John Westbrook

John Westbrook holds the David Morton & Leanne Freas Trout Associate Professorship in French & Francophone Studies at Bucknell University, where he is based in the Department of French & Francophone Studies.

His academic credentials include:

• B.A. in French Literature from Carleton College (Magna Cum Laude)
• M.A. in French Studies from New York University, Institute of French Studies (with distinction)
• Joint Ph.D. from New York University, Department of French and Institute of French Studies

Westbrook's research centers on Surrealism and the interwar avant-garde, sociological approaches to literature, French educational history, food identity politics, and contemporary French civilization pedagogy. His work consistently bridges literary theory with anthropological and sociological frameworks, examining how artistic movements like Surrealism engaged with ethnography, museum practices, and intellectual communities in 20th-century France.

Analysis of his publications reveals two dominant scholarly trajectories: rigorous investigations into avant-garde intellectuals (particularly Caillois and Leiris) and their sociological contexts, alongside innovative contributions to French pedagogy focused on advanced seminar instruction. His museum studies work critically interrogates Western institutions' representation of non-Western cultures, while his pedagogical research offers concrete strategies for intellectual engagement in language education.

Westbrook maintains active scholarly communication through his office in 165 Coleman Hall and professional email correspondence.