When Brigitte Le Normand, assistant professor of history, was 12 years old, she experienced the year-long bicentennial celebration of the French Revolution in Montreal, Quebec.
The celebration had a large emphasis on liberty, equality and the turn it took on Canadian history.
Le Normand became so enraptured with a feud between two French Revolutionary persons, Camille Desmoulins and Louis-Antoine De Saint-Just, that she eventually wrote a short novel.
“First, they were both really cute, which was important,” Le Normand said.
“I spent a lot of time thinking about how opposite the two were. I eventually wrote the novel about their reconciliation, which was impossible in real life.
“I think I titled it ‘For Good and For Evil.’”
Le Normand continued to pursue history and earned degrees from McGill University, The University of Toronto and UCLA.
She was close to finishing a bachelor degree on Western Europe at McGill University when she decided it became uninteresting and boring.
Shortly afterward Le Normand went to see a play about a Bosnian rape victim and her visits with a therapist.
“It wasn’t just about the victim, it turned into a dialogue between equals,” she said.
Le Normand developed a special interest in Yugoslavia and started focusing her schooling, much of her research and overseas studies in that direction.
“Yugoslavia is an example of a society built up after World War II that seemed to function well for years then suddenly collapsed,” she said.
“We can ask how it holds society together and bring about a solution. In a globalization age, these are important questions to ask.”
Le Normand has lived in several foreign countries including Germany, Italy, Hungary, Serbia and France. She returned to North America because the job market in Europe was closed to foreigners that had not gone through the European educational system.
“What I like about Europe is the fact that people aren’t centering their lives around the automobile,” she said.
“There’s always a café to walk to; it’s a pleasant lifestyle that’s more sustainable.”
Le Normand chose IU Southeast because she was going to have the freedom to teach what she wanted and IUS had the ability to help her continue her research.
If Le Normand’s pursuit of teaching had not worked, she would probably find excuses to travel.
A few destinations she has in mind are Latin America, Argentina, Africa and Vietnam.
“They would be interesting,” she said. “I haven’t seen much of Latin America.”
Although she grew up from a French heritage, she is fluent in English, Croatian and Serbian as well.
Aside from school and her research, Le Normand said she enjoys swing dancing. When she had more time she used to sing in the choirs at Stuttgart, Germany, the Heart House Choir in Toronto and a church choir at St. Pauls in Los Angeles.
She sang for most of her college years.
While she misses her hometown, she said she tries not to focus on the differences of where she is now.
Although she has not had the chance to visit her hometown, she said she plans to visit this May with her husband, Ted Sandstra.
“Canada has a different political culture; the accent is different in the small town I’m from,” she said.
“One thing I miss would be the French language. I miss it quite a bit.”
By GRACE STAMPER
Staff Writer
gstamper@ius.edu