Dr. Ty Blakeney

Biography

Ty Blakeney is an Assistant Professor in the Department of French and Italian at Northwestern University. He earned his PhD in French with a focus on Francophone Literature and Culture from the University of California, Berkeley in 2023, and previously obtained his BA in French Literature from Reed College in 2012. His research interests span literature, culture, and film in France from the 19th to the 21st centuries, with a particular focus on sexuality studies and critical theory. Blakeney's book project, 'Amis de la gaieté', examines same-sex sexuality in French prisons during the July Monarchy (1830-1848), providing a historical analysis of discourses surrounding prisoner sexuality. He draws from a diverse archive of texts, including literary works by authors such as Victor Hugo and Honoré de Balzac, to demonstrate how concepts of prisoner sexuality have been constructed and the implications of these discourses on our understanding of state power and sexuality. Blakeney has published articles and chapters discussing nationalism in the works of Proust and the right-wing ideologue avant-garde gay author Renaud Camus, offering insights into gaps within queer theory. He is currently working on articles related to Robert Bresson and Foucault. At Northwestern, he teaches courses oriented towards theoretical explorations of French culture and sexuality studies, aiming to train students to read literary texts within broader cultural and historical contexts.

Research Interests