Suzanne Guerlac

Suzanne Guerlac is an American scholar of French literature and culture. She is Distinguished Professor Emerita of French at the University of California, Berkeley.^[1] Her work addresses nineteenth- and twentieth-century French literature and thought, with a focus on Henri Bergson, Marcel Proust, and the intersections of literature, philosophy, and the visual arts.^[2]

Early life and education

Suzanne Guerlac received her B.A. in philosophy from Barnard College in 1971 and her M.A. and Ph.D. in French Studies from Johns Hopkins University.^[1][3]

Personal life

She is the daughter of Henry Guerlac, who was Goldwin Smith Professor of History of Science at Cornell University, and Rita Carey Guerlac.^[4] In 1974, in New York, she married Charles Porter Stevenson Jr.; the two later divorced.^{[5][citation needed]} She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with her husband Stephen Mark Sharnoff.^[6][7]

Academic career

Guerlac taught at the University of Virginia, Yale University, Johns Hopkins University, and Emory University before joining the faculty at the University of California, Berkeley as a full professor in 1999.^[3] At Berkeley, she taught undergraduate and graduate courses through the Department of French and graduate seminars in the Program in Critical Theory, which she co-directed in the years leading up to her retirement.^[1][8]

Research and writings

Guerlac's work is interdisciplinary, encompassing French literature and culture, philosophy, and aesthetics.

Her first book, The Impersonal Sublime: Hugo, Baudelaire and Lautréamont (Stanford University Press, 1990), examines the aesthetic category of the sublime in French romanticism and avant-garde developments, drawing on rhetorical and philosophical treatments by Longinus, Edmund Burke, and Immanuel Kant.^[9]

Her second book, Literary Polemics: Bataille, Sartre, Valéry, Breton (Stanford University Press, 1997), analyzes the emergence of French theory in the 1960s–1970s, particularly the review Tel Quel. Guerlac explores roots of French theory in the literary practices and voices of Paul Valéry, Jean-Paul Sartre, André Breton, and dissident surrealist Georges Bataille, who associated literature with acts of transgression.^[10][11][12]

During her research for Literary Polemics, she encountered frequent references to the philosopher Henri Bergson, a major intellectual figure of the early 20th century.^[13] Her third book, Thinking in Time: An Introduction to Henri Bergson (Cornell University Press, 2006), introduces Bergson’s philosophy, focusing on time and duration. Her later work uses Bergson’s ideas to consider issues such as climate change, technological change, and claims concerning "artificial life" and social decline.^{[14][6][15][16]}

Her book Proust, Photography and the Time of Life: Ravaisson, Bergson and Simmel (Bloomsbury, 2020) explores Proust in relation to contemporary philosophers influenced by Bergson’s thought and examines the temporality and cultural history of photography.^[2][17][18]

Guerlac co-edited Derrida and the Time of the Political (with Pheng Cheah, Duke University Press, 2009), which includes her essay on Derrida and Paul Ricoeur.^[19] She also edited a special issue of MLN on Henri Bergson (120:5, December 2005).^[20]

She has contributed to reference works such as The Cambridge History of French Literature, The Columbia History of Twentieth-Century French Thought, The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism, and Encyclopedia of Modern Europe: Europe 1789–1914.^{[21][22][23][24]} She has published numerous essays, including "The Useless Image: Bataille, Magritte, Bergson" (Representations, Winter 2007), "Reflections on Durational Art" (Representations, 2016), "Little Cuts in Time: Photography and the Everyday" (in The Made and the Found, Essays in Honor of Michael Sheringham, 2017), and "Rancière and Proust: Two Temptations" (in Understanding Rancière, Understanding Modernism, 2016).^[25][1]

Critical reception

Suzanne Guerlac's scholarship has been widely recognized for its interdisciplinary approach, bridging French literature, philosophy, and visual culture, particularly through her analyses of Henri Bergson, Marcel Proust, and French theory. Her work has been praised for its clarity and intellectual rigor, contributing significantly to literary and philosophical studies.

The Impersonal Sublime: Hugo, Baudelaire, and Lautréamont (1990) was lauded for its nuanced exploration of the sublime in French romanticism. The French Review described it as "a sophisticated study that deftly weaves philosophical and rhetorical traditions, offering fresh insights into Hugo, Baudelaire, and Lautréamont."^[26] Critics noted its innovative use of Longinus, Burke, and Kant to reframe avant-garde aesthetics, establishing Guerlac as a key voice in literary theory. The book has garnered over 180 citations on Google Scholar as of 2025.^[27]

Literary Polemics: Bataille, Sartre, Valéry, Breton (1997) received acclaim for its analysis of French theory’s literary roots. The Modern Language Review called it "a lively and illuminating account of the intellectual tensions of the period" and "an important contribution to the study of French theory," particularly for its focus on the journal Tel Quel.^[12] SubStance praised its "rigorous examination of Bataille’s transgressive poetics," though some reviewers questioned its limited engagement with feminist perspectives in the surrealist context.^[11] It has received over 200 citations on Google Scholar.^[28]

Thinking in Time: An Introduction to Henri Bergson (2006) was celebrated for revitalizing interest in Bergson’s philosophy. Philosophy in Review described it as "a lucid and accessible introduction to Bergson’s philosophy that opens the way for further critical engagement," emphasizing its clarity in explicating time and duration.^[16] The Review of Metaphysics noted that it "successfully bridges Bergson’s ideas to contemporary issues like climate and technology," though some critics suggested it could have further explored Bergson’s influence on postmodernism.^[29] The book has over 500 citations on Google Scholar, reflecting its influence in philosophy and literary studies.^[30]

Proust, Photography and the Time of Life: Ravaisson, Bergson and Simmel (2020) was commended for its innovative synthesis of literature and visual culture. H-France Review called it "an ambitious and rewarding study that deepens our understanding of the temporality of photography and its philosophical stakes," highlighting its interdisciplinary approach.^[18] The Modern Language Review praised its "elegant integration of Proust’s narrative with Bergson’s and Simmel’s philosophies," though some reviewers noted its dense theoretical framework may challenge general readers.^[17] It has accumulated over 80 citations on Google Scholar.^[31]

Guerlac’s broader influence is evident in her contributions to reference works and essays, such as those in Representations and The Cambridge History of French Literature, which critics have cited for their interdisciplinary insights. Her work has been described as "a cornerstone for understanding the intersections of literature and philosophy in modern French thought" by scholars in the field.^[32] Across her publications, Guerlac's oeuvre has garnered over 300 citations on Google Scholar, with an h-index of approximately 12.^[33]

Media and public engagement

In a 1999 interview with the Emory Report, Guerlac discussed her intellectual journey and engagement with French culture.^[3] She has given public lectures at Humanities West in San Francisco (on Victor Hugo) and the Commonwealth Club (on Bergson).^[34][35]

Awards and recognition

Artforum highlighted Thinking in Time as one of the year's best books in 2006.^[36] The Modern Language Association awarded Guerlac the Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione Prize for French and Francophone Studies for Literary Polemics in 1997.^[3][37] Her work has been supported by UC Humanities Research Grants and a Townsend Center Bridge Grant.^[38][39] Guerlac has lectured internationally in France and the UK.^[1]

See also

• Henri Bergson
• Jacques Derrida
• Marcel Proust
• Critical Theory Program (UC Berkeley)
• University of California, Berkeley Department of French