The Brief – December
DECEMBER 2021 CONTENT ‘Tis The Season The Forum featuring Author and Strategist Jeffrey Davis A Word JULY 2021 ‘Tis The Season Hannukah. Christmas Eve. Christmas. Kwanzaa. New Year’s Eve. New Year’s Day. Our season of holidays is upon us. While this time every year promises a world of peace, kindness, and good cheer, alas, for many of us it fails to deliver.
While the world may distract us with shiny material goods and futile pursuits, truth is, what we desire most, like joy and contentment, is only found within. So, before you become overwhelmed by the traditions and festivities, remember this: The true spirit of the season rests in your hands. Get wrapped up in nurturing your spirit and that of others. Gift yourself with reflection and gratitude. Load up on rest and relaxation. Feed your soul.
Keep this in mind over the coming weeks, and know that The Charlotte Center wishes you a wonder-filled season and a happy new year!
“Conquer yourself rather than the world.”
— René Descartes, French philosopher and scientist Don't Miss Out On Wonder! Jeffrey Davis is an author and consultant to creative leaders and innovators around the nation. He has helped thousands of people advance their best, most meaningful ideas. Join us for this special event as Jeffrey explores the radical impact of wonder in our lives. 
5 Questions • Michèle Bissière, Ph.D. An interview with the French Professor and Department Chair of Languages and Culture Studies at UNC Charlotte
BY VALAIDA FULLWOOD
Originally from France, Dr. Michèle Bissière is professor of French at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She has earned multiple degrees, including an M.A. in English from the Université Paul Cézanne-Aix-Marseille III and an M.A. in American History, M.A. in French, and Ph.D. in French from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Bissière has published articles on the 18th century and women's education. She integrates film in her teaching at all levels of the curriculum and is co-editor of a Women in French Studies issue, titled "French/Francophone Culture and Literature Through Film." Dr. Bissière is a member of Women in French and has served on the Executive Council of the American Association of Teachers of French.
As a young French girl, what about the English language fascinated you to the point of majoring in it?
I don’t know if it was a fascination for the English language; I had the same fascination for German. These were the languages I studied in school. I really liked play acting and being able to invent stories and maybe be a different person when I spoke a different language. The idea of being able to express myself and make myself understood by someone from another culture was very appealing.
Now that I’ve spoken English for a while, I have more reasons for being fascinated by English. I like the conciseness of English. You can create, it seems to me, more words with English. It’s a little more flexible than the French language, for example.
As UNC Charlotte’s Chair of the Department of Languages and Culture Studies, what do you like your students and others to know about language and culture?
I think studying a language not only introduces you to a range of cultures and experiences, but also makes you discover your own language. That’s what I really like about teaching language. I see students discovering new things about English that they never asked themselves. That’s a truly positive thing.
Of course, being exposed to the literature, culture, and history of other countries is eye opening and makes students want to travel and experience those countries. They realize there are culture differences, but ultimately, when reading great literature, there’s a lot we all have in common.
Is there something about French culture you find absent in American culture?
Maybe there’s an attitude toward leisure that’s very different—taking your time, having meals that last a bit longer, sharing your meals with family and friends. Some people say that in France you work to live, but in the States you live to work. I don’t want to make too much of that, but there is definitely a culture of leisure that is different from here. It’s not go, go, go all the time.
I first came to the States as a very young person. I was sixteen. I did not have international experience at the time. I had hardly left my little town of 3000 people in France. One thing that struck me when I first came was how open people were and how curious they were about having me in their community.
I still feel that way about Americans. They are still very open with strangers. They are very curious about other people. They are not as reserved and standoffish maybe as some people in France. But I hate cliches, and I don’t want to generalize about people.
What’s your happy place and why?
I definitely have a happy place. It’s more something in spirit—a mountain lake. And I can think of several mountain lakes, including one in the southern Alps. That’s the one I have in mind when I want to retire from the world and escape for a while. That’s where I go, in spirit. But it can be any mountain lake. I have been to Scotland, and I love the highlands. Mountain lakes in the high country of North Carolina bring me happiness. I always feel rejuvenated when I’m in the mountains by water. I like the peacefulness. I tend to be introspective, so I really like to be there to think about life.
When I can’t go there, the greenway in Charlotte is always a great place to be. Wherever I’ve lived in Charlotte, I’ve always gone to the greenway to commune with nature and see people on the trails. The greenways are great feature of Charlotte.
What do you find most notable about Charlotte?
I’ve been in Charlotte over 30 years now. When I arrived, it was already on the lists of “best places to live in the United States” and I still feel a lot of energy. I came here and was attracted by the energy of the city. It’s desire to make a name and place for itself. I’ve never lived in a big city, so to me Charlotte is a big city, though I know a lot people would disagree with me.
In the 30 years that I’ve been here, Charlotte has evolved a great deal. There’s a rich cultural life here. There are many communities. I’ve been associated with the French community for some time. We have an International House. It’s a small city, but a big city at the same time. It has a lot of influences, food and restaurants.
I still feel that dynamism. As I said, I love the greenway. We now have bicycle lanes, more and more. I like that forward-looking spirit I find in Charlotte. 
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“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.
RALPH WALDO EMERSON American essayist and philosopher 
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