The term “Lost Generation” generally refers to a group of American writers who lived
and worked in Paris, France between the two world wars. But what of Julien Green?
Although his life began and ended in the French capital, part of it was spent in the
United States during the interwar period. Yet, Green was just as “lost” as his American
counterparts as he grappled with identity, spirituality and the societal values of the time.
His œuvre almost exclusively penned in French, in 1971, Monsieur Green became the first American to be inducted to the Académie Française. The Art of Writing. Julien Green:
Jeunesse proposes a bilingual reading of two of Green’s early writings and a third
work—a portrait that spans half a century of Paris’ literary life.

Precious Brown initiated The Art of Writing: Paris in 2020 to canvas the reciprocal relationship between literature and the arts. The book group is part of the American Library in Paris’ programs and aligns with the latter’s vision and mission as a center for ‘literature, learning, culture and community’ (which has acquired new meaning against the background of an ongoing pandemic…).

As of early 2021, monthly sessions are facilitated on Zoom. Members connect from both sides of the Atlantic—and the Pacific—making current readings of past writings, turning a critical eye on expatriate artists, writers and performers, and cultivating a cultured, cosmopolitan community in Paris, France.

Led by Precious Brown

• Christine (1927)
• Léviathan (1929; The Dark Journey)
• Partir avant le jour (1963; To Leave Before Dawn)

• 9 September
• 7 October
• 11 November
• 9 December