The American Library in Paris

(Hybrid) The International Library: Brown Diaspora with Moon Charania
2024-04-03 19:30 - 20:30 (Europe/Paris) | The American Library in Paris
Moon Charania is a writer and cultural scholar whose work stands at the intersectionality of race, gender, and diasporic studies. In her new book, Archive of Tongues (2023), Charania weaves together the personal and the theoretical, using her own mother’s life as a prism to refract upon the broader experiences of brown women around the world. Her work examines histories of migration, dispossession, violence, and sexuality, offering a fresh perspective on rhythms of everyday life for marginalized women. At its heart, Archive of Tongues not only uncovers the hidden archives of brown mothers’ lives, but also invites us to reconsider the foundational assumptions of feminist, queer, and postcolonial studies.
Charania will appear in conversation with Sandeep Bakshi, Associate Professor of Decolonial, Postcolonial and Queer Studies at University Paris Cité.
About the speakers:
Moon Charania is an Associate Professor of International Studies and Comparative Women’s Studies at Spelman College. Dr. Charania is a feminist theorist whose research explores the psychosocial dimensions of the lives of women of color – she investigates social, political, and intimate issues in relation to violence and care, gender and sexuality, racism, and the diasporic experience. She is the author of two books, Archive of Tongues: An Intimate History of Brownness (Duke University Press, 2023) and Will the Real Pakistani Woman Please Stand Up: Empire, Visual Culture, and the Brown Female Body (McFarland 2015). Charania is also the recipient of a number of awards and fellowships, including the Anschutz Distinguished Fellow in American Studies at Princeton University (2024), a Fulbright Specialist Appointee (2023), Emory University Psychoanalytic Society (2023), a Fellow at Emory University James Weldon Johnson Institute for the Study of Race and Difference (2018). She is beginning a new book project on brownness and femicide.
Sandeep Bakshi researches on transnational queer and decolonial enunciation of knowledges. He received his PhD from the School of English, University of Leicester, UK, and is currently employed as an Associate Professor of Decolonial, Postcolonial and Queer Studies at University Paris Cité. He coordinates two research seminars, “Peripheral Knowledges” and “Empires, Souths, Sexualities,” and leads the Pôle Société Civile of the Cité du Genre Institute, Université Paris Cité. Co-editor of Decolonizing Sexualities: Transnational Perspectives, Critical Interventions (Oxford: Counterpress, 2016), ‘Decolonial Trajectories’, special issue of Interventions(2020), and Qu’est-ce que l’Intersectionnalité? Dominations plurielles : sexe, classe et race (2021), he has published on queer and race problematics in postcolonial literatures and cultures. He is the co-founder and serves on the board of the Decolonizing Sexualities Network (https://decolonizingsexualities.org).
About the International Library series:
This conversation is part of the International Library, a new series launched in collaboration with the Center for Fiction in Brooklyn and the Center for the Art of Translation in San Francisco which will offer conversations across time, place, and language.
The International Library celebrates the live diffusion of in-person conversations in the hope of connecting new audiences across land and sea for a collective, intercultural experience. These conversations will broach deeper questions about writing and translation as we learn to think critically about how stories are told, investigating the points of view, the timing of the translations, and the intended or assumed audiences as well as inspiration, philosophy, and craft. Learn more:
While she was completing the research and writing of her own book on brown maternal diaspora, Moon Charania wrote a review José Esteban Muñoz’s book The Sense of Brown. The review introduces some of the key themes and concepts of Charania’s work (including diasporic experience, brownness, and maternity). Read the review here. Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (the speakers will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.
This conversation will be livestreamed at the Center for the Art of Translation and the Center for Fiction as part of the International Library series.
Attendance at this event constitutes permission for your photograph or video to be taken at the event and used by the American Library in Paris for marketing, promotional, pedagogical, or other purposes.
Evenings with an Author are free and open to the public (with a 10€ suggested donation)
thanks to the generous support of Gregory Annenberg Weingarten of GRoW @ Annenberg.

Story Hour: What Do Artists Do? (ages 3–5)
2024-04-03 14:30 - 15:30 | The American Library in Paris
For this Story Hour, we’ll read stories—both factual and fictional!—about artists, such as Frida by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Ana Juan (pictured here). We’ll also sing songs and practice rhymes. This activity is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided.
This participatory program is intended to encourage children to actively engage with stories. This Story Hour will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads and Children’s and Teens’ Services Intern Amber Auer. They will read books and lead you and your little one in songs and hand-rhymes during a live, interactive session. Plan to join in, sing along, move around, and model movement and listening for your little one. We ask that all caregivers put away their phones and other electronic devices for the duration of this program. With your help, we hope to inspire children to become lifelong readers!
Check out the Library’s collections of books about authors, illustrators, painters, sculptors, and more in the Early Biographies collection in the Children’s Library.
Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

(In Person Registration Full) (Hybrid) Plant-Based Paris: The Future of Vegan Cuisine with Amanda Bankert and David Lebovitz
2024-04-02 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
Can you imagine macarons without eggs, or profiteroles without cream? Is it possible to create delicious French pâtisserie without using any animal byproducts?
In 2015, Amanda Bankert opened Boneshaker Donuts and Coffee in Paris, bringing her expert take on a sweet staple of American cuisine to a city already brimming with pastries. Bankert has since gained a reputation in Paris and beyond for her creative fusion of French and American baking. Her donuts, like the rest of her baking, are entirely vegan: Bankert draws from her judicious sweet tooth and her Le Cordon Bleu training to create mouth-watering, plant-based desserts without sacrificing an ounce of quality. Her new cookbook, Voila Vegan, experiments with a blend of French and American techniques and divulges 85 decadent vegan recipes.
American admirers of French cooking have long followed the work of David Lebovitz. Lebovitz is the best-selling author of cookbooks like My Paris Kitchen, Ready for Dessert, and The Sweet Life in Paris. His food writing has been featured in dozens of prominent publications, including Bon Appétit, Food + Wine, and The New York Times. He is also an enthusiastic supporter of Bankert’s work.
In this program, Bankert and Lebovitz will engage in conversation with one another, recounting their experiences as American chefs in Paris and exploring their thoughts on the future of vegan cuisine in France.
Want a taste before the event? We’ll be hosting a Boneshaker pop-up at the Library starting at 13h00 on April 2. Stop by to sample mini versions of the famous donuts, and purchase a copy of Voilà Vegan in advance. Only available while supplies last!
Please note that in-person registration to this event is now full. Online registration is still available.
About the speakers:
Amanda Bankert, an Irish-American pastry chef trained at Cordon Bleu Paris, is the founder of France’s first plant-based donut shop, Boneshaker Donuts & Coffee. She’s a two-time cookbook author: “Voilà Vegan” (Penguin Random House, 2023) and “Donuts, Café, and Good Vibes” (Hachette, France, 2023). Amanda champions veganism not as a restrictive diet, but as an inclusive, indulgent lifestyle that simply excludes animal products.
David Lebovitz spent nearly thirteen years in the kitchen at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California, one of the original farm-to-table restaurants in America, beginning as a line cook in the café before moving to the pastry department. He was named one of the Top Five Pastry Chefs in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Chronicle and has been featured in Bon Appétit, Chocolatier, Food+Wine, Milk Street, Cook’s Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, Travel and Leisure, the New York Times, People, Saveur, Sunset, USA Today, and on CNN.
In 1999 David left the restaurant business to start writing cookbooks and launched a website (later, known as a blog) to coincide with the release of his first book, Room for Dessert. His blog, www.davidlebovitz.com is one of the most widely-read food blogs in the world, with nearly 2 million page views per month. He is the author of nine books, including My Paris Kitchen, with stories and recipes about life and cooking in Paris, and Drinking French, which was named the Best New Cocktail Book by the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation. Other books include The Great Book of Chocolate, The Perfect Scoop, Ready for Dessert, L’Appart, and The Sweet Life in Paris. The latter two are currently in development for a tv series.
David now has dual nationality, French and American, and writes a newsletter (davidlebovitz.substack.com), which is the #2 newsletter on the Substack platform.
Learn more:
Looking to do some research on Bankert before this program? Take a trip to Boneshaker Donuts and Coffee and try her donuts for yourself!
David Lebovitz has run a highly influential food blog, complete with recipes, food commentary, and reflections on the restaurant world of Paris, for almost twenty-five years. Check out the blog here.
Lebovitz has graciously appeared at the American Library in Paris twice before. You can watch recordings of his appearances here and here. Important information:
Please note that in-person registration to this event is now full. Online registration is still available.
The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (the speakers will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.
Attendance at this event constitutes permission for your photograph or video to be taken at the event and used by the American Library in Paris for marketing, promotional, pedagogical, or other purposes. Want a taste before the event? We’ll be hosting a Boneshaker pop-up at the Library starting at 13h00 on April 2. Stop by to sample mini versions of the famous donuts, and purchase a copy of Voilà Vegan in advance. Only available while supplies last! Donuts generously provided by Boneshaker and books by Smith&Son.
Attendees will have the opportunity to have their copy signed following the conversation.
Evenings with an Author are free and open to the public (with a 10€ suggested donation)
thanks to the generous support of Gregory Annenberg Weingarten of GRoW @ Annenberg.

Saturday Series: Word Wizards (ages 6–12)
2024-03-30 11:00 - 12:00 | The American Library in Paris
During this event, we’ll play grammar games together and explore new vocabulary words that will help you bring your writing to life!
Participants in this workshop will also receive information about the Library’s 2024 Young Authors Fiction Festival.
This event will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services Intern Amber Auer with the help of Library volunteers. This activity is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided. All participants must be able to understand, speak, and write in English in order to participate in this program. Children between the ages 6–12 may participate in Library programs on their own, while their chaperone remains inside the Library.
Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Teen Night: Music Trivia Tournament with Rock U. (ages 12–18)
2024-03-29 19:00 - 21:00 | The American Library in Paris
Join Matt Black, creator of Rock U., for a series of musical quizzes and games to test your musical knowledge. No need to be an expert at rock music to play—all teens are welcome: diehard music fans and those just looking to discover great music and great people.

About Matt Black: Matt Black has worked as an educator for more than 30 years, and gets big thrills as a guitarist and vocalist with beloved Paris party band The Doodads. In 2012, he searched Paris for a rock band program for his daughter—and when he couldn’t find one, he created Rock U. instead! Matt works with Rock U. students on the techniques of playing together to craft a live band performance. Learn more about Matt Black and Rock U. here.

Important information:
This event is free for Library members, and 15€ per teen for non-members. Advance registration is required. All visitors are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. After-hours events for teens, such as Teen Nights, require a signed permission slip, which can be downloaded here. One permission slip is needed per academic year (September–July).
Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

(Hybrid) Seminar: In Three Lines (or less) with Patricia Lockwood
2024-03-27 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
Join us for a conversation with Writer-in-Residence Patricia Lockwood on the internet’s effects on writing, and an interactive seminar to experiment with form and fragmentation.
Inspired by Patricia Lockwood’s work engaging with the internet and with the idea of ‘nowness,’ short-form internet writing and Felix Feneon’s Novels in Three Lines, join us for a conversation on the internet’s effects on writing and language. How does being online change one’s voice? How does the internet and its constraints and character limits affect language? Following the conversation, we’ll provide a series of prompts for audience members to write and respond to within a set character limit.
About the speaker:
Patricia Lockwood is the author of four books, including the 2021 novel “No One Is Talking About This,” an international bestseller, winner of the Dylan Thomas Prize, finalist for the Booker Prize, and translated into 30 languages. Her 2017 memoir “Priestdaddy” won the Thurber Prize for American Humor and was named one of the Guardian’s 100 best books of the 21st century. She also has two poetry collections, “Motherland Fatherland Homelandsexuals” (2014) and “Balloon Pop Outlaw Black” (2012). Lockwood’s work has appeared in the New York Times, the New Yorker, and the London Review of Books, where she is a contributing editor. She lives in Savannah, Georgia.
Reverberations:
In March, the Library is delighted to be hosting Reverberations: Literature Out Loud, a festival spotlighting innovations in the arts. In a series of concerts, conversations, and workshops, artists and authors are coming together to celebrate the history of storytelling and sound. Learn more about the festival and discover other events.
Reverberations is organized in partnership with the Opéra Comique and with the generous support of Festival Napa Valley, the American Center for Arts and Culture, and the Florence Gould Foundation. Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (the speakers will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.
Please note, clocks moved forward in the US on 10 March, but do not move forward in France until 31 March: If you are attending a virtual or hybrid program from a US time zone, the time difference will be one hour less between 10 March and 31 March, and will return to normal on 31 March.
Attendance at this event constitutes permission for your photograph or video to be taken at the event and used by the American Library in Paris for marketing, promotional, pedagogical, or other purposes.
Evenings with an Author are free and open to the public (with a 10€ suggested donation)
thanks to the generous support of Gregory Annenberg Weingarten of GRoW @ Annenberg.

Story Hour: Spring Days (ages 3–5)
2024-03-27 14:30 - 15:30 | The American Library in Paris
When does spring begin? What signs will we see around us when spring comes around? For this Story Hour, we’ll read stories about springtime and the seasons such as And Then It’s Spring by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Erin E. Stead (pictured here). We’ll also sing songs and practice rhymes. Check out the Library’s collections of books about on the “Seasons” shelf in the Children’s Library—Early to find more stories about spring, summer, fall, and winter. This activity is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided.
This participatory program is intended to encourage children to actively engage with stories. This Story Hour will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads and Children’s and Teens’ Services Intern Amber Auer. They will read books and lead you and your little one in songs and hand-rhymes during a live, interactive session. Plan to join in, sing along, move around, and model movement and listening for your little one. We ask that all caregivers put away their phones and other electronic devices for the duration of this program. With your help, we hope to inspire children to become lifelong readers!
Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

(Hybrid) Patricia Lockwood, Writing Now: A Conversation
2024-03-26 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
Patricia Lockwood is a poet, memoirist, and novelist, best known for her characteristic blend of internet-age humor and profound emotional depth. Her breakout memoir, Priestdaddy, swings playfully between the sacred and the profane in its depiction of Lockwood’s upbringing in a conservative Catholic household. Lockwood’s poetry pushes the boundaries of both content and form, showcasing her knack for capturing the zeitgeist of the digital age. Her novel No One Is Talking About This combines the ephemerality of social media with eternal themes like family, grief, and caretaking, and deftly manages literary form to achieve distinctive moods and emotional effects. Across her work, Lockwood writes with a sharp and refreshing voice, and proves herself adept at examining the absurdities of our time with wit, warmth, and a penetrating eye.
This event will be followed by a cocktail reception with light refreshments.
About the speaker:
Patricia Lockwood is the author of four books, including the 2021 novel “No One Is Talking About This,” an international bestseller, winner of the Dylan Thomas Prize, finalist for the Booker Prize, and translated into 30 languages. Her 2017 memoir “Priestdaddy” won the Thurber Prize for American Humor and was named one of the Guardian’s 100 best books of the 21st century. She also has two poetry collections, “Motherland Fatherland Homelandsexuals” (2014) and “Balloon Pop Outlaw Black” (2012). Lockwood’s work has appeared in the New York Times, the New Yorker, and the London Review of Books, where she is a contributing editor. She lives in Savannah, Georgia.
Reverberations:
In March, the Library is delighted to be hosting Reverberations: Literature Out Loud, a festival spotlighting innovations in the arts. In a series of concerts, conversations, and workshops, artists and authors are coming together to celebrate the history of storytelling and sound. Learn more about the festival and discover other events.
Reverberations is organized in partnership with the Opéra Comique and with the generous support of Festival Napa Valley, the American Center for Arts and Culture, and the Florence Gould Foundation. Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (the speakers will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.
Please note, clocks moved forward in the US on 10 March, but do not move forward in France until 31 March: If you are attending a virtual or hybrid program from a US time zone, the time difference will be one hour less between 10 March and 31 March, and will return to normal on 31 March.
Attendance at this event constitutes permission for your photograph or video to be taken at the event and used by the American Library in Paris for marketing, promotional, pedagogical, or other purposes.
Evenings with an Author are free and open to the public (with a 10€ suggested donation)
thanks to the generous support of Gregory Annenberg Weingarten of GRoW @ Annenberg.

(Offsite Partner Event) Opéra Comique: Voyage au pays de Maurice Ravel
2024-03-23 20:00 - 21:00
Ma Mère l’Oye, Chansons madécasses, Cinq mélodies populaires grecques, etc.

Direction musicale Louis Langrée • Artistes Académie de l’Opéra-Comique • Maîtrise Populaire de l’Opéra-Comique • Orchestre de chambre de Paris

Learn more about the event here.

Important information: This event will take place in person at the Opéra Comique, 1 Pl. Boieldieu, 75002 Paris.
Access to this event requires purchase of a ticket through Opéra Comique. Click on the button below to purchase your ticket with a special discounted rate.

Music Together with Stacey Pavesi Debré (ages 0–5)
2024-03-23 16:00 - 17:00 | The American Library in Paris
Today, it’s common for us to simply listen to music rather than create it ourselves. But actively making music—with our voices and our bodies—is important to children’s overall development. Since 1987, Music Together, has introduced millions of children, parents, and teachers to the joys of music-making and the powerful benefits of having music in their lives. In our family workshops children and parents learn together through active exploration and live, meaningful interaction. So, take out the earbuds and pick up the instruments we were all given at birth—ourselves! Each child (aged 0–5) should accompany one of their favorite grownups.
About Stacey Pavesi Debré: An American in Paris since 2014, Stacey has been passionate about music and learning her whole life. She studied piano and string bass, joined choirs, orchestras, a capella groups and musical theaters, and worked as a vocalist in Japan and a singing bartender in NYC. In 2017, Stacey founded Bébé Music Box to bring Music Together’s award-winning music and movement classes to families and schools in Paris. Our weekly mixed-age family classes are a fun, dynamic, and inspiring way for families to connect through music. Plus, because music learning supports all learning, the benefits for our young music-makers extend well beyond class. For more information about Bébé Music Box family classes or to contact Stacey, visit www.bbmusicbox.com. To read more about music’s magical effects on children, visit www.musictogether.com. Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Caregivers must remain with their children for the duration of this program. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

The Vocabulary of U.S. College Admissions with College Goals (ages 14–adult)
2024-03-23 14:00 - 15:30 | The American Library in Paris
Given the demands of the American university application process, students interested in pursuing higher education in the U.S. are well advised to begin preparing early in their high school career for its demands, perhaps even before they embark on their final two years of study toward the French bac or IB. In this presentation with guests from College Goals, teens and their parents will explore the application and admissions process for US colleges and universities and how best to prepare. What do families need to know for their students to be successful and satisfied by the university search and application process? How can students produce a strong and interesting U.S. university application? In the first of a series of presentations on aspects of the American college application process, College Goals’ counselor, Andrea van Niekerk will discuss the concepts, language, and protocols students need to be aware of if they hope to apply to US institutions.

About Andrea van Niekerk: Andrea served for a decade as Associate Director of Admission, with a focus on international applicants, and as Freshman Academic Adviser at Brown University, and as Residential Fellow in a dorm at Stanford. Still based in Silicon Valley, she now works with both American and international families as part of College Goals. Andrea has over 20 years of experience in college admission and academic advising. She is a member of NACAC, HECA and WACAC.
About College Goals: College Goals is a university admission consulting practice specializing in counseling families interested in higher education opportunities in the US and in English-medium universities around the world. The team of counselors collectively offers decades of professional experience in higher education. College Goals provides expert counsel and support throughout the college search and application process, including choice of appropriate institutions, test requirements, recommendations and interviews, essay writing, and the preparation of distinguished applications. Find out more at www.collegegoals.com
Important information:
This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. All visitors are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons.
Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Teen Night: Write Your Short Story with Amy Plum (ages 12–18)
2024-03-22 19:00 - 21:00 | The American Library in Paris
Begin your own original short story during this interactive writing workshop. Novels, and short stories are distinct art forms. Each has common elements, and we will discuss them and begin our own short stories together, with time to share for those who want feedback. The workshop includes Amy’s tips on how to write a story with credible characters, believable setting, and fully rounded plot in less than 1000 words.
About Amy Plum: Amy Plum is the author of Die for Me, an international bestselling Young Adult series set in Paris. Her books have been translated into thirteen languages. Her second series is a duology After the End and Until the Beginning, which she describes as “a faux-post-apocalyptic, road trip, adventure, romance, thriller with a bit of magic.” Her third series is the Dreamfall duology: Dreamfall and Neverwake. Amy grew up in Birmingham, Alabama before venturing further afield to Chicago, Paris, London and New York. An art historian by training, she can be found on most days either daydreaming or writing (or both) in a Parisian café. To find out more about Amy, and writing classes in Paris, visit her website. Important information:
This event is free for Library members, and 15€ per teen for non-members. Advance registration is required. All visitors are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. After-hours events for teens, such as Teen Nights, require a signed permission slip, which can be downloaded here. One permission slip is needed per academic year (September–July).
Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

History Tour: 1920s Edition
2024-03-22 11:00 - 12:00, 2024-03-15 11:00 - 12:00 | The American Library in Paris
Did you know that Gertrude Stein had a penchant for pulpy mystery novels? Or that Hemingway attempted to secure a job at the Library for his drinking buddy?
The American Library in Paris invites you to register for a 1920s-focused History Tour. Come visit us in person at 10 rue du Général Camou and discover:

Our origin story, when our Library warehoused a collection of books donated to the Doughboys fighting alongside Allied troupes in WWI
The establishment of the American Library in Paris as a private library
The famous writers of the Lost Generation (Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, Henry Miller, and more) who explored our stacks during their time in Paris
Our Paris Library School, which brought American innovations to French libraries in the 1920s

All tours are on Fridays at 11h00, last one hour, and take place in person at the American Library in Paris.
Tours are free of charge and open to the public. Pre-registration is required. Please email us if you are reserving for 4 or more people. (Do not reserve through the site.)
Please email tours@americanlibraryinparis.org with any questions.
This initiative is made possible through the generous support of the Florence Gould Foundation and the American Center for Art and Culture.
Attendance at this event constitutes permission for your photograph or video to be taken at the event and used by the American Library in Paris for marketing, promotional, pedagogical, or other purposes.

Les Années Folles at La Coupole
2024-03-21 20:30 - 23:30 | La Coupole, 102 Boulevard du Montparnasse, Paris, 75014, France
Party like it’s the 1920s and immerse yourself in the rich literary history of the American Library in Paris with Les Annees Folles at La Coupole!
You’ll enter the iconic La Coupole dance hall in Paris’s 14th arrondissement and be transported back to the 1920s with a live jazz quartet, dancing, and entertainment. You’ll rub elbows with writers and historians specialized in the era’s literary history, and you’ll learn more about the Library’s storied relationships with Lost Generation writers and artists.
Entrance includes a 15-piece cocktail food menu, champagne, wine and beer. 1920s costumes highly encouraged!
Event is SOLD OUT!

(Offsite Partner Event) Partner Event with the London Library: Utopia and the City
2024-03-21 20:00 - 21:00 | The London Library, 14 St James's Square, London, London, SW1Y 4LB, United Kingdom
Cities are sites of imagination, where ideas are born and tested, revolution bubbles under the surface and dreamers dream utopian dreams. In partnership with The London Library, explore the revolutionary histories of our respective cities with two acclaimed authors, Niall Kishtainy and Adam Thirlwell, whose latest books tell the stories of visionary pasts and fantastical futures.
In his new work of non-fiction, The Infinite City, Niall Kishtainy celebrates London as the capital of utopian thought. Taking us from the sixteenth century into COVID lockdowns, he draws us into the imaginative worlds of Thomas More, the Diggers, William Morris, Extinction Rebellion protestors and many others who drew might from the city around them and fought for their ideologies in an increasingly transforming world.
The Future, Future, Adam Thirlwell’s latest novel, begins with Celine in Paris in 1775. Forced to navigate a society ruled by men high on colonial genocide, natural destruction and crimes against women, she embarks on a mission to change the world, via the French revolution, the Haitian revolution, American independence, her own utopian dreams and into an extraplanetary future.
In conversation with Emilie Biggs of the American Library in Paris, they discuss utopian dreams and the city, revolutionary history and the future future.
About the speakers:
Niall Kishtainy started his working life in the British civil service, going on to work as a Middle East analyst and researcher, then as an economic adviser to development agencies in Ethiopia, Albania and the Palestinian Territories. After working as a journalist in Cairo, he studied economics as a graduate and began writing about the history of economic thinking and economic struggles of the past. He has given courses in economics and economic history at the London School of Economics and the University of Warwick. He is the author of A Little History of Economics, which has been sold in over twenty languages.
Adam Thirlwell is the author of three previous novels, Politics, The Escape and Lurid & Cute and a book of essays, Miss Herbert and his work has been translated into thirty languages. His essays appear in the New York Review of Books and the London Review of Books, and he is an advisory editor of the Paris Review. His awards include a Somerset Maugham Award and the E. M. Forster Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters; in 2018 he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He has twice been selected by Granta as one of their Best of Young British Novelists.
Emilie Biggs is Programs Manager at the American Library in Paris. Currently completing her Master’s degree at the École Normale Supérieure, she specializes in 20th-century French philosophy.
Important information: This event will take place in person at The London Library and will be livestreamed. Please book your ticket through The London Library. For a free online ticket, use the code ALPonline at checkout.
The livestream will begin on YouTube from 8.30PM CET and will be available to watch live or at any time after the event, using the same link. Links will be sent out just before the event.
Access to this event requires registration through The London Library. Click on the button below to reserve your place.

Toddler Time (ages 1–3)
2024-03-21 11:00 - 11:30 | The American Library in Paris
Stories featured during our Toddler Time programs include short picture books and board books, such as Chicka Chicka, Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, illustrated by Lois Ehlert, which will be included in this 21 March event.
Our Toddler Time is for children ages 1–3 and their caregivers, and lasts 30 minutes. The program is entirely in English, as are all of our events for children and teens. No translation will be provided. This session will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads. Each child must be accompanied by an adult chaperone, and chaperones are required to remain with their children for the duration of the program. Parents and caregivers are expected to sit with their children beside them, or in their laps, and participate in the program. Important information:
Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

(Hybrid) The State of the Arts with Missy Mazzoli, Royce Vavrek, and Nia Franklin
2024-03-20 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
Join Cultural Fellows Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek in conversation with Composer-in-Residence Nia Franklin as they consider art in, about, and for the twenty-first century. In this exclusive roundtable bringing together three major figures of the new artistic generation, we will consider the ongoing vitality of art, and the challenges artists, and art institutions, face. They will examine the performing arts in dialogue with contemporary writing, the socio-political stakes of artistic practice, the role of the artist in relation to modernity, and the capacity of art to give shape to the future.
About the speakers:
Nia Imani Franklin is a composer and singer whose music has been performed by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Friction Quartet, Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and many others. Previous Composer-in-Residence tenures include Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California and Festival Napa Valley where she was awarded the Darioush and Shahpar Khaledi Prize for Excellence and Innovation in Classical Music. Her 2021 project, “Extended”, featured an assortment of all-original RnB songs, and her orchestra piece, “Chrysalis Extended”, which has 3.7 million views on her TikTok profile.
Grammy-nominated composer Missy Mazzoli was deemed “one of the more consistently intentive, surprising composers now working in New York” (The New York Times) and “Brooklyn’s post-millennial Mozart” (Time Out New York). Mazzoli was the Mead Composer-in-Residence at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 2018-2021, and from 2015-2018 she was the Composer-in-Residence with Opera Philadelphia. Mazzoli’s music has been performed internationally by Kronos Quartet, Norwegian National Opera, eighth blackbird, pianist Emanual Ax, Opera Philadelphia, LA Opera, New York City Opera, the Detroit Symphony, the LA Philharmonic, the American Composers Orchestra, the Boston Symphony, JACK Quartet, cellist Maya Beiser, violinist Jennifer Koh, Dublin’s Crash Ensemble, the Sydney Symphony, and many others. In 2018 she made history as one of the first two women to be commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera.
Royce Vavrek is an Alberta-born librettist and lyricist who has been called “the indie Hofmannsthal” (The New Yorker) and “one of the most celebrated and sought after librettists in the world” (CBC Radio). His opera “Angel’s Bone” with composer Du Yun was awarded the 2017 Pulitzer Prize. Upcoming commissions include “Agnes” for Icelandic Opera (with Daníel Bjarnason),“Lincoln in the Bardo” for The Metropolitan Opera (with Missy Mazzoli), “Fanny andAlexander” for La Monnaie (with Mikael Karlsson), “Indians on Vacation” for EdmontonOpera/Against the Grain (with Ian Cusson) and “My Family // Cambodia, 1975” (with Vivian Fung) supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.
Reverberations:
In March, the Library is delighted to be hosting Reverberations: Literature Out Loud, a festival spotlighting innovations in the arts. In a series of concerts, conversations, and workshops, artists and authors are coming together to celebrate the history of storytelling and sound. Learn more about the festival and discover other events.
Reverberations is organized in partnership with the Opéra Comique and with the generous support of Festival Napa Valley, the American Center for Arts and Culture, and the Florence Gould Foundation. Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (the speakers will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.
Please note, clocks moved forward in the US on 10 March, but do not move forward in France until 31 March: If you are attending a virtual or hybrid program from a US time zone, the time difference will be one hour less between 10 March and 31 March, and will return to normal on 31 March.
Attendance at this event constitutes permission for your photograph or video to be taken at the event and used by the American Library in Paris for marketing, promotional, pedagogical, or other purposes.
Evenings with an Author are free and open to the public (with a 10€ suggested donation)
thanks to the generous support of Gregory Annenberg Weingarten of GRoW @ Annenberg.

Story Hour: Feelings (ages 3–5)
2024-03-20 14:30 - 15:30 | The American Library in Paris
For this Story Hour, we’ll read stories about emotions such as Jenny Mei is Sad by Tracy Subisak (pictured here), as well as songs and rhymes. Sometimes children have a hard time understanding and expressing their feelings, but there are a lot of children’s books to start discussions about feelings. Use the Library’s online catalog and do a subject search for “emotions juvenile fiction” to find more stories about emotions. This activity is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided.
This participatory program is intended to encourage children to actively engage with stories. This Story Hour will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads and Children’s and Teens’ Services Intern Amber Auer. They will read books and lead you and your little one in songs and hand-rhymes during a live, interactive session. Plan to join in, sing along, move around, and model movement and listening for your little one. We ask that all caregivers put away their phones and other electronic devices for the duration of this program. With your help, we hope to foster a lifelong love of reading in children!
Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

(Hybrid) Selby Wynn Schwartz on The Female Khoros
2024-03-19 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
What if women’s lives and relationships were at the center of history? What kinds of stories would we have access to – stories of love between women and of female subjectivity – if our historical record were not dominated by male voices?
In her debut novel, After Sappho, Selby Wynn Schwartz recovers biographical fragments about queer feminist women from history and weaves them together with imagined details. Schwartz breathes life into the stories of these writers, philosophers, and artists, melding their voices together to create a kaleidoscope of women’s experience. Much of the book is written in the voice of a collective, female “we” – what one NPR reviewer calls “the first person choral.” Join us at the Library for a conversation with Schwartz about women’s history, Sapphic lineage, and After Sappho’s genre-bending fusion of fiction and biography.
About the speaker:
Selby Wynn Schwartz is the author of After Sappho (Galley Beggar Press), which was longlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize and shortlisted for both the 2023 Orwell Prize in Political Fiction and the 2023 James Tait Black Prize in Fiction. Her novella A Life in Chameleons received the 2021 Reflex Press Novella Award; in summer 2024, she will be a Fellow at the Maison Dora Maar in Ménerbes. She holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley.
Reverberations:
In March, the Library is delighted to be hosting Reverberations: Literature Out Loud, a festival spotlighting innovations in the arts. In a series of concerts, conversations, and workshops, artists and authors are coming together to celebrate the history of storytelling and sound. Learn more about the festival and discover other events.
Reverberations is organized in partnership with the Opéra Comique and with the generous support of Festival Napa Valley, the American Center for Arts and Culture, and the Florence Gould Foundation. Learn more:
A New York Times review of After Sappho describes Schwartz’s project as “erudite and chatty, grounded in scholarship yet freed from any masculinist impulse for certainty or linear cohesion.” Read the review here.
Be sure to check out an excerpt from After Sappho before the event! Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (the speaker will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.
Please note, clocks moved forward in the US on 10 March, but do not move forward in France until 31 March: If you are attending a virtual or hybrid program from a US time zone, the time difference will be one hour less between 10 March and 31 March, and will return to normal on 31 March.
Attendance at this event constitutes permission for your photograph or video to be taken at the event and used by the American Library in Paris for marketing, promotional, pedagogical, or other purposes. Read along with the Library! If you want to prepare ahead of this event, copies of After Sappho will be on sale one week in advance, as well as after the event. Stop by Member Services to purchase your copy. Books are generously provided by Smith&Son.
Attendees will have the opportunity to have their copy signed following the conversation.
Evenings with an Author are free and open to the public (with a 10€ suggested donation)
thanks to the generous support of Gregory Annenberg Weingarten of GRoW @ Annenberg.

An Opera Masterclass with Cultural Fellows Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek
2024-03-16 15:00 - 17:00 | The American Library in Paris
Join Grammy-nominated composer Missy Mazzoli and Pulitzer Prize-winning librettist Royce Vavrek for a one-day masterclass exploring theatrical writing for the voice.
Participants will share musical and text excerpts with the group and have the chance to receive feedback from two of New York City’s most celebrated opera and musical theater creators. All artists working in contemporary opera, musical theater, art song, and performance art are welcome to apply.

Composers should submit a score (if applicable) and/or documentation of one or two works that include voice. Audio files, video, youtube and Soundcloud links accepted.
Lyricists and Librettisits should submit up to 10 pages of a libretto, or a collection of up to five stand-alone lyrics.

Requirements:

Open to all ages and experience levels
Class will be conducted in English

Advance application is required. Please submit an application by filling out the form at the bottom of this page. The deadline for applications is 15 March 2024. About the artists:
Grammy-nominated composer Missy Mazzoli was deemed “one of the more consistently intentive, surprising composers now working in New York” (The New York Times) and “Brooklyn’s post-millennial Mozart” (Time Out New York). Mazzoli was the Mead Composer-in-Residence at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 2018-2021, and from 2015-2018 she was the Composer-in-Residence with Opera Philadelphia. Mazzoli’s music has been performed internationally by Kronos Quartet, Norwegian National Opera, eighth blackbird, pianist Emanual Ax, Opera Philadelphia, LA Opera, New York City Opera, the Detroit Symphony, the LA Philharmonic, the American Composers Orchestra, the Boston Symphony, JACK Quartet, cellist Maya Beiser, violinist Jennifer Koh, Dublin’s Crash Ensemble, the Sydney Symphony, and many others. In 2018 she made history as one of the first two women to be commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera.
Royce Vavrek is an Alberta-born librettist and lyricist who has been called “the indie Hofmannsthal” (The New Yorker) and “one of the most celebrated and sought after librettists in the world” (CBC Radio). His opera “Angel’s Bone” with composer Du Yun was awarded the 2017 Pulitzer Prize. Upcoming commissions include “Agnes” for Icelandic Opera (with Daníel Bjarnason),“Lincoln in the Bardo” for The Metropolitan Opera (with Missy Mazzoli), “Fanny andAlexander” for La Monnaie (with Mikael Karlsson), “Indians on Vacation” for EdmontonOpera/Against the Grain (with Ian Cusson) and “My Family // Cambodia, 1975” (with Vivian Fung) supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.
Reverberations:
In March, the Library is delighted to be hosting Reverberations: Literature Out Loud, a festival spotlighting innovations in the arts. In a series of concerts, conversations, and workshops, artists and authors are coming together to celebrate the history of storytelling and sound. Learn more about the festival and discover other events.
Reverberations is organized in partnership with the Opéra Comique and with the generous support of Festival Napa Valley, the American Center for Arts and Culture, and the Florence Gould Foundation. Important information:
Advance application is required. Please submit your applications by 9 March 2024.

100 Books to Read Before You Grow Up (ages 0–12)
2024-03-16 11:00 - 12:00 | The American Library in Paris
Answer trivia, play games, and solve puzzles as you learn about 100 books to read before you grow up! Participants will leave with a full list of 100 titles recommended for children of all ages by our Children’s and Teens’ Services staff.
This event will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads with the help of Library volunteers. This activity is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided. All participants must be able to understand, speak, and write in English in order to participate in this program. Children ages 0–6 must have a chaperone with them for the duration of this activity. Children between the ages 6–12 may participate in Library programs on their own, while their chaperone remains inside the Library, however chaperones are encouraged to join in the event.
Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

(Offsite Partner Event) Opéra Comique: Pulcinella & L’Heure Espagnol Nocturne
2024-03-15 22:30 - 23:30
À l’issue du spectacle Pulcinella & L’Heure espagnole, prolongez la soirée avec des artistes de la production ou de l’Académie, lors de postludes musicaux déclinant l’univers du titre à l’affiche, dans une atmosphère plus intime.
Learn more about the event here.

Important information: This event will take place in person at the Opéra Comique, 1 Pl. Boieldieu, 75002 Paris.
Access to this event requires purchase of a ticket through Opéra Comique. Click on the button below to purchase your ticket with a special discounted rate.

(In Person Only) Strange Dreams: An Evening of Music with Cultural Fellows Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek
2024-03-14 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
Following the success of their hit opera Breaking the Waves, which made its French debut at Opéra Comique last season, American composer Missy Mazzoli and Canadian/American librettist Royce Vavrek return to Paris as American Library in Paris Cultural Fellows. In this exclusive preview concert, Mazzoli and Vavrek will present their compositions and speak about current projects. Soprano Amelia Watkins will perform arias from Mazzoli and Vavrek’s last four operas, and the creators will discuss their approach to musical storytelling in the 21st century, an approach that expands the operatic tradition to include stories of cult leaders, female explorers, suburban loneliness and much more.
The Cultural Fellows will be accompanied by Benjamin Alunni, Amelia Watkins, and Fernando Palomeque.
About the artists:
Grammy-nominated composer Missy Mazzoli was deemed “one of the more consistently intentive, surprising composers now working in New York” (The New York Times) and “Brooklyn’s post-millennial Mozart” (Time Out New York). Mazzoli was the Mead Composer-in-Residence at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 2018-2021, and from 2015-2018 she was the Composer-in-Residence with Opera Philadelphia. Mazzoli’s music has been performed internationally by Kronos Quartet, Norwegian National Opera, eighth blackbird, pianist Emanual Ax, Opera Philadelphia, LA Opera, New York City Opera, the Detroit Symphony, the LA Philharmonic, the American Composers Orchestra, the Boston Symphony, JACK Quartet, cellist Maya Beiser, violinist Jennifer Koh, Dublin’s Crash Ensemble, the Sydney Symphony, and many others. In 2018 she made history as one of the first two women to be commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera.
Royce Vavrek is an Alberta-born librettist and lyricist who has been called “the indie Hofmannsthal” (The New Yorker) and “one of the most celebrated and sought after librettists in the world” (CBC Radio). His opera “Angel’s Bone” with composer Du Yun was awarded the 2017 Pulitzer Prize. Upcoming commissions include “Agnes” for Icelandic Opera (with Daníel Bjarnason),“Lincoln in the Bardo” for The Metropolitan Opera (with Missy Mazzoli), “Fanny andAlexander” for La Monnaie (with Mikael Karlsson), “Indians on Vacation” for EdmontonOpera/Against the Grain (with Ian Cusson) and “My Family // Cambodia, 1975” (with Vivian Fung) supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.
While maintaining a major presence in the contemporary music repertoire Benjamin Alunni loves devoting himself to creation. He regularly performs on the stage of several leading stages such as IRCAM-Centre Pompidou, le Théâtre de la Monnaie I De Munt, Théâtres du Luxembourg, l’Opéra Comique, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Lincoln Center, Gulbenkian Foundation… He began his professional career in Baroque music – Christophe Rousset, Skip Sempé, Raphaël Pichon… He has been performing regularly with Les Arts Florissants and William Christie since the revival of the mythical production of Lully‘s Atys. His love for crossing genres have led him to work with choreographers such as Thomas Lebrun – Centre Choreography National de Tours in which he performed at Festival d’Avignon, Palais de Chaillot and while touring France and Asia. Confluence(s) Benjamin’s first solo album – Klarthe records – is dedicated to French melody inspired by Jewish cultures. He is the vocal coach for the Classe Libre at Le Cours Florent in Paris. To find out more, please visit benjaminalunni.com
Dubbed “The divine Ms. Watkins” by the New York Times, soprano Amelia Watkins has performed with leading orchestras and opera companies in the United States, Canada, Asia and Europe. Since her European debut at the Leipzig Gewandhaus, she has appeared with such organizations as the Los Angeles Opera, New York City Opera, the Estates Theatre/National Theatre Prague, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Carnegie Hall, Weill Hall, Lincoln Centre, the Tanglewood Music Festival, the Verbier Festival, The National Arts Centre, the Prototype Festival and with Musica Viva in Hong Kong. Embracing musical styles from Bach to Berio and beyond, Amelia specializes in the works of living and experimental composers. Amelia has been featured in recording on the multi Grammy-nominated album Vocabularies with Bobby McFerrin, Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek’s Song From The Uproar, Albany Record’s New Growth, and Cantaloupe Record’s Acquanetta, and various commercial and indie film scores. ameliawatkins.com
Conductor and pianist (Buenos Aires, 1990), Fernando Palomeque is one of the most recognized Argentine musicians of his generation. He has graduated from the National Conservatory of Music of Paris in the DAI (Post-Master) and obtained his master degree in conducting at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Dusseldorf (Class : Rüdiger Bohn) In addition, he did a specialization in conducting contemporary repertoire with Jean-Philippe Wurtz at the Conservatory of Strasbourg. His engagement with new music, led him to work with some of the most important ensembles in the world such as the Ensemble Intercontemporain, Ensemble Musikfabrik, Klangforum Wien and Ensemble Modern. Until 2024, he will be part of the Young Promising Conductors project of Ulysses Network. Recently, he received the 3rd Prize at the III International Conducting Competition “Città di Brescia.”

Reverberations:
In March, the Library is delighted to be hosting Reverberations: Literature Out Loud, a festival spotlighting innovations in the arts. In a series of concerts, conversations, and workshops, artists and authors are coming together to celebrate the history of storytelling and sound. Learn more about the festival and discover other events.
Reverberations is organized in partnership with the Opéra Comique and with the generous support of Festival Napa Valley, the American Center for Arts and Culture, and the Florence Gould Foundation. Learn more:
Missy and Royce’s opera Breaking the Waves was described as “among the best 21st-century operas yet.” (Opera News) Rewatch their appearance at the American Library in Paris last year to speak about staging the show at Opéra Comique and offer a preview performance.
Missy has been nominated for three Grammy awards, most recently for her 2023 album Dark with Excessive Bright. Listen to an excerpt.
Missy and Royce are currently working on an operatic adaptation of Lincoln in the Bardo, commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera, and slated to premiere at the Met in 2026. Read about this historic commission.
In 2016, alongside composer Ellen Reid, Missy founded Luna Composition Lab, a mentorship program for young female, nonbinary and gender nonconforming composers. Discover their work. Important information: The performance will be in person at the Library only.
Attendance at this event constitutes permission for your photograph or video to be taken at the event and used by the American Library in Paris for marketing, promotional, pedagogical, or other purposes.
Evenings with an Author are free and open to the public (with a 10€ suggested donation)
thanks to the generous support of Gregory Annenberg Weingarten of GRoW @ Annenberg.

(Hybrid) Journeys in Sound and Sight with Dimitris Lyacos and Vanessa Onwuemezi
2024-03-13 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
Join us for an evening of exchange between two contemporary writers: Dimitris Lyacos, author of the highly-esteemed Poena Damni trilogy and Vanessa Onwuemezi, Scholar of Note at the American Library in Paris.
Considered a front-runner for a Nobel Prize in literature, Lyacos is known for the drifting, dreamlike quality of his work. Across his considerable oeuvre, he turns a post-modern eye upon time-honored themes and motifs, including the demarcation between body and spirit, and the tensions between life and death. With blistering language and hallucinatory settings, Lyacos creates worlds that sometimes verge upon the dystopian. His work has been translated into more than 20 languages, making Lyacos among the most-translated contemporary Greek writers.
Onwuemezi is both a poet and a prose fiction writer. In her work, she, too, deals with sweeping themes: themes like language, loss, and family. During her time as a Scholar of Note at the American Library in Paris, Onwuemezi will conduct research into Antillean poetry and philosophy, which will form the foundation for her next project.
At the Library, in a conversation moderated by Nafkote Tamirat, Lyacos and Onwuemezi will come together to explore the overlaps and divergences between their poetic approaches. Their conversation will center upon topics like style, rhythm, setting, and musicality.
About the speakers:
Dimitris Lyacos’s Poena Damni trilogy is one of the best-selling and most highly regarded works of contemporary European literature. Renowned for combining, in a genre-defying form, themes from literary tradition with elements from ritual, religion, philosophy and anthropology, Poena Damni reexamines grand narratives in the context of some of the enduring motifs of the Western Canon, most notably violence, mental illness, the scapegoat and the return of the dead. Developed as a work in progress over the course of three decades, the trilogy has been translated in more than 20 languages and has given rise to musical, visual and theatre projects. Lyacos in an entrant in Who’s Who, the database of the most prominent individuals across all fields of human activity and he is also considered as Greece’s most likely candidate for a Nobel Prize in Literature. Chapter G from the trilogy’s prequel Until the Victim Becomes our Own was published in MAYDAY while chapters D, L and V are forthcoming in Image Journal, River Styx and Chicago Review later on this year.
Vanessa Onwuemezi is a London-based writer and poet. Her short story “At the Heart of Things” won The White Review’s Short Story Prize in 2019. Another of her stories, titled “Green Afternoon,” was shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award in 2022. Onwuemezi published her debut short story collection, Dark Neighbourhood, with Fitzcarraldo Editions in 2021. The collection was named one of The Guardian’s Best Books of 2021; it was also shortlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize and for the Edge Hill Prize in 2022.
Nafkote Tamirat (she/her) is a novelist, short story writer, teacher, and translator. A graduate of Yale University and Columbia University, Nafkote studied translation at the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales, where she translated the Amharic-language play, Yekermo Sew by Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin, which was later performed by the Masrah Ensemble at the Triangles Festival-in-Progress in Beirut. Her first novel, The Parking Lot Attendant, was shortlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. She’s currently working on her second novel, which is about the Ethiopian diaspora in the US, but also exiled giants living in time-loop prisons.
Reverberations:
In March, the Library is delighted to be hosting Reverberations: Literature Out Loud, a festival spotlighting innovations in the arts. In a series of concerts, conversations, and workshops, artists and authors are coming together to celebrate the history of storytelling and sound. Learn more about the festival and discover other events.
Reverberations is organized in partnership with the Opéra Comique and with the generous support of Festival Napa Valley, the American Center for Arts and Culture, and the Florence Gould Foundation. Learn more:
To get a sense of Dimitris Lyacos’s vertiginous poetic style, check out this excerpt from his book Z213: Exit.
Vanessa Onwuemezi came to the Library in 2022 to discuss her widely-acclaimed short-story collection, Dark Neighbourhood. In case you missed it: you can watch a recording of the program here. Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (the speakers will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.
Attendance at this event constitutes permission for your photograph or video to be taken at the event and used by the American Library in Paris for marketing, promotional, pedagogical, or other purposes.
Evenings with an Author are free and open to the public (with a 10€ suggested donation)
thanks to the generous support of Gregory Annenberg Weingarten of GRoW @ Annenberg.

Story Hour: Go Green (ages 3–5)
2024-03-13 14:30 - 15:30 | The American Library in Paris
For this Story Hour, we’ll read stories featuring green characters and creatures, and books that are green, such as Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (pictured here), as well as songs and rhymes.
This Story Hour will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads and Children’s and Teens’ Services Intern Amber Auer. They will read books and lead you and your little one in songs and hand-rhymes during a live, interactive session. This participatory program is intended to encourage children to actively engage with stories. Plan to join in, sing along, and move around, and model movement and listening for your little one. We ask that all caregivers put away their phones and other electronic devices for the duration of this program. This activity is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided.
Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

(In Person Only) Save Haven: A Performance by Composer-in-Residence Nia Franklin
2024-03-12 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
Miss America 2019 sings jazz standards, spirituals, and music of her own from her 2021 EP, Extended. Nia will be accompanied by Julie Sévilla-Fraysse on the cello and Anastasia Calmus on the piano.

About the performer:
Nia Imani Franklin is a composer and singer whose music has been performed by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Friction Quartet, Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and many others. In 2024 Nia was named the inaugural Composer-in-Residence for the American Library in Paris where she will perform this spring. Previous Composer-in-Residence tenures include Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California and Festival Napa Valley where she was awarded the Darioush and Shahpar Khaledi Prize for Excellence and Innovation in Classical Music.
Upon finishing her Lincoln Center fellowship in New York City, she earned the jobs of Miss New York 2018 and Miss America 2019 where she devoted her service to arts education advocacy.
Reverberations:
In March, the Library is delighted to be hosting Reverberations: Literature Out Loud, a festival spotlighting innovations in the arts. In a series of concerts, conversations, and workshops, artists and authors are coming together to celebrate the history of storytelling and sound. Learn more about the festival and discover other events.
Reverberations is organized in partnership with the Opéra Comique and with the generous support of Festival Napa Valley, the American Center for Arts and Culture, and the Florence Gould Foundation. Learn more:
In September of 2021 Nia released her EP, “Extended”, which featured an assortment of all-original RnB songs, and her orchestra piece, “Chrysalis Extended”, which has 3.7 million views on her TikTok profile. Listen to a preview.
In July 2022, Nia premiered her choral piece, “Polaris”, which celebrates Juneteenth having recently become a national holiday in the United States. Festival Napa Valley commissioned this piece and the Young People’s Chorus of New York City performed it live. See a recording.
In 2019, she founded Compose Her – an initiative whose ongoing objective is to empower women in music. Discover this organization. Important information: The performance will be in person at the Library only.
Attendance at this event constitutes permission for your photograph or video to be taken at the event and used by the American Library in Paris for marketing, promotional, pedagogical, or other purposes.
Evenings with an Author are free and open to the public (with a 10€ suggested donation)
thanks to the generous support of Gregory Annenberg Weingarten of GRoW @ Annenberg.

Mysteries, Secrets, and Lies: Karen McManus Talks about Writing Thrillers
2024-03-10 14:00 - 15:30 | The American Library in Paris
Join us as we explore social issues in fiction, the unreliable narrator, plotting mysteries, and more. For this event, novelist Karen McManus will be interviewed by a panel of teen Library members, who will address her writing process, the importance of young adult literature, and the complex characters found in McManus’s twisty young adult thrillers. Following the interview, there will be time for a Q&A.
Aspiring writers can find tips from Karen McManus on the craft here.
About Karen M. McManus: Karen McManus is a #1 New York Times and international bestselling author of young adult thrillers. Her work includes the One of Us Is Lying series, which was turned into a television show on Peacock and Netflix, as well as the standalone novels Two Can Keep a Secret, The Cousins, You’ll Be the Death of Me, and Nothing More to Tell. Karen’s critically acclaimed, award-winning books have been translated into forty-two languages and have sold more than seven million copies worldwide.
Important information:
This event is free for Library members, and 15€ per person for non-members. Advance registration is required. All visitors are expected to familiarize themselves with the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons.
Doors will open at 13h00 for this event. Seating is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Books will be available for purchase at the Library before the signing while supplies last.
Attendance at this event constitutes permission for your photograph or video to be taken at the event and used by the American Library in Paris for marketing, promotional, pedagogical, or other purposes.
Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Counting Kindness with Hollis Kurman (ages 0–12)
2024-03-09 11:00 - 12:00 | The American Library in Paris
Enjoy a reading of Counting Kindness: Ten Ways to Welcome Refugee Children with author Hollis Kurman, then participate in an activity based on the book. After the reading, there will be a time for a Q&A with the author.
The activity is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided. All participants must be able to understand and speak English in order to participate in the program. Children between the ages 6–12 may participate in Library programs on their own, while their chaperone remains inside the Library.
About Hollis Kurman: Hollis Kurman is the author of Counting Kindness: Ten Ways to Welcome Refugee Children (US) ( illustrated by Barroux), which was endorsed by Amnesty International. Her poems (one of which was nominated for a Pushcart Prize) have been published in multiple journals. In addition to her writing, Ms. Hollis moderates a wide range of events and is Chairperson of the Ivy Circle Netherlands. She has served as a member of the Supervisory Boards of Save the Children NL, and she is a member of the Human Rights Watch Global Advisory Council for Women’s Rights and she is a contributing Editor on the Board of Barrow Street Books in NY. You can find out more about Hollis Kurman on her website.

Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Teen Night: Classic Movie Night (ages 12–18)
2024-03-08 19:00 - 21:00 | The American Library in Paris
Vote on the classic film to you’d like to watch when you register for this event. Participate in movie trivia and a game at the start of the evening, then settle in with popcorn and enjoy a screening in the Library’s comfortable reading room. We’ll discuss the film as a group at the end of the night. This event will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads, Children and Teens Services Intern Amber Auer.
Drinks and light snacks will be provided, as well as lots of popcorn. Important information:
This event is free for Library members, and 15€ per teen for non-members. Advance registration is required. All visitors are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. After-hours events for teens, such as Teen Nights, require a signed permission slip, which can be downloaded here. One permission slip is needed per academic year (September–July).
Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.
