?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> ?xml-model href="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SAA-SDT/EAD3/master/ead3.rng" type="application/xml" schematypens="http://relaxng.org/ns/structure/1.0"?> ms387 Germaine Brée Papers Processed by Kathleen Hill with assistance from Megan Mulder and Audra Eagle Yun Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives PO Box 7777 Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27109 336 758-5755 http://zsr.wfu.edu/special/ 2011 MS387 Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives English Ldescriptivenote> Description is in English dacs Describing Archives: A Content Standard completed 2025-07-11T15:19:32-04:00 ArchivesSpace v4.1.0 This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on Friday July 11, 2025 at 15:19 Germaine Brée Papers MS387 Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives English Majority of materials are in English and French, with small amounts of items in Italian, German, and Dutch. 12 Linear Feet 2 records cartons, 4 document boxes, 1 oversized box 1907 2001 Germaine Brée was a scholar specializing in 20th Century modern French literature, acting as WFU Kenan Professor of Humanities from 1973 to 1985. She lectured and wrote on writers such as André Gide, Jean-Paul Sartre, Marcel Proust, Marguerite Duras, Samuel Beckett, and Albert Camus. This collection contains writings, research, administrative materials, personal materials, travel materials, and correspondence. Preferred Citation note Germaine Brée Papers (MS387), Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. Collection Overview This collection contains materials relating to and by Dr. Germaine Brée, a renowned French literary scholar and critic who served as Wake Forest University's Kenan Professor of Humanities. The collection includes, but is not limited to: Brée's own articles and essays; her extensive research for the aforementioned essays; literary offprints and newspaper articles; photographs; information relating to her Wake Forest University Kenan Professorship; travel information; handwritten and typed notes for her articles; sheet music and art books; correspondence with friends and colleagues - particularly Emily Wilson, a Winston-Salem writer; materials relating to Brée's volunteer stint with the French branch of Service Civil International; various awards and honors; and some personal items and papers. The collection also includes some materials addressed to Dr. Elaine Marks, a fellow French scholar and contemporary of Brée's. Please note, the handwriting found in this collection is often small and may be difficult to read, particularly in the "Handwritten Notes" folder. Biographical Note Germaine Brée was born in Lasalle, France on October 2, 1907. She spent the early years of her childhood in the British Channel Islands before returning to France with her family in 1922. She continued her education at the Sorbonne, a college within the University of Paris, and chose to major in English. She presented her thesis on Henry James at the end of her studies. Following her graduate studies at the Sorbonne, Brée spent a year as an exchange student at Bryn Mawr College; she would later return to teach at the university in 1936 and 1945. After completing her year as an exchange student at Bryn Mawr College, she taught for four years in Algeria, lectured for one year at Bryn Mawr College, and spent six summers teaching in Middlebury College summer language schools. When World War II began, Brée took a sabbatical from teaching and voluntarily joined the French Army, where she worked as an ambulance driver in North Africa and France. She also spent some time in the French Intelligence Service and was promoted to first lieutenant. She received a Bronze Star for her service after the war. Brée returned to the United States to continue teaching, and once more accepted a teaching position at Bryn Mawr College. She would go on to teach at many institutions around the world, including: New York University, where she established the French House of NYU, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Princeton University, Williams College, Ohio University, the American University in Cairo, Kings College, London University, University of California Berkeley, and Los Angeles University. She became a United States citizen in 1952. In 1973, she was named the Kenan Professor of Humanities at Wake Forest University. She retired in 1985. Brée was best known for her work and research on 20th century modern French literature, and was considered an authority on the subject. She specifically lectured and wrote on writers such as André Gide, Jean-Paul Sartre, Marcel Proust, Marguerite Duras, Samuel Beckett, and Albert Camus, the latter with whom she was a close friend. Her most famous book was her critical biography , and it solidified her standing as an expert in her field. Brée's other famous works include, but are not limited to: , , , , , and . Brée was recognized extensively for her accomplishments in the academic world. She received a Fulbright in 1962, was elected President of the Modern Language Association in 1975, was named a Commander of the Order of the Academic Palms by the French government in 1989, and received more than 25 honorary degrees from universities across America. Brée passed away September 22, 2001, at age 93. Conditions Governing Access note This collection is open for use. Processing Information Processed by Kathleen Hill, with assistance from Megan Mulder and Audra Eagle Yun, 2011 Copyright Notice The nature of the WFU Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The Archives and Special Collections of ZSR Library claims only physical ownership of most materials. The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to the U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source. French literature -- Study and teaching (Higher) Universities and colleges -- North Carolina -- Faculty French literature -- 20th century -- History and criticism French teachers College teachers -- North Carolina Brée, Germaine Wake Forest University--Faculty--Personal and professional papers Articles and essays by Brée 1947 1993 1 1 1978 "The Archaeology of Discourse in Malraux's " undated "Beyond Romanticism: Narrative Play in Gidian Fiction" 1970 Book review of 1987 Book review of André Malraux's Book review of Michele Sarde's Book review of Roger Grenier's Book review of "The Break-up of Traditional Genres: Bataille, Leiris, Michaux" 1973 Fall "The Break-up of Traditional Genres: Batalle, Leiris, Michaux" undated "D'une Périod L'autre: Une Poétique Du "Passage" (En Hommage À Michéle Tison-Braun) "French Criticism: A Battle of Books?" "French Criticism: A Battle of Books?"; published in , Volume XXII 1967 Spring "The Footprint of the Buddha" "Is Autobiography Possible?"; published in , the magazine of the Southern Humanities Conference 1977 "La Conception Proustienne De " 1959 July "La Thème de la Violence dans le Monde Tragique de Racine" 1947 "Lucette Finas: An Introduction" 1978 "Marceline Debordes-Valmore Epitstoliere: L'Errance Dans Le Labyrinthe" [published in ] "Narcissus Absconditus: The Problematic Art of Autobiography in Contemporary France" 1978 ""New" Poetry and Poets in France and the United States" "Senghor's Africanism and the Francophone Mode" "Two Vintage Years: France, 1913; England 1922"; published in , Volume 1 Summer 1973 "Wanderings in the Proustian Labyrinth: Who is the Author? What is the Text?" (printed in ) 1993 "Women's Voices in Cross Cultural Exchange" undated Research Book reviews used for research 1958 1990 1 2 See also See also: Clippings of book reviews and articles in "Newspaper Articles" series Bardeche, Maurice. Brereton, Geoffrey. 1958 February Cattaui, Georges. Cohn, Robert Greer. 1964 Summer 1967 Summer , Volume VIII 1966 Summer David Ellison, David. printed from John Hopkins University Press) Jameson, Fredric. Krysinski, Wladimir. Although the title of the book reviewed is French, the review itself is in English. Lerner, Gerda. Moscovivci, Serge. Reviewed by David James Fisher. Reprinted from , Volume 38 1990 August Orpheus newsletter: "A Golden Jubilee Edition: Four Works, Paris-New York, 1912-1921-1961-1967" by Dr. H. M. Barzun 1967 Fall Orpheus newsletter: "In Search of Atlantis: a 20th Century Mass Mythology" by Dr. Henri Barzun 1966 September Orpheus newsletter: "In Search of Atlantis: a synthetic survey of civilization spanning Two World Wars" 1968 Winter 3 1990 Pierre Segher, Pierre. undated 1963 January-March Extrait undated Vinaver, Eugene. 1972 Spring Art essays and research 1972-1992 1 3 Addendum of list of "peintures" [en français] The American Academy of Arts and Sciences Bulletin 1992 February "The Art World: A Leap in the Dark" by Adam Gopnik 1989 October 23 " : Portrait de l'artiste ou rein" par George H. Bauer 1975 "Edouard Manet" by Cynthia Hall Hammett "Henri Matisse: Lithographs and Bronzes from the Cone Collection"; Weatherspoon Art Gallery "L'Art Selon Artaud" par Tzvetan Todorov 1972 Les plus beaux portraits ; contains an article by Germaine Bree 1979 "Objects d'art" note with list of paintings Map of the interior of the United States National Gallery of Art Library research documents 1 4 Library Collection Description; "A Checklist of the Manuscripts in of the Bibliothèque Nationale" by J. Theodore Johnson Jr. Library Collection Description; "A Checklist of the Manuscripts in of the Bibliothèque Nationale" by J. Theodore Johnson Jr. Microfilm forms Research application for members of the Center d'Etudes Proustinnes à Paris to review material at the French National Library Fall 1971 Rebinding slips Poetry 1 5 III: "Song of Innocence", "Hypothesis" "Allegory: To Jules Valadon" by Verlaine par Blaise Cendrars 1912 "Comme Je Suis Un Étranger Dans Notre Vie" par Philippe Jaccottet (2 copies) "Evening Prayer" by Rimbaud "Faun's Head" by Rimbaud "Lethe" by Baudelaire "Moonlight" by Verlaine Progress: Anti-Classical, Dictions of the Slaves of Liberations "This Cat" by Baudelaire Notes Handwritten research notes [3 parts] 1 6-7 Notes on index cards Typed research notes, outlines, and bibliographies Literary criticism and political theory used for research English criticism 1941-1970 1 9-10 8 7 Arezki's Bookburning in Mouloud Mammeri's "The Black Hero in French Romantic Fiction" by David O'Connell "Criticism in Crisis" by Harry Levin "Criticism as Creation in The Work of Diderot" by James Doolittle 1949 Spring "Changing Styles in Literary Studies": The Presidential Address of the Modern Humanities Research Association, speech given by Helen C. White 1963 "The Dialectics of Dream: "le song" in of Saint John Perse" by Lynne Howard Goodhart "The Disciplines of Criticism: Essays in Literary Theory, Interpretation, and History honoring René Wellek on the Occasion of His Sixty Fifth Birthday" 1968 "The Discovery and Encouragement of Humanists" 1958 May "From Imagination to Immediacy in French Poetry" by Margaret Gilman 1948 "From Spinelessness to Solitude: Reason and Unreason in Existentialist Ethics" 1965 Winter "Historical and Contemporary Backgrounds of the Chambered Nautilus" by Grant McColley "History of Ideas Versus Reading of Poetry" by Leo Spitzer 1941 Winter " : An Explication of Mallarmé's "Cygne"" by Philip E. Cranston "Language as a Factor in Intergroup Relations" by Wallace E. Lanbert by Harry Levin February 1958 "Mallarmé's : An Exegetical and Critical Study" by A.R. Chisholm 1958 by Eric Sellin "Of Cannibals" with handwritten revisions and notes "Paul Claudel, the Apocalypse, and Israel" by Claude Vigee 1965 Summer "Peripatetic Adversaries of Cartesianism in 17th Century France" par Leonora Cohen Rosenfield 1957 "A Reading of Aimé Césaire's " by Emile Snyder 1970 Fall by Margaret Gilman "Revolt and Praise: Contemporary French Poetry" by Claude Vigée "A Study of the Dramatic Structure of from 1905-1949" by Mildred Deuel "Surrealism: Perspectives on the Avant-Garde" by J.H. Matthews "The Term and Concept of Literary Criticism" by René Wellek, reprint from the 1962 "The Universe in a Glass: Poetic Closure in Apollinaire and Cendrars" by Dr. James Robert Hewitt French criticism 1958-1983 1 11 Colloque D'Illiers-Combray 1978 September 3 "Concience et Poésie" par Claude Vigée [printed in ] 1958 "Flaubert le precurseur" par Nathalie Sarraute " : Poème de l'adolescence?" par Judith Robinson "La notion de structure" par Bernard Bray "La vie et les aventures du mot 'reaction'" par Jean Starobinksi 1975 "Léon-Paul Fargue et la poésie" par Raoul Pelmont 1958 May par Nicole M. Fouletier-Smith 1978 April par Saint-John Perse et Georges Braque 1962 1963 1962 December-1963 January "Montaigne et L'Ecriture De L'Histoire" par Lawrence D. Kritzman 1983 Poetique: Les discours de la poesie 1982 November Program from Fédération Internationale des Langues et Littératures Modernes Ninth International Congress 1963 August 25-31 Letter insert from Eugéne Vinaver 1963 July "Rythme et Signification Poétiques" par A. Kibédi Varga 1965 ; édités par János Riesz et Alain Ricard "Valery et Mallarmé: Le Tigre et la Gazelle" par James R. Lawler 1979 May "Valéry's poetics" by Tzvetan Todorov Italian criticism 1971 1 12 Studi Urbinati: Di Storia, Filsofia e Letteratura: "Préface a " da Tzvetan Todorov 1971 Political theory 1955-1971 1 13 "French Fascism and Class Concilation and Moral Regernation" by Robert Soucy 1971 Autumn "Foreign Languages as Weapons for Defense" by Robert F. Roeming 1962 November "The Nature of Fascism in France" by Robert J. Soucy, printed in the "Political Philosophy For Our Time" by Marshall E. Dimock 1955 November "Political Socialization and Political Theory" by James Steintrager 1968 Spring "Prediction and Control Versus the Narcissus Trance of Political Science" by James Steintrager "The Role of Literature in Foreign Language Instruction" by Roger Shattuck 1958 April Albert Camus 1957-1997 1 14 8 2-3 "Aesthetic Distance and Inner Space in the Novels of Camus" by Brian T. Finch "Albert Camus, an Anti-Christian Moralist" by Henri Peyre 1958 October "Albert Camus: the Artist and his Time" by Ria Drell Reck "Albert Camus: An Indifferent Moralist" by Henri Peyre 1958 "Albert Camus: The Plague of Absurdity" by Louis R. Rossi "Alienation and Aridity: The Climatic Correlative in Camus' Writings" by Anna Balakian, printed in the magazine 1973 "Balance and Tension in the Philosophy of Camus" by Hazel E. Barnes 1960 October "Camus et le Donjuanisme" par R. Gay-Crosier 1968 An excerpt from a lecture "Create Dangerously" given at the University of Uppsala by Albert Camus 1957 December "From Naturalism to the Absurd: Edmond de Goncourt and Albert Camus" by J.H. Matthews "Interview Accordé A Eric Sellin" par Edmond Charlot Magazine of Camus's poetry, with photos and advertisements included [en français] "Religion de l'indifférence chez Camus" par Claud Treil 1966 May Review of the "Camusian" documentary 1990 November Societe des Etudes Camusiennes: Bulletin d'information 1986 Spring Societe des Etudes Camusiennes: Bulletin d'Information 1991 January Societe des Etudes Camusiennes: Bulletin d'information 1993 June Societe des Etudes Camusiennes: Bulletin d'information 1993 November Societe des Etudes Camusiennes: Bulletin d'information 1994 January Societe des Etudes Camusiennes: Bulletin d'information 1994 June Societie des Etudes Camusiennes: Bulletin d'information 1997 January "Une Correspondance Inédite de l'époque du " par Raymond Gay-Crosier Marcel Proust 8 1 1 15 Estratto de Critica Letteraria: da Paola Placella 1977 par P.L. Larcher (limited edition) 1956 par Jessie L. Hornsby Summer 1967 "Marcel Proust retrouvé" "Proust and the Art of Incompletion" by Leo Bersani 1971 "Proust e il caso van Blarenberghe: il suicidio come espiazione, l'arte come redenzione" da Paola Placella "Proust and "Le Joli Langage" by Justin O'Brien Title is in French, but actual article is in English. "Proust and Negative Plates: Photography and the Photographic Process in " by Roxanne Hanney "Proustian Order and the Aristocracy of Time Past" by Priscilla P. Clark 1974 Spring Jean Paul Sartre 1964-1989 1 16 "Jean-Paul Sartre: Exit" Germaine Breé talks about France's hero of hopelessness 1980 Spring "The Myth of the Bastilee and Sartre's French Revolution" by Lawrence D. Kritzman 1989 Summer "The Parisians and the Germans" by Jean-Paul Sartre "Sartre and the Drama of Ensnarement" by Victor Brombert 1964 "Satre's Room" by John K. Simon 1964 André Gide 1951-1982 8 4 1 17 "André Gide et les modalités de la composition" par Eiko Nakamura "André Gide and the German Occupation" by Konrad Bieber 1954 September "André Gide: A Memorial Lecture" by L.A. Bisson 1951 December by Fredrick J. harris 1974 October "Baudelaire et Gide: La Porte étroite" par Albert Sonnenfeld "A Distinguished Modern Humanist -- André Gide" by J.C. Davies 1960 "A Distinguished Modern Humanist -- Andre Gide" by J.C. Davies 1960 July 13 "Gidé's and the Illusionism of the Novel" by William W. Holdheim 1962 May "Gidé's : A Theory on the Post-Symbolist Sign?" by Emily Apter "Les Cahiers d'André Walter: Idea, Emotion, and Dream in the Gidian Novel" by Gerald H. Storzer 1975 Summer "Montaigne and Gide's La Porte étroite" by Frieda S. Brown; printed in , Volume LXXXII 1967 March "L'Immortaliste: Prelude to the Gidian Problem of the Individual and Society" by Frieda S. Brown 1970 Pamphlet of André Gide correspondance avec François Paul Alibert 1907-1950 "Symbolisme et Invention Formelle dans les Premiers Ecrits D'André Gide: le trait du Narcisse, Le Voyage dÚrien, Paludes" par Chrisian Angelet 1982 "The Utopia of Blindness in Gidé's " by Lawrence E. Harvey 1958 February "The Young Gidé's Reaction to Nietzsche" by William W. Holdheim Unsorted research materials 7 5 Literary offprints and magazines 1942-1996 Arrangement Note Items are in chronological order of noted publication date. Offprints [Most inscribed by author] English offprints [9 parts] 2 1-8 8 12 French offprints [4 parts] 2 9-10 8 12 3 6 German offprints 3 1 Spanish offprints 3 2 Italian Offprints 3 3 8 13 Literary magazines and newsletters English literary magazines 8 6 3 5 French literary magazines 8 5 3 4 Newspaper articles Book reviews and articles for Brée's research 4 5 See also See also: Book reviews used for Germaine Bree's research, in the "Research" series Clippings and columns of interest to Germaine Brée 4 11 8 14 Clippings on marriage and divorce 4 9 Clippings on religion 4 8 French editorials 4 6 Literary theory and commentary 4 7 Obituaries 4 2 Printed Articles by Brée 4 4 Profiles and Lectures of Germaine Breé 4 1 Reviews of Brée's books 4 3 Theatre and concert reviews and programs 4 10 dans le Théatre la Bruyére; direction Georges Vitaly "Concert Records: Two Great Voices" Hessisches Theatre Wiesbaden, a dramatization of Kafka's "Ein Bericht Fur Eine Akademie" Interplay presents the American Premiere of by Marguerite Duras; directed by David Perkovich "L'Histoire terrible mais inachevée de Norodom Sihanouk roi du Cambodge" by Eugene O'Neill Popular Theatre of Lorraine's production of Marguerite Duras's 1986 November Smith College Museum of Art Recital for the Exhibition "Henri Fantin-Latour" 1966 May University of Wisconsin Asian Theatre Program Presents: 1968 May Wake Forest University Kenan Professorship Kenan professorship appointment articles 4 12 Retirement dinner program April 13 4 13 Memorial service invitations and program 2001 November 6 4 16 Book covers 4 14 par Marcel Proust Anthology of plays by Moliere including par Jean-Paul Sartre L'Amante Anglaise by Marguerite Duras par Marie-Agnes et Morita-Clement ; Images et textes présentés par Gaetan Picon Preuves: Février 1965 February by Yolanda Astarita Patterson with a foreword by Germaine Bree by Simone de Beauvoir French satirical magazines 4 15 Crapouillot: Dictionnaire des Contemporains (Numero 9) Crapouillot: Paris Guide (Numero Special) Crapouillot: Le Monde des Reves Dictionnaire des Contemporains par Jean Galtier Boissiere 1949 October Dictionnaire des Contemporains, Tome II: G a Z par Jean Galtier-Boissiere Correspondence 5 1 8 9 Birthday cards Contracts Invitations Letters Postcards Requests for book reviews Society and group memberships Letters to Emily Wilson 1972 1992 Arrangement note Letters are in chronological order from 1972-1992. The letters with no identifiable years are in the back of the letter file, after 1992. Note from Emily Herring Wilson explaining relationship with Germaine Brée 5 2 Letters in envelopes 1972-1992 5 3 Photograph of Germaine Brée at Bryn Mawr College 5 3 Dr. Elaine Marks materials 5 5 Literary essays and magazines " de Stéphanie Mallarmé" par L.J. Ausin Correspondence Personal items and papers 5 6 8 8 Address book Biographical information Book on Winston-Salem, North Carolina 1971 Business cards and other contact information 5 8 Invoices 5 7 Photographs 6 1 Planners Shopping lists Awards and honors 5 9 Honorary Doctorate Degree of Humane Letters from St. Lawrence University Honorary Doctorate Degree of Humane Letters from the University of Massachusetts Amherst Suffolk University Summa Society Travel Travel brochures and maps 6 3 Centre Val de Loire, France France Aquitaine News: Information for tourists about the area of Bordeaux France: the northeast France: the southwest Geographer's Handy Map of Central London Gregory's Road map of Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Map of Amherst, Massachusetts Map of Toompea, Estonia (the uppper town) Map of Western Loire, France Map of Poitou Charentes, France Maps of France 1926 Relais de Campagne: "Le Route du Bonheur" France 1970 Travel information 6 2 Boarding Passes City Guides and Recommendations Intineraries Student publications and manuscripts 6 4 Creationism Papers from Sara Radcliffe 6 5 "Etudes proustiennes" by Margaret Mien "La Genese Du Sens Dans a La Recherche Du Temps Perdu" par Jaroslav Frycer with handwritten notes and revisions on cover and throughout the pamphlet Letter from J. Frycer asking Germaine Bree to edit his article 1973 February Materials from John Theodore Johnson 5 6 Posters and Flyers 5 7 French National Lottery Poster Poster for Brée lecture "Narcissus absconditus: the problematic art of autobiography in contemporary France" 1978 January 26 Art Books 5 8 with a note by Hyman Swetzoff 1962 Spring ; compiled by the Metropolitan Museum of Art 1972 August-October ; Texte de Marcel Aubert, de l'Institut; Photographs de Jean Roubier ; Textes par Henri Malo 1945 Sheet Music 5 9 arranged by Reynaldo Hahn Service Civil International Project: Les Mémoires de la Branche Française 1935-1985 Materials 1935 1950 7 1 Materials 1951 1956 7 2 Materials 1969 1979 7 3 Materials 1980 1986 7 4 Uncategorized Items 7 5