NYU will host “The Medusa Project: Celebrating the Laugh of the Medusa by Hélène Cixous,” a one-day conference on Cixous’ 1975 feminist essay, on Friday, September 24, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., at NYU’s La Maison Française.

NYU’s “The Medusa Project” Conference Celebrates Cixous’ “The Laugh of Medusa”—September 24
NYU will host “The Medusa Project: Celebrating the Laugh of the Medusa by Hélène Cixous,” a one-day conference on Cixous’ 1975 feminist essay, on Friday, September 24, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., at NYU’s La Maison Française. Pictured above is Cixious in Paris in the summer of 2010. Photo by Tom Bishop.

New York University will host “The Medusa Project: Celebrating the Laugh of the Medusa by Hélène Cixous,” a one-day conference on Cixous’ 1975 feminist essay, on Friday, September 24, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., at NYU’s La Maison Française (16 Washington Mews [at University Place]/below 8th Street). The talks, which are in English and French, are free and open to the public. Call 212.998.8750 or email maison.francaise@nyu.edu for more information. Subways: R (8th Street); 6 (Astor Place).

Sessions include: “Heading Out of Her Province: Medusa’s Love Letters,” “From the Medusa’s Laugh Springs a World of Art,” and “As if yesterday--How Medusa Changed Our World.” For a complete schedule of sessions and speakers, go to  http://www.nyu.edu/maisonfrancaise and look under the “Events” box.

In Le Rire de la Méduse (translated as The Laugh of the Medusa by Keith and Paula Cohen in 1976), Cixous articulated her notion of “l’écriture féminine” (writing through the body). Her work provided a rallying call for feminist thinkers around the world.  Cixous asked women and men to rethink the petrifying Medusa as, rather, joyous and liberating.

Reporters interested in attending the conference must RSVP to James Devitt, NYU’s Office of Public Affairs, at 212.998.6808 or james.devitt@nyu.edu.

The conference is sponsored by NYU’s Department of French and Center for French Civilization and Culture, in collaboration with the university’s departments of Comparative Literature and English as well as the Department of Art and Art Professions in NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Major support is provided by the Humanities Initiative at NYU as well as the university’s Dean for Humanities and Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Science.

Press Contact

James Devitt
James Devitt
(212) 998-6808