Julien Nègre
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juliennegre.bsky.social
Julien Nègre
@juliennegre.bsky.social
260 followers 150 following 58 posts
Maps, literature, whales.

Associate Professor, North American Studies, ENS de Lyon, France
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juliennegre.bsky.social
Time to let the mental optics rove! Excited to be back teaching as my AmLit survey course starts tomorrow. This year’s theme is NOTICING—as both topic and method: what texts notice and what we notice in them. We’ll be drawing on @dan-sinnamon.bsky.social and J. Winant’s Close Reading for the 21st C.
Cropped detail of the frontispiece portrait in Phillis Wheatley’s 1773 poetry collection. The author is depicted seated at a desk with a quill in hand.
September 14, 2026 at 8:23 AM
juliennegre.bsky.social
who did this
A screenshot of the New York Times website on July 9, 2026, with the article "World Cup Tourists Are Giving Americans Exactly What They Crave." The phrase "Tik Tok de Toqueville" (sic) is circled in red.
July 10, 2026 at 6:10 AM
juliennegre.bsky.social
The exhibit on “Maps in American Literature” that I curated is still on @bibdiderotlyon.bsky.social until May 26. I was glad to include this large copy of Norie’s 1836 Pacific chart. Magnifiers help visitors find the tiny sperm whale drawn by a whaling captain in the 1840s.
Photo of an exhibit at Bibliothèque Diderot de Lyon, France, in April 2026, showing a large chart of the Pacific Ocean (https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/s/x7jcy5) and a stand with magnifiers that visitors can use.
April 28, 2026 at 2:19 PM
juliennegre.bsky.social
The date is 1786. Jefferson's French translator tells him that he had to tone down the passage on religious freedom in *Notes on the State of Virginia* and that Jefferson is lucky to be a citizen of a free country. Jefferson was in Paris from 1785 to 1789.
Letter from Abbé Morellet to Thomas Jefferson, Sept 9, 1786. Morellet was translating Jefferson's *Notes on the State of Virginia* into French. A highlighted passage in French reads: "I had to tone down the passage on theologians for fear that our censors would not give me permission to print ideas that are too clear. You are very lucky to be a citizen of a free country and to be able to work, as you are doing, to expand its liberties still further."
April 24, 2026 at 7:36 AM
juliennegre.bsky.social
🗺️🔔L'exposition commence aujourd'hui !

Des cartes de toutes les tailles, un croquis de cachalot à retrouver sur une grande carte marine du 19e, des loupes pour observer les détails, un atlas qui a près de 500 ans, des textes du 16e au 21e siècle... Venez nombreux !

📍Infos: urlr.me/39pe8X
Vue d'une partie de l'exposition "Sur les traces des cartes". On voit un panneau sur "Cartographie et contre-récits", des vitrines avec des cartes et des livres et une grande carte géologique de Pennsylvanie très colorée. Vue de cartels de l'exposition avec des loupes permettant d'observer certains détails d'une grande carte marine du 19e siècle.
March 19, 2026 at 12:28 PM
juliennegre.bsky.social
#Symposium
🗺️Maps in American Literature: 15th-21st c.
📅Apr. 1-3, 2026.
📍ENS de Lyon, France
Keynote Speakers: Martin Brückner (U. Delaware), Sarah Sense (independent artist, Chitimacha/Choctaw), Caroline Wigginton (U. Mississippi)
Program: urlr.me/pQHFhd
@ensdelyon.bsky.social @iufrance.bsky.social
image for the "maps in american literature" international symposium to be held at ENS de Lyon, France, from April 1st to April 3rd 2026. Design: Marion Gaigeot (CNRS). Image: Sarah Sense, "Plymouth Myths" (2026). The image shows strips of paper from an ancient map of the Mississippi interwoven with strips from photographs and documents.
March 19, 2026 at 10:23 AM
juliennegre.bsky.social
🗺️ Very much looking forward to this exciting symposium I'm coorganizing in just a few weeks.
Keynote speakers: Martin Brückner (U. Delaware), Sarah Sense (independent artist), Caroline Wigginton (U. Mississippi).
More info soon at maps2026.sciencesconf.org
Image: Sarah Sense, "Plymouth Myths" (2026)
announcement of the "Maps in American Literature" symposium in Lyon, France, April 1-3, 2026. The background image is a detail of "Plymouth Myths" (2026), a work by artist Sarah Sense (Chitimacha/Choctaw). Details of a map of the Mississippi river and of ancient photographs and documents are woven together.
March 10, 2026 at 4:56 PM
juliennegre.bsky.social
Expo cartes !
« Sur les traces des cartes : littérature américaine et cartographie »
Atlas anciens, cartes marines, topo et géologiques : comment la littérature américaine a-t-elle dialogué avec les cartes dans le contexte nord-américain ?
Bibliothèque Diderot, Lyon
19 mars-26 mai 2026, entrée libre
Affiche de l'exposition "Sur les traces des cartes : littérature américaine et cartographie", du 19 mars au 26 mai 2026 à la Bibliothèque Diderot, Lyon. Entrée libre. L'affiche montre une carte de Virginie et Floride de 1633 tirée de l'Atlas de Mercator et Hondius. Le trait de côte a été souligné en jaune.
March 5, 2026 at 12:43 PM
juliennegre.bsky.social
"The girls, the infernal heat, a fresh-dead body."

fantastic opening lines, the middle lost me a bit, tolerable ending

voilà
Cover of the 2025 novel "The Hounding" by Xenobe Purvis. It shows an ancient painting with three dogs that look like greyhounds. The novel is about 5 sisters in an English village during the 18th century. Most villagers are convinced that the girls turn into dogs at night.
March 4, 2026 at 12:29 PM
juliennegre.bsky.social
Neal Cassady’s 100th birthday. I don’t know what to do with this information, except to note that he could still be alive. Except, of course, Neal Cassady.
Cover of Jack Kerouac's *On the Road*, 1st edition.
February 8, 2026 at 9:03 PM
juliennegre.bsky.social
When "Menimontan" was that distant church near the hills 🔭 Willem Blaeu, Le Théâtre du monde, 1644. @bibdiderotlyon.bsky.social
1644 map showing Paris as a fortified city. The surrounding villages visible on the map are now within the city itself. Title page of Willem Blaeu's atlas, Le Théâtre du Monde, 1644.
February 3, 2026 at 7:37 PM
juliennegre.bsky.social
You might like this map of the Pacific from the same volume: very empty and very incomplete! (North on the right)
February 3, 2026 at 4:27 PM
juliennegre.bsky.social
When California was thought to be an island (Atlas de la mer, 1667). Spanish settlements were only established in the 1770s I think but they are already named on this chart 👓 @bibdiderotlyon.bsky.social
Detail of 1667 nautical chart showing the coast of California with Spanish names: Mendocino, Monterey, San Francisco, Santa Barbara. 1667 nautical chart of the coast of California, which is represented as an island.
February 3, 2026 at 3:50 PM
juliennegre.bsky.social
Bonus image: the wonderful embossed letters on the back of the title page 🤫🙏
Back of the 1667 title page, with negative embossed letters produced when the book was printed
February 3, 2026 at 9:36 AM
juliennegre.bsky.social
View of New Amsterdam (Manhattan) in 1667 *Atlas de la Mer ou Monde Aquatique*. Seen today @bibdiderotlyon.bsky.social
1667 nautical chart of New York bay, then known as New Amsterdam. The coastline is painted in orange and green and filled with Dutch toponyms. 1667 nautical chart of New York / New Jersey coastline, with Dutch toponyms. Title page of 1667 Atlas de la mer with handpainted decorations including a naval battle at the bottom
February 3, 2026 at 9:34 AM
juliennegre.bsky.social
📢 International Conference “‘Monarch of all I survey’: Literary Posterity and Cultural Legacies”
📍 ENS de Lyon, France | 🗓️ Nov 20–21, 2025

Keynotes: Julia Kühn (U. Groningen) & Nick Spengler (U. Barcelona).

Castaways! Butterflies! Abolitionists! Imperialism!

monarch2025.sciencesconf.org
November 3, 2025 at 4:06 PM
juliennegre.bsky.social
🌎🔔 Come to Lyon in November!

📍https://monarch2025.sciencesconf.org/
official logo of the academic symposium "“Monarch of all I survey”: Literary Posterity and Cultural Legacies", to be held at the ENS de Lyon in Lyon, France, on Nov. 20-21, 2025. It features a crude crown motif on a purple background. The crown is filled with the image of an ancient world map representing Robinson Crusoe's journey.
October 10, 2025 at 2:14 PM
juliennegre.bsky.social
unexpected research trajectories continue to emerge from this sperm whale madness
screenshot of an email with the following sentence highlighted: "We are writing to inquire with you whether you have interest on the topic Sperm quality in farmed animals which is scheduled to be published in AIMS Animal Science. With your high reputation and significant contributions in this field and the aim to publish high-quality articles in the first issue, we sincerely invite you to present your excellent research outcome"
August 29, 2025 at 9:08 AM
juliennegre.bsky.social
today: old yellow folders and X-files vibes ☢️
underground stacks at university library with an open drawer containing large topographic maps Yellow folder titled "Geology, Structure, and Uranium Deposits of the Shiprock Quadrangle, New Mexico and Arizona" from the US Department of Interior, containing a 1963 geologic map of the area detail of the title of the geologic map detail of the map showing black and white topographic relief and red lines indicating geologic structures and uranium deposits
July 16, 2025 at 12:19 PM
juliennegre.bsky.social
🗺️In special collections @bibdiderotlyon.bsky.social for new project: massive 1633 French ed of Mercator's atlas by Hondius. Includes stunning 1606 map of Virginia, predating Smith’s, with hints of 1550s French exploration in Florida. Renaissance Latin makes feel more fluent than I really am!
Frontispiece of 1633 French edition of Mercator's atlas by Hondius, with colored engravings 1606 map of Virginia and Florida with colored engravings and Latin text Detail of 1606 map of Virginia showing "Apaltcy Montes" (one of the earliest references to Appalachian Mountains on a European map) and Latin text indicating the presence of gold and silver. Detail of Virginia coastline on 1606 map. Rivers have French names like Charente, Garonne, Loire, etc.
July 9, 2025 at 1:07 PM
juliennegre.bsky.social
It took M. F. Maury nearly 10 years to reach this representation of "sea drift and whales" in 1855. Melville's *Moby-Dick* (published before this map) registers this changing perception of the oceans. First time I come across a French version @bibdiderotlyon.bsky.social, this one published in 1861.
1861 oceanic chart by M. F. Maury representing ocean currents and whale feeding ground (French edition) Title page of M. F. Maury's Géographie Physique de la Mer (1861 French edition) detail of Maury's ocean current chart showing the Pacific, 1861, in French detail of Maury's ocean current chart showing the Atlantic, 1861, in French
July 8, 2025 at 1:07 PM
juliennegre.bsky.social
Unnamed reader from 60y ago left their Théâtre des Célestins ticket as a bookmark in this volume @bibdiderotlyon.bsky.social. Not sure anyone has opened this book since then. Chevalier's account of his travels in the US in early 1830s is very interesting and has a nice map focused on transportation.
Cover of Michel Chevalier, Lettres sur l'Amérique du Nord, 1837 This book must be returned before February 14, 1965. Old theatre ticket from the 1960s used as bookmark. Folded map of the US in 1836 at the end of Chevalier's book
July 7, 2025 at 10:46 AM
juliennegre.bsky.social
📍🌎📚 Interested in the intersections of American literature and cartography? Our 2026 conference in Lyon, France, invites papers on map-text interactions. Deadline flexible upon request — don’t hesitate to reach out!
Full CFP ➡️ maps2026.sciencesconf.org/resource/pag...

Please share and repost!
A detail of Thomas Jefferson's 1785 map of Virginia published with his *Notes on the State of Virginia*. Gallica, BnF.
June 14, 2025 at 11:50 AM
juliennegre.bsky.social
Hey @nortoncriticals.bsky.social is that a typo in *Huck Finn*'s 4th critical edition? The 3rd edition had "store", which clearly makes much more sense. Thanks!
A photo of page 178 in the 4th Norton Critical Edition of Mark Twain's *Adventures of Huckleberry Finn*. The word "stone" is circled in black, indicating a probable typo.
June 11, 2025 at 9:13 AM
juliennegre.bsky.social
sometimes you work on a digitized ancient edition, and it's page after page of spotless disembodied images

but sometimes the human body breaches the surface, and here's a hand, and a window opens onto the people who were actually there
several pages of a digitized volume published in the late 18th century. The final image shows the hand of the person who digitized the book. a close up image of the hand holding the book flat; the person wears bright pink finger cots on her thumb, index, and middle fingers
February 21, 2025 at 4:09 PM