Maxime Blanchard

Maxime Blanchard serves as Professor and Faculty Executive Officer in the Department of French at City College of New York (CUNY), where he directs departmental operations while advancing research in Francophone literary studies.

His academic formation spans:

• Ph.D. in Literature, Harvard University
• D.E.A. in French Studies, Université de Paris-IV
• M.A. in Comparative Literature, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
• B.A. in French Literature, Université de Montréal

Blanchard's scholarship critically examines 20th/21st-century French and Québécois literary production through identity politics, nationalism, and intellectual history. His work consistently interrogates how literature mediates cultural sovereignty conflicts, particularly in Quebec's postcolonial context, using close textual analysis combined with socio-historical frameworks. Recent publications demonstrate deepening engagement with gendered and decolonial perspectives on national mythmaking.

His publication trajectory reveals sustained focus on Quebec's identity negotiations: the 2008 Malraux study established foundations in intellectual engagement theory, while the 2017 monograph directly confronted Quebec's existential legitimacy, culminating in the 2024 exploration of maternal nationhood metaphors. This evolution shows increasing theoretical sophistication in linking literary form to political consciousness.

As Department Faculty Executive Officer, Blanchard shapes curriculum and faculty development while mentoring graduate students in Francophone literary criticism. His administrative leadership complements research through practical engagement with institutional cultural production, though specific grant details remain unpublicized in available sources.