into a text 9 Previous students and colleagues remember him as an inspirational teacher and as a mentor who set other academics on the path to a career in French 7 2 Personal life EditJames Lawler was married to Christiane Labossiere 10 a French citizen and an anthropology graduate She worked alongside him at the University of Western Australia and played a major role in establishing the French civilisation courses there 7 They had two children Jerome and Ariane both born in 1960 10 He died 28 July 2013 in Paris at the age of 83 His wife predeceased him in December 2004 His ashes were interred at the Pere Lachaise Cemetery columbarium 10 Select bibliography EditMusic and Poetry in Apollinaire Oxford Blackwell c 1957 Form and Meaning in Valery s Le cimetiere marin Melbourne University Press on behalf of the Australian Humanities Research Council 1959 An Anthology of French Poetry Melbourne Oxford University Press 1960 Lecture de Valery une etude de Charmes Paris Presses Universitaires de France 1963 The Language of French Symbolism Princeton N J Princeton University Press 1969 The Poet as Analyst Essays on Paul Valery Berkeley University of California Press 1974 The Existentialist Marxism of Jean Paul Sartre Amsterdam Gruner 1976 Rene Char The Myth and the Poem Princeton N J Princeton University Press c 1978 Rimbaud s Theatre of the Self Cambridge Mass Harvard University Press 1992 Poetry and Moral Dialectic Baudelaire s Secret Architecture Madison N J Fairleigh Dickinson University Press London and Cranbury N J Associated University Presses 1997 Honours awards Edit1974 Guggenheim Fellowship 11 1999 Prix du rayonnement de la langue francaise Academie francaise 2 Prix international des amities francaises 1 Officier des Palmes Academiques 7 Further reading EditPaul Perron and Sergio Villani eds Lire Rimbaud approches critiques Hommages a James R Lawler Toronto Canadian Scholars Press Inc 2000 References Edit a b c James A Lawler 1929 2013 The Australian Academy of the Humanities Annual Report 2013 14 p 35 Retrieved 20 May 2018 a b c d Vale Professor James Lawler une edu au Retrieved 7 January 2018 a b New Appointments University of Queensland Gazette No 31 May 1955 pp 9 10 Retrieved 12 November 2019 University Degrees Conferred Two Sessions in the Union Theatre The Age 22 December 1952 p 4 a b c Wallace Kirsop Scholar of French Poetry over Three Continents James Ronald Lawler 1929 2019 isfar org au Retrieved 12 November 2019 Members Council Boards and Faculties Committees and Staff University of Melbourne Calendar 1962 p 56 unimelb edu au Retrieved 12 November 2019 a b c d e Beverley Noakes Vale Jim Lawler University News The University of Western Australia 15 August 2013 uwa edu au Retrieved 12 November 2019 Essays in French Literature and Culture uwa edu au Retrieved 12 November 2019 a b c Jennifer Vanasco Graduate Teaching Award James Lawler The University of Chicago Chronicle Vol 16 No 19 12 June 1997 Retrieved 13 November 2019 a b c Peter Evans James R Lawler My Uncle Jimmy isfar org au Retrieved 12 November 2019 James R Lawler John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to James R Lawler Lawler James Ronald Correspondence and related papers 1948 2013 State Library of Victoria Fonds James R Lawler 1929 2013 Bibliotheque Nationale de France Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title James R Lawler amp oldid 1146875862, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
