In 1948, he taught with short-time positions at institutes in France, Romania, and Egypt. Then he studied lexicology and sociology and began to write bi-monthly essays for the magazine "Les Lettres Nouvelles", a collection that was published in 1957. Consisting of fifty-four short essays, between 1954–1956, "Mythologies" were acute reflections of French popular culture ranging from an analysis on soap detergents to a dissection of popular wrestling. Barthes taught at Middlebury College in 1957 and befriended the English translator of his work, Richard Howard, in New York City.<ref name="Howard">Richard Howard. "Remembering Roland Barthes," "The Nation" (20 November 1982): "Mutual friends brought us together in 1957. He taught in his classes at Middlebury. "Michelet" and "Writing Degree Zero" were published in France.