Yale Nabs Schor From Romance Literatures Dept.

Naomi Schor, Smith professor of French and Spanish languages and literature, has accepted a tenured position in Yale's French department, sources from both schools confirmed yesterday.

Schor, an eminent scholar of French feminism and 19th-century French literature, was in Paris yesterday and was not available for an interview.

"My decision is not based on any scientific comparison of the two departments/institutions but on purely personal reasons," she wrote in an e-mail message.

Schor had been on leave from Harvard since September.

The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures has not yet made public her departure. It is not yet known when Schor will leave.

The Yale Daily News reported that the deal to lure Schor had been finalized over the winter break.

Schor's decision to teach at Yale continues the shuffle of noted feminist professors between top universities, as programs in feminist and "queer" literary theory become more and more popular.

Schor, who did her graduate work at Yale, has taught at Duke, Columbia and Brown. She accepted an offer of tenure from Harvard in 1995.

Bradley S. Epps, the recently tenured professor of Romance language and literatures, said he is sorry to see her go.

"I consider her a very close colleague and friend," he said. "I'm going to miss her very, very much."

Epps declined to say if Schor had told him why she decided to leave.

"I know that it was a very difficult decision for her," he said.

Epps and Schor co-taught Romance Studies 180, "Sex and Sexuality in Modern French and Spanish Literature and Film."

"We had been planning to do a number of future courses together--trying to strengthen the ties of the French and Spanish courses," he said.

"Maybe we can find some creative ways of continuing our work together," he said.

Schor's former students praised her scholarshipand her personality.

"It was obvious that when she was teaching, shewas very enthused about what she was talking about," said Erica A. Farmer '01, who is concentrating in Hispanicliterature.

Farmer said Romance Studies 180 "was one of thebest classes I've taken so far at Harvard."

Schor's work has focused on feminism andaesthetics, 19th-century French literature andFrench nationalism.

Her recent work has focused on the intersectionof post-structuralist theory and feminism. Schoralso writes about the burgeoning field ofso-called "queer studies."

Epps said that despite the University'srelatively small contingent of tenured womenprofessors, "[Harvard is] an exciting place to befor someone who is working on feministperspectives. It's plural because there are many,"he said.

Schor's use of post-structuralist theory hasdrawn the ire of critics within and withoutfeminist and French studies.

Camille Paglia, who is a flashy foe of academicpost-modernism and what she calls"feminist-careerism," said that although Schor is"bright," she "has made no contribution toscholarship."

"Naomi Schor belongs to that elite, very high,little incestuous elite, as far I'm concerned,mediocrities, who grabbed on post-structuralism,"Paglia said in an interview yesterday.

Paglia, who in a November speech at the KennedySchool of Government attacked Harvard's Departmentof Romance Languages and Literatures as being "outof touch," said she was disappointed that Yale hadhired Schor.

"They managed to keep themselves pretty muchapart from a lot of these [queer studies andpost-structuralist] currents," she said.

Paglia, who is professor of the humanities atthe University of the Arts in Philadelphia, saidSchor's career move "is an excellent example ofthe kind of amoral careerism and the nakedambition that has been so typical of literaryscholars who drove up salaries in the starsystem."

However, several Romance language andliterature professors contacted yesterday praisedSchor's contribution to literary theory andscholarship.

The chair of the department, Dillon Professorof the Civilization of France Susan R. Suleiman,said Schor's work on Emile Zola was first-rate.

"She's one of the foremost in scholars in19th-century French literatures," Suleiman saidlast night.

"Yes, she has gone through different approachesto literature...[but] it covers a whole range ofthe 19th century," she said.

"I think she's a superb scholar and writer, awonderful thinker about literature and all of theissues facing literary scholarship, and I'm goingto miss her very much," said Professor of RomanceLanguages and Literatures Mary Gaylord.

Christopher Miller, who directs Yale's Frenchdepartment, told the Yale Daily News that"Professor Schor is one of the two or three mostauthoritative and influential voices in theinterpretation of 19-century French literature."

Schor's first book, Zola's Crowds, waspublished in 1978.

She has edited numerous books about feminismand post-modernism, including 1997's MoreGender Trouble: Feminism Meets Queer Theory.

Suleiman said Schor's departure would leave avoid in the department.

"As much as we hate to lose her, no one in theworld is ever totally irreplaceable," she said."So, of course, we, will find a very distinguishedperson to teach the French 19th century.

Schor's former students praised her scholarshipand her personality.

"It was obvious that when she was teaching, shewas very enthused about what she was talking about," said Erica A. Farmer '01, who is concentrating in Hispanicliterature.

Farmer said Romance Studies 180 "was one of thebest classes I've taken so far at Harvard."

Schor's work has focused on feminism andaesthetics, 19th-century French literature andFrench nationalism.

Her recent work has focused on the intersectionof post-structuralist theory and feminism. Schoralso writes about the burgeoning field ofso-called "queer studies."

Epps said that despite the University'srelatively small contingent of tenured womenprofessors, "[Harvard is] an exciting place to befor someone who is working on feministperspectives. It's plural because there are many,"he said.

Schor's use of post-structuralist theory hasdrawn the ire of critics within and withoutfeminist and French studies.

Camille Paglia, who is a flashy foe of academicpost-modernism and what she calls"feminist-careerism," said that although Schor is"bright," she "has made no contribution toscholarship."

"Naomi Schor belongs to that elite, very high,little incestuous elite, as far I'm concerned,mediocrities, who grabbed on post-structuralism,"Paglia said in an interview yesterday.

Paglia, who in a November speech at the KennedySchool of Government attacked Harvard's Departmentof Romance Languages and Literatures as being "outof touch," said she was disappointed that Yale hadhired Schor.

"They managed to keep themselves pretty muchapart from a lot of these [queer studies andpost-structuralist] currents," she said.

Paglia, who is professor of the humanities atthe University of the Arts in Philadelphia, saidSchor's career move "is an excellent example ofthe kind of amoral careerism and the nakedambition that has been so typical of literaryscholars who drove up salaries in the starsystem."

However, several Romance language andliterature professors contacted yesterday praisedSchor's contribution to literary theory andscholarship.

The chair of the department, Dillon Professorof the Civilization of France Susan R. Suleiman,said Schor's work on Emile Zola was first-rate.

"She's one of the foremost in scholars in19th-century French literatures," Suleiman saidlast night.

"Yes, she has gone through different approachesto literature...[but] it covers a whole range ofthe 19th century," she said.

"I think she's a superb scholar and writer, awonderful thinker about literature and all of theissues facing literary scholarship, and I'm goingto miss her very much," said Professor of RomanceLanguages and Literatures Mary Gaylord.

Christopher Miller, who directs Yale's Frenchdepartment, told the Yale Daily News that"Professor Schor is one of the two or three mostauthoritative and influential voices in theinterpretation of 19-century French literature."

Schor's first book, Zola's Crowds, waspublished in 1978.

She has edited numerous books about feminismand post-modernism, including 1997's MoreGender Trouble: Feminism Meets Queer Theory.

Suleiman said Schor's departure would leave avoid in the department.

"As much as we hate to lose her, no one in theworld is ever totally irreplaceable," she said."So, of course, we, will find a very distinguishedperson to teach the French 19th century.