Mathieu Smith-Perrot

Teaching interest:  French language, Comparative Literature

I hold a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from Université Paris Nanterre (France), where I examined how poets such as Henri Michaux, Aimé Césaire, and Allen Ginsberg use poetry to represent cultures they encountered in their travels as well as their interest for ethnographic methods and discoveries. My research focuses on topics such as utopia and dystopia in Sub-Saharan Francophone literature, ecology, surrealism, myth criticism, and intersectionality, particularly in relation to Black and queer identities. A significant part of my work is also devoted to Henri Michaux’s literary and artistic work.

In my teaching, I connect literature to global debates on identity, culture, and art. My courses encourage students to think critically, compare perspectives, and see literature as a living conversation between worlds. I strive to make the classroom a collaborative space where students learn to question assumptions, refine their ideas, and develop curiosity and empathy.