"Sade’s legacies in the 20th century: The Marquis, feminism, and comics"

You are invited to a lecture by Dr. Valentina Denzel (Michigan State University) "Sade’s legacies in the 20th century: The Marquis, feminism, and comics".

When? Monday, March 30th, 2026, 4:00-5:30 PM

Where? Whitaker Hall 218

RSVP: Dr. Andi Ghaderi: ghaderi@wustl.edu

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.

Organized by Dr. Andi Ghaderi (RLL/French) with the support of the French connexions center, the Salon, and the Center of Humanities.