Valentina Denzel

B362 Wells Hall
619 Red Cedar Rd
East Lansing, MI 48824

FacultyRomance and Classical StudiesGlobal Studies in Arts and Humanities

Associate Professor
French

Biography

Valentina Denzel is an Associate Professor of French Literature (17th and 18th century) at the Department of Romance and Classical Studies at Michigan State University. Her fields of interest are Italian and French Literatures (15th – 18th century), Queer and Gender Studies, Querelle des femmes, the libertine novel, travelogues, and popular cultures. In her book Les mille et un visages de la virago. Marfisa et Bradamante entre continuation et variation, Garnier Classique 2016, she analyzes the evolution of the representation of the woman warrior in French and Italian literatures from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment by taking into consideration the political and historical context of this evolution and the symbolic value of the woman warrior in each specific time period. Valentina’s second book project examines the impact of the Marquis de Sade on the punk and post-punk movements, as well as on punk-porn feminism and comic books in France, the UK, and the US.

enlightenmentlegacies.org/

sites.cal.msu.edu/sadeandradicalism/

Degree: Ph.D. (Docteur ès lettres) University Paris Diderot Paris 7, Paris,France

Research Interest: French and Italian Literature 15th-18th century, Gender Studies, Narratology

University News

Albertine Cinémathèque French Film Festival Returns to MSU

Published October 3, 2024 in College of Arts & Letters

A collection of six film posters arranged in two rows. From left to right in the top row: "La Nuit du 12" (a woman in a red coat at night), "The Beast" (a close-up of a woman's face), and "Retour à Séoul" (a woman in a black coat in front of neon lgihts). Bottom row: "Other People's Children" (a smiling woman and man with a child), "Le Mépris" (a woman lounging in a room above the ocean), and "Banel & Adama" (a woman in a red dress laying on cracked earth).

Assistant Professors Elizabeth Tuttle and Jena Whitaker in the Department of Romance and Classical Studies at Michigan State University are excited to announce the return of the MSU Albertine…Read now »

MSU Albertine Cinémathèque French Film Festival Set for Select Dates April 3-13

Published March 28, 2023 in College of Arts & Letters

The MSU Albertine Cinémathèque French Film Festival, which will bring six contemporary and classic French films to Michigan State University’s campus, will be held on select dates from April 3…Read now »

Italian Program Hosts International Conference and Translation Workshop

Published March 13, 2023 in College of Arts & Letters

On the left, a picture of a man with grey hair and grey beard in a suit wearing glasses.In the middle , a picture of a man in a grey suit with short grey hair smiling. On the right a picture of a woman in a red shirt with a scarf and short blonde hair.

The Italian Program in the Department of Romance and Classical Studies at Michigan State University is hosting an international conference on the “History and Geography of the Jewish Population in…Read now »

Exploring Our Past to Better Understand Our Present

Published January 8, 2018 in College of Arts & Letters

Sometimes to understand our current worldview, it is necessary to examine and understand the events of our past, at least according to Assistant Professor of French Valentina Denzel, whose area…Read now »

Faculty Alumni Board Awards

Published April 25, 2016 in College of Arts & Letters

The 2016 Faculty Alumni Board Awards, which recognize College of Arts & Letters faculty for their outstanding achievements in leadership, teaching, innovation, and…Read now »