Pierre-Yves Anglès

Please tell us about your research project.
I am a PhD candidate in American literature and lecturer at ENS-PSL (École normale supérieure-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres) affiliated with the research group “La République des Savoirs” (click here).
My work, situated at the intersection of literary studies (non-fiction), contemporary cultural history, and social sciences, is supervised by professors Hélène Aji (ENS-PSL) and Emma Wilson (University of Cambridge). I focus on the American and transnational 1960s and their broad range of countercultures as well as revolt and youth movements in the genre of memoirs and through the lens of spatial studies (literary geography, geocriticism and French theory, geopoetics). Some of the writers I am most interested in include Maya Angelou, Abbie Hoffman, Cleve Jones, Patti Smith, and Gloria Steinem.
I am particularly interested in the contemporary reception and political relevance of a certain “myth of the Sixties” (from New social movements and environmentalism to culture wars). In this context, questioning the reliability and motivations behind memoirs is central to my study. My project therefore, draws on direct interviews with writers and activists (e.g. C. Jones, G. Steinem) as well as archival work, including at the Yale Beinecke Library (grant from the Association française d’études américaines, 2024).

Could you please tell us a bit more about your scholarship/exchange programme?
I have been selected as a visiting PhD candidate under the cooperation agreement between Université PSL and the Maison Francaise d’Oxford (MFO), which allows me to benefit from a three month's scholarship. I will dedicate my time at the MFO to meeting with academics of critical interest to my research while accessing valuable material from the Taylorian Institution and the Vere Harmsworth libraries.

I also intend to expand my network and further establish my research in a transatlantic environment I have had the great opportunity to explore in the last decade (France, UK, USA). Benefiting from the experience and advice of fellow early-career researchers is also key. The Oxford encounters and discussions will finally feed into ongoing media and creative projects as I am especially interested in public-facing work (see publications in popular media, including The Washington Post, Le Monde or Revue Esprit). 

First impressions of Oxford/the University?
Oxford is one of the rare places that strikes a unique balance: it offers a sense of seclusion ideal for research and reflection, a small-town charm surrounded by the picturesque British countryside, and the stimulation and opportunities typical of global cities – robust infrastructure, vibrant cultural life, cosmopolitan sociability, and engagement with political and social issues. This opportunity to both withdraw from the everyday life and remain fully connected to ongoing international, cultural, and social dynamics has something to do with the promise of university campuses, which is critical to both maintain and produce knowledge.