Thomas, Lyn 1953-

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THOMAS, Lyn 1953-

PERSONAL: Born 1953. Education: Oxford University, B.A.; London University, M.A., Ph.D.

ADDRESSES: Office—Institute for the Study of European Transformations, London Metropolitan University, 166-220 Holloway Rd., London N7 8DB, England.

CAREER: University of North London, London, England, senior lecturer in French; London Metropolitan University, London, principal lecturer in French, and research director; London Metropolitan University, Institute for the Study of European Transformations, London, England, acting deputy director, principal lecturer in French.

MEMBER: Institute for the Study of European Transformations (cofounder).

WRITINGS:

Annie Ernaux: An Introduction to the Writer and Her Audience, Berg (New York, NY), 1999, updated version translated by the author as Annie Ernaux, á la premiére personne, Les Editions Stock (Paris, France), 2005.

Fans, Feminisms, and "Quality" Media, Routledge (New York, NY), 2002.

Coeditor and contributor to Feminist Review.

SIDELIGHTS: An educator and feminist scholar working both in France and her native England, Lyn Thomas is the author of Annie Ernaux: An Introduction to the Writer and Her Audience. Thomas's work is the first book-length study of the controversial French feminist to appear in English, and it covers Ernaux's curious mix of confessional, fictional, and autobiographical writings. Thomas provides an overview of Ernaux's reaction to issues of gender, sexuality, and class, as mirrored in the author's writings as well as her life. She also explores the Ernaux's critical reception and the cultural implications of that reception, as well as the more informal reaction of Ernaux's readers and correspondents. Rather than take a narrow focus, Thomas situates her subject in the broader context of contemporary French culture and European feminism. According to James Sallis, writing for the Center for Book Culture Web site, Annie Ernaux "for the greater part presents quite a readable and engaging appraisal of Ernaux's career to date."

More recently, Thomas has produced Fans, Feminisms, and "Quality" Media, a study of the impact of popular radio and television programs on those who become avid listeners or viewers. Through interviews and indepth research, she explores the ways in which fans—particularly women—interweave their favorite programs and characters into their own lives and identities. She also discusses the ways in which these programs shape and reinforce national and cultural identity.