The American Library in Paris

Bookworms Book Club: "The Last Cuentista" (ages 9–12)
2022-09-24 14:00 - 15:00 (Europe/Paris) | The American Library in Paris
Discuss the 2022 Newbery Medal-winning novel The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera, and explore what it means to live in a dystopian world, and to share our stories.

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’s and Teens’ Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

(In Person at the Pompidou in Vincennes) Festival America: Politique de la Littérature with Jonathan Franzen, Karl Marlantes, and Viet Thanh Nguyen
2022-09-24 18:15 - 19:30 | Centre Culturel Georges Pompidou in Vincennes, 142 rue de Fontenay, Vincennes, 94300, France
As part of Festival America, join Jonathan Franzen, Karl Marlantes, and Viet Thanh Nguyen for a panel on the politics of literature. To write a novel can be an eminently political gesture. Whether one is denouncing infamy, reporting on unjust living conditions, or telling the story of a just fight, there are many books that have accompanied, throughout history, the struggles of humanity. How does the writer wield material that is simultaneously historical and political? Like Dos Passos, Steinbeck or Toni Morrison, writers of this camp do not intend to write to entertain, but rather to help open our eyes to the world as it is.
About the speakers:
Jonathan Franzen is an essayist and novelist. He is the author of six novels, including The Corrections (2021), which was awarded a National Book Award, a James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Franzen is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Karl Marlantes is an American author. His work Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War received the 2011 Washington State Book Award. His other works are What it is Like to Go to War (2011) and Deep River (2019).
Viet Thanh Nguyen is the author of eight works. His 2016 novel The Sympathizer was awarded the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, the Edgar Award for Best First Novel, and the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. He is the Aerol Arnold Professor of English and American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California and a recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim and MacArthur foundations.
Important information: The discussion will take place in person at the Centre Culturel Georges Pompidou at 142 rue de Fontenay 94300 Vincennes
Access to this event requires the advance purchase of a one or two-day PASS through the Festival America website. Click the button below to get your Pass.

(In Person at the Maison des Associations in Vincennes) Festival America: L'empire des Sens with Marcial Gala, Brandon Taylor, and Bryan Washington
2022-09-25 15:30 - 17:00 | Maison des Associations, 41 Rue Raymond du Temple, Vincennes, 94300, France
As part of Festival America, writers Marcial Gala, Brandon Taylor, and Bryan Washington will discuss desire and the body in literature. How does writing give flesh to sensation? What is the bodily experience of writing? From the famous denial of the senses performed by Descartes in order to doubt his own identity to the modern day, the relationship between sensation, embodiment, and writing has been at the center of literature and philosophy. The authors will interrogate the limits of literature faced with the contours of desire, considering its capacity to describe the intimate, the corporeal, and the sensual. Join them as they voyage into the empire of the senses.
About the speakers:
Marcial Gala is a Cuban novelist, poet, and architect. He is the author of four works, including The Black Cathedral (2012), awarded the 2012 Alejo Carpentier Award for novels and Critics’ Award for the best books published in Cuba in 2012. Gala’s most recent work, Call me Cassandra (2018), was awarded the 2018 Ñ Prize of the City of Buenos Aires-Clarín.
Brandon Taylor is a novelist. His debut novel Real Life (2020) was a finalist for the 2020 Booker Prize, The National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Prize, and the 2021 Young Lions Fiction Award, and was named a NYT Editors’ Choice and NYT Notable Book. His story collection Filthy Animals (2021) was awarded the 2022 Story Prize and was a finalist for the Dylan Thomas Prize.
Bryan Washington is the author of three works. His debut story collection Lot (2019) was the winner of the 2019 Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence, the 2020 Dylan Thomas Prize, and the 2020 Lambda Literary Award for Gay Fiction. Washington’s debut novel Memorial (2020) was named a New York Times Notable Book of 2020 and TIME Book of the Year.
Important information: The discussion will take place in person at the Maison des Associations at 41 Rue Raymond du Temple, 94300 Vincennes
Access to this event requires advance purchase of a one or two-day PASS through the Festival America website. Click the button below to purchase your Pass.

(Hybrid) An Evening with Joyce Maynard
2022-09-27 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
Joyce Maynard is a renowned American author celebrated for her cool voice, clear gaze, and stylistic breadth. A figure of national attention since the publication of her first essay in the New York Times at age eighteen, Maynard has now authored eighteen books. Over the course of this long career, Maynard has worked as a New York Times reporter, a syndicated newspaper columnist, a performer with the Moth, and a contributor to NPR, Vogue, the New York Times Magazine, and others. Her most recent novel, Count the Ways, was published in July 2021. She will be speaking on her writing process, the trajectory of her work, and a life lived dedicated to the written word.
About the speaker:
Joyce Maynard is an author and essayist. She is a fellow of the MacDowell Colony and Yaddo as well as the founder of Write by the Lake, a memoir-writing workshop. Her works Labor Day (2009), To Die For (1992), Under the Influence (2016), and memoirs At Home in the World (1998) and The Best of Us (2017) were New York Times bestselling novels.
Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (Maynard 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 event requires advance registration.
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) Peter Conradi on Who Lost Russia
2022-09-28 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
In 2017, author and journalist Peter Conradi released Who Lost Russia? How the World Entered a New Cold War. The work offered expert analysis of Western policy toward Russia following the fall of the USSR. Conradi drew a straight line from the political and economic isolation of Russia to Putin’s rise, and diagnosed his determination to rebuild the Soviet empire. In 2022 with the invasion of Ukraine, Conradi saw his prediction confirmed. In this updated edition of the celebrated book, Conradi turns his attention to Ukraine, examining the war in the context of Russia’s post-Soviet history and Putin’s authoritarian regime. With clarity and precision, Conradi considers what the consequences will be for Europe and the world. Conradi will be in conversation with journalist Vivienne Walt.
About the speakers:
Peter Conradi is the Europe Editor of the Sunday Times. He is the author of The Red Ripper: Inside the Mind of Russia’s Most Brutal Serial Killer (1992) and Hitler’s Piano Player (2002), and co-author of the best-selling book The King’s Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy (2010).
Vivienne Walt is a Paris correspondent for TIME Magazine and Fortune Magazine. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, BusinessWeek, and more. She is governor of the Overseas Press Club of America.
Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (Conradi 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 event requires advance registration.
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.

Teen Night: Photography with Angelica Brewis (ages 12–18)
2022-09-30 19:00 - 21:00 | The American Library in Paris
Get to know other creative teens and aspiring photographers as you explore photography with Angelica Brewis. Participants will ideally have a camera with manual capacities (to change the ISO settings, aperture, etc.) so that they can learn technical aspects of photography as well as working on their technique, however several cameras will be provided.
About Angelica Brewis: Born in Jamaica, Angelica is a global citizen who has traveled extensively and lived in Canada, the U.S.A., Australia, England, and now Paris. While in high school she took an interest in photography where one of her black and white portraits gave her recognition winning first place. She learned how to develop and enlarge her black and white photography in a darkroom and went on to obtain a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a major in Photography in Toronto, Canada.
After a year working as a freelance photographer, Angelica returned to university to obtain a Graduate Diploma in Education and become an elementary school teacher. She currently teaches at a bilingual school in Paris while simultaneously pursuing her passion for photography. Find out more About Angelica here.

Important information: Advance registration is required to attend this event, and each teen must have a signed permission slip on file at the Library in order to participate. Participation in teen events is free for Library members and 15 euros per person for non-members. Library 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. 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.

Creating Scary Stories* (ages 8–12)
2022-10-01 11:00 - 12:00 | The American Library in Paris
Join Children and Teens’ Services Intern Diya and Library volunteers in a creative writing workshop, and write spine tingling stories in time for Halloween!

Children between the ages 8–12 may participate in Library programs on their own, while their chaperone remains inside the Library.

*This event is part of our Halloween Extravaganza programming. Costumes and festive attire are welcome!

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.

Entre Nous: The Deeper End with Deborah Levy and Colombe Schneck
2022-10-03 19:00 - 20:00 | Reid Hall, 4 Rue de Chevreuse, Paris, Paris, 75006, France
Thought streams, digressions, surface, breath. A conversation about swimming & writing.
The Entre Nous series is co-organized by Columbia Global Centers | Paris, the Institute for Ideas and Imagination, and the American Library in Paris.
About the speakers:
Deborah Levy is the author of acclaimed novels, short stories and plays. She has written for the Royal Shakespeare Company and dramatized Freud’s two most iconic case histories for the BBC, Dora and The Wolf Man. Her novels Swimming Home (2011) and Hot Milk (2016) were shortlisted for the Booker Prize. The Man Who Saw Everything (2019) was long listed for the Booker. The Cost of Living and Things I Don’t Want to Know, translated by Celine Leroy in France, won the Prix Femina Etranger 2020. Real Estate, the final volume of her ‘living autobiography’ trilogy, was awarded The Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose, 2022. Her new novel, August Blue, will be published by FSG in the US, Hamish Hamilton in the UK. Levy is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Literature and is currently writing a book about Gertrude Stein, titled MAMA OF DADA.
Colombe Schneck is a French writer, journalist, director of documentary films, and swimmer. She swam in all 46 municipal swimming pools in Paris for her most recent work titled Paris à la nage. She is currently working on a new novel which will be published by Grasset in 2023 and writing a weekly column about her reading for Madame Figaro. She has directed four documentary films, authored eleven books of fiction and non fiction, and has received prizes from the Académie Française, Madame Figaro and the Society of French Writers, as well as having been short-listed for the Renaudot, Femina, and Interallié prizes. She is the recipient of scholarships from the Villa Medicis in Rome and the Institut Français. She received the Stendhal grant which helps writers do research and write abroad for a novel about women in Bolivia.
Important information: This event will take place in person at Reid Hall | Columbia Global Centers at 4 rue de Chevreuse.
Access to this event requires registration through Columbia Global Centers | Paris. Click on the button below to reserve your place.

(Hybrid): An Evening with Deborah Levy
2022-10-04 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
Acclaimed novelist, playwright, and poet Deborah Levy will speak at the Library on her distinctive style and extensive career. Celebrated for her turbulent, dream-infused prose and philosophical agility, Levy is a master of language and a cataloguer of its failures, exploring the limits of what can be articulated. Her ‘living autobiographies’, a trilogy fusing memoir with theoretical musings, serve as dispatches from liminal spaces. Levy slips through time and sifts through memory. She conjures the life of a woman and artist seeking to understand womanhood and the practice of art. Join her as she details her experience writing in the “storm of life.”
About the speaker:
Deborah Levy is the author of acclaimed novels, short stories and plays. She has written for the Royal Shakespeare Company and dramatized Freud’s two most iconic case histories for the BBC, Dora and The Wolf Man. Her novels Swimming Home (2011) and Hot Milk (2016) were shortlisted for the Booker Prize. The Man Who Saw Everything (2019) was long listed for the Booker. The Cost of Living and Things I Don’t Want to Know, translated by Celine Leroy in France, won the Prix Femina Etranger 2020. Real Estate, the final volume of her ‘living autobiography’ trilogy, was awarded The Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose, 2022. Her new novel, August Blue, will be published by FSG in the US, Hamish Hamilton in the UK. Levy is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Literature and is currently writing a book about Gertrude Stein, titled MAMA OF DADA.
Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (Levy 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 event requires advance registration.
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) Matthieu Aikins and Luke Mogelson on Wartime Journalism
2022-10-05 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
What is the role of a war correspondent? What challenges await the reporter in the war zone, and how are they mitigated? What ethical obligations does one have when covering war? Faced with constant danger, violent regimes, mass displacement, and fatality, what can journalism do? Join journalists Matthieu Aikins and Luke Mogelson as they discuss their experiences on the ground in war zones. From Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq, to recent reporting in Ukraine, Aikins and Mogelson have witnessed countless scenes of destruction, terror, and tragedy. At risk to their own lives, they have documented the civilian experience and amplified disempowered voices. They will share what they have seen, and why war reporting matters.
Read recent reporting by Aikins on the Taliban here.
Discover Mogelson’s writing on Syria.
About the speakers:
Luke Mogelson has been a contributing writer for the New Yorker since 2013, covering the wars in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, and Ukraine. He was previously based in Kabul as a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine. Mogelson is the author of The Storm is Here (2022). He is the recipient of two National Magazine Awards and two George Polk Awards.
Matthieu Aikins is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of The Naked Don’t Fear the Water (2022). He is a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine and a contributing editor at Rolling Stone. He was a 2020-21 Visiting Fellow at the American Library, which was generously supported by The de Groot Foundation.
Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (Aikins and Mogelson 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 event will be followed by a catered reception.
Advanced registration required. RSVP below.
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.

Toddler Time: Pumpkin Party* (ages 1–3)
2022-10-06 11:00 - 11:30 | The American Library in Paris
Books featured during our Toddler Time events include short picture books and board books, such as Amara’s Farm by JaNay Brown-Wood, illustrated by Samara Hardy, which will be included in this 6 October event. Our Toddler Time is for children ages 1–3 and their caregivers. The program lasts 30 minutes and this session will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads and Assistant Children’s and Teens’ Services Librarian Jason Hazard. 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.

*This event is part of our Halloween Extravaganza programming. Costumes and festive attire are welcome!

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.

Teen Night: Monster Machines* with David Zikovitz (ages 12–18)
2022-10-07 19:00 - 21:00 | The American Library in Paris
We all know paper is magic. Putting words and pictures on paper can transport us to new worlds, teach us new ideas, and give us new experiences. In this workshop with David Zikovitz we’ll find out what else paper can do, giving it a technological upgrade and turning it into so much more! We’ll incorporate conductive materials and electronics components and explore paper’s structural qualities to make monster cards, books, or sculptures that come to three-dimensional, interactive life.
About David Zikovitz: David is a Paris-based maker and educator. Originally from Toronto, Canada, he has taught and studied in international schools and learning communities around the world, including in Tokyo, Milan, and most recently New York City. He currently teaches coding and digital fabrication at Columbia University’s Teachers College where he is also a member of the Transformative Learning Technologies Lab and the Snow Day Learning Lab, both dedicated to researching and developing innovative technological learning experiences for young people. He’s particularly interested in the use of technology in informal learning spaces.
*This event is part of the Library’s Halloween Extravaganza programming.

Important information: Advance registration is required to attend this event, and each teen must have a signed permission slip on file at the Library in order to participate. Participation in teen events is free for Library members and 15€ per person for non-members. Library 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. 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.

Write Your Own Scary Story (ages 12–18)
2022-10-08 14:00 - 15:30 | The American Library in Paris
Join Front of House Assistant Pallas-Amenah Morgan as she guides you in the creation of your own original scary stories. You’ll take a look at examples of short, chilling tales, then use prompts to create your own spine-tingling works. All supplies will be provided, as well as light snacks. Important information: This event is free for Library members, and 15€ per person for non-members, and advance registration is required. All Library users are expected to familiarize themselves with 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) Nobles and Yeomen: How French Brought 'Class' to English with Peter Sokolowski
2022-10-11 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
French words that we use in English might seem fancy—like cuisine or couture. But these borrowings are just the more recent French invaders into our vocabulary since the time of the Norman Conquest. Waves of French and Latin words over the centuries tell much more than a linguistic story: they are a map of how we identify class and privilege in the words we use every day.
About the speaker:
Peter Sokolowski is Editor at Large at Merriam-Webster. He has written definitions for many of Merriam-Webster’s dictionaries, is active as a blogger, podcaster, and speaker on language, and has served as pronouncer for spelling bees worldwide. He was named among TIME‘s 140 Best Twitter Feeds of 2013.
Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (Sokolowski 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 event requires advance registration.
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: Pretty Pumpkins* (ages 3–5)
2022-10-12 14:30 - 15:30 | The American Library in Paris
For this Story Hour, we’ll read stories (factual and fictional) silly, friendly, about pumpkins, including the Piggies in the Pumpkin Patch by Mary Peterson and Jennifer Rofé.
This Story Hour will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads and Assistant Children’s and Teens’ Services Librarian Jason Hazard. 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 caregivers put away their phones and other devices for the duration of this program.
*This event is part of our Halloween Extravaganza programming. Costumes and festive attire are welcome!

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) Lindsey Tramuta, Rokhaya Diallo, and Grace Ly on Who Represents France
2022-10-12 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
France, with its wine country and white cliffs, has resided in the public imagination for centuries. The image of Paris has undergone a series of transformations: at varying points an artistic refuge, City of Love, symbol of the aristocratic world, and center of revolution, the capital’s historical identity is rich and many-sided. Yet what lurks behind the city, the country, and its people when one looks beyond images of bread, cheese, and berets? How have stereotypes evolved with social media, immigration, and a changing political landscape over the twenty-first century? What do they share with the reality of contemporary France? Join authors Lindsey Tramuta, Rokhaya Diallo, and Grace Ly to discuss the fictions and fantasies of modern French life.
About the speakers:
Lindsey Tramuta is Paris-based journalist and author. She has written for the New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, and Vogue, among others. She has published two books: The New Paris: the People, Places, and Ideas Fueling a Movement (2017) and The New Parisienne: the Women and Ideas Shaping Paris (2020).
Rokhaya Diallo is a French journalist, author, and filmmaker known for her activism in the fields of racial and sexual equality. Her work has appeared in the Guardian, Al Jazeera, the Washington Post, Slate, and ELLE Magazine among others. She has published 10 acclaimed books, including a graphic novel, and has produced five activist documentaries.
Grace Ly is an author, podcaster, and anti-racist and feminist activist. Her debut novel, Jeune fille modèle, was published in 2018. Ly is the creator of the web series Ça reste entre nous and co-hosts the podcast Kiffe Ta Race with Rokhaya Diallo.
Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (Tramuta, Diallo, and Ly 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 event is organized in partnership with The Californien.
This event requires advance registration.
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) Processing the Processed Food Industry with Michael Moss
2022-10-13 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
From unscientific diets to snake-oil products, ‘healthy eating’ has never been a more nebulous term or challenging project. Nutrition labels, packed with figures and jargon, are little help in understanding the content of what we consume. In fact, argues Michael Moss, they only serve to further mystify it. In Salt Sugar Fat and Hooked, Moss reveals the secret ingredients to processed food’s domination of supermarkets. Hidden behind the foods many Americans love most–potato chips, cookies, soda–is a world of research and marketing aimed at designing the perfect, and most perfectly addictive, snack. Join Moss at the American Library to learn how the world got hooked, and what we can do now.
About the speaker:
Michael Moss is a journalist and author of two New York Times bestselling books on the processed food industry, Salt Sugar Fat (2014) and Hooked (2021). He is a frequent guest on newscasts globally, from CBS This Morning to the BBC. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting in 2010 for his investigation of the dangers of contaminated meat.
Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (Moss 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 event requires advance registration.
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.

Saturday Series: Ghost Stories* (ages 6–12)
2022-10-15 11:00 - 12:00 | The American Library in Paris
Join the Children and Teens’ Services team to learn about famous ghost stories, listen to a few famous tales, and then tell one of your own!

Children between the ages 6–12 may participate in Library programs on their own, while their chaperone remains inside the Library.
*This event is part of our Halloween Extravaganza programming. Costumes and festive attire are welcome! 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) Writing Ukraine Panel
2022-10-18 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
Is writing possible when one’s country is at war? What can it achieve, and what are its limits? What is the relationship of writing to grief, loss, violence, and peace? In 2022, when the stakes have never been higher, what does it mean to try to write Ukraine? A panel of Ukrainian and Ukrainian-American authors convene to discuss.
About the speakers:
Sonya Bilocerkowycz is a Ukrainian-American writer. She is the author of On Our Way Home From the Revolution (2019), winner of the Gournay Prize for a debut essay collection. Bilocerkowycz has been published in Guernica, Ninth Letter, the New York Review of Books, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. She was named a 2022 National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellow.
Artem Chapeye has authored five novels and four books of creative nonfiction, and is a co-author of a book of war reportage. A four-time finalist of the BBC Book of the Year Award, his recent collection The Ukraine was one of three finalists in the award’s new nonfiction category in 2018. His novel Migrant was published in French in 2021, The Ukraine is forthcoming in English in 2023. In March 2022, Artem voluntarily enlisted in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, where he is still serving.
Irena Karpa is a writer and journalist who has authored twelve books of prose and one children’s book. She is also the frontwoman of the alternative music group Qarpa. Karpa has contributed to Vanity Fair and Deutsche Welle, and is a frequent guest on French broadcasting. She has been leading online therapeutic writing courses during the war.
Olesya Khromeychuk is a historian and writer. She has taught the history of East-Central Europe at several British universities, and written for the New York Review of Books, Der Spiegel, the Los Angeles Review of Books, openDemocracy and Prospect.. Khromeychuk is the author of The Death of a Soldier Told by His Sister (2022) and “Undetermined” Ukrainians. Post-War Narratives of the Waffen SS “Galicia” Division (2013). She is currently the Director of the Ukrainian Institute London.
Lyuba Yakimchuk is a poet, playwright and screenwriter. She is the author of several full-length poetry collections, including Apricots of Donbas, which has been translated into more than twenty languages. She is also the celebrated author of two film scripts and two plays. She is the first-ever poet performer at the Grammy Awards: in 2022 she performed her poem, “Prayer,” as part of the Free piece by John Legend dedicated to Ukraine.
Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the panel will take place 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 event is organized with the help of the Tompkins Agency for Ukrainian Literature in Translation.
Advance registration required.
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: Witches in the Air* (ages 3–5)
2022-10-19 14:30 - 15:30 | The American Library in Paris
For this Story Hour, we’ll read stories all about witches, including A Very Brave Witch by Allison McGhee and Harry Bliss.
This Story Hour will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads and Assistant Children’s and Teens’ Services Librarian Jason Hazard. 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 caregivers put away their phones and other devices for the duration of this program.

*This event is part of our Halloween Extravaganza programming. Costumes and festive attire are welcome!

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.

Teen Night: Creepy Campfire Tales* (ages 12–18)
2022-10-21 19:00 - 21:00 | The American Library in Paris
Join us around a (fake) campfire and read scary stories or share one of your own, as we enjoy marshmallows and hot drinks.
Light snacks will be provided.
*This event is part of the Library’s Halloween Extravaganza programming.

Important information: Advance registration is required to attend this event, and each teen must have a signed permission slip on file at the Library in order to participate. Participation in teen events is free for Library members and 15€ per person for non-members. Library 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. 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) Hélène Périvier on The Feminist Economy
2022-10-25 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
Can one be both an economist and a feminist? This is the guiding question of Héléne Périvier’s L’économie féministe, which seeks to rebuke the alleged neutrality of economics and expose its gendered core. The study of economics, Périvier argues, was developed by men to serve a society led by men, and the field’s fundamental concepts and methods of analysis are derived from a patriarchal model. This is also a field in which women are severely underrepresented: barely a quarter of all economists are women. Responding to the challenges of a discipline which undermines women and from which women are largely absent, Périvier proposes a critical alternative to the established economic model: the feminist economy.
About the speaker:
Héléne Périvier is an economist at the Observatoire française des conjonctures économiques of Sciences Po Université, where she is also director of the Programme de Recherche et d’Enseignement des Savoirs sur le Genre (PRESAGE). Périvier led the European Commission’s Effective Gender Equality in Research and the Academia project from 2014-2017. L’économie féministe was published in 2020.
Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (Périvier 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 event requires advance registration.
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: Halloween Surprises* (ages 3–5)
2022-10-26 14:30 - 15:30 | The American Library in Paris
For this Story Hour, we’ll read stories all about Halloween, including The Boo Book by Nathaniel Lachenmeyer and Nicoletta Ceccoli.
This Story Hour will be hosted by Assistant Children’s and Teens’ Services Librarian Jason Hazard and Library Volunteer Mary Wessels. 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 caregivers put away their phones and other devices for the duration of this program.
*This event is part of our Halloween Extravaganza programming. Costumes and festive attire are welcome!

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) Jeff Deutsch on In Praise of Good Bookstores
2022-10-26 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
What is the role of the bookstore in the contemporary, digital age? What services does it offer that mammoth entities such as Amazon lack? Can bookstores change the way we read? In his eloquent and impassioned debut, In Praise of Good Bookstores, bookseller Jeff Deutsch argues that bookstores are much more than commercial enterprises. Rather, they are civic institutions which promote unquantifiable values: community, friendship, self-reflection, meditation, and more. Drawing upon economic, literary, and art history, Deutsch also calls upon his personal experience as director of Chicago’s renowned Seminary Co-op Bookstores to make the case for the personal and public necessity of good bookstores.
About the speaker:
Jeff Deutsch is the director of Chicago’s Seminary Co-op Bookstores, the first not-for-profit bookstore whose mission is bookselling.
Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (Deutsch 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 event requires advance registration.
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.

Halloween Extravaganza: Halloween Hullabaloo* (ages 0–6) (Ticketed Event) (SOLD OUT)
2022-10-29 11:00 - 12:30 | The American Library in Paris
This family event for Library members features a Halloween story time and a musical performance for our youngest members, as well as games and surprises throughout the Library. The event will culminate in a costume contest. Costume prizes will be awarded in several categories for children, with a special prize for parents.
Light snacks and refreshments will be provided.
This event will feature a musical performance by Jessica Moore. Jessica is a singer, vocal arranger, music teacher and songwriter. She studied vocal performance at The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance in London where she graduated with first class honours. When in London, she was apart of professional choir ProVoc. In Paris, Jessica runs VOXXY, an a cappella choir for women (whether they sing professionally or not!) She believes that music is for everyone! Jessica is also the lead vocalist of M U U N E. She works as a music teacher at Rock U. where she teaches voice, bass, ukulele, keys and guitar. Jessica can be found @jessicamoorevox across social media.
TICKETS REQUIRED: Tickets must be purchased in advance. Members may purchase tickets at the Children’s & Teens’ Services Desk beginning on Saturday 1 October: 10€ per person (Library members), 20€ per person (non-members). Library members may purchase up to two tickets for non-member guests, however the non-member fee applies. If tickets remain on 15 October, they will then be available for non-members. Each person attending this event must have a valid ticket (except babies under one). All reservations are final and tickets are non-refundable.
Important information: Library 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.

Halloween Extravaganza: Horrific Halloween (ages 6+) (Ticketed Event) (SOLD OUT)
2022-10-29 15:00 - 16:30 | The American Library in Paris
This family event for Library members features a Halloween story time and a musical performance for older children and their chaperones, as well as games and surprises throughout the Library. The event will culminate in a costume contest with costume prizes awarded in several categories for children, and a special prize for parents.
Light snacks and refreshments will be provided.
This event will feature a musical performance by Jessica Moore. Jessica is a singer, vocal arranger, music teacher and songwriter. She studied vocal performance at The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance in London where she graduated with first class honours. When in London, she was apart of professional choir ProVoc. In Paris, Jessica runs VOXXY, an a cappella choir for women (whether they sing professionally or not!) She believes that music is for everyone! Jessica is also the lead vocalist of M U U N E. She works as a music teacher at Rock U. where she teaches voice, bass, ukulele, keys and guitar. Jessica can be found @jessicamoorevox across social media.

TICKETS REQUIRED: Tickets must be purchased in advance. Members may purchase tickets at the Children’s & Teens’ Services Desk beginning on Saturday 1 October: 10€ per person (Library members), 20€ per person (non-members). Library members may purchase up to two tickets for non-member guests, however the non-member fee applies. If tickets remain on 15 October, they will then be available for non-members. Each person attending this event must have a valid ticket (except babies under one). All reservations are final and tickets are non-refundable. 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.

Halloween Extravaganza: The Haunted Library* (ages 8+) (Ticketed Event)
2022-10-29 18:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
In the evening on Saturday 29 October, the American Library in Paris will turn into a Haunted Library, with guided tours throughout the dark, and winding Library stacks. Grab your bravest friends, and explore the Library as you’ve never seen it before. Tours last 20-30 minutes, and must be booked in advance. Short horror films created by the Library’s Master Shot Film Club will be screened in the Library’s Reading Room, followed by a costume contest at 20h30.
Light snacks and refreshments will be provided.
TICKETS REQUIRED: Tickets must be purchased in advance. Members may purchase tickets at the Children’s & Teens’ Services Desk beginning on Saturday 1 October: 10€ per person (Library members), 20€ per person (non-members). Library members may purchase up to two tickets for non-member guests, however the non-member fee applies. If tickets remain on 15 October, they will then be available for non-members. Each person attending this event must have a valid ticket. No children under the age of 8 will be admitted. All reservations are final and tickets are non-refundable.
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.

Story Hour: Wheels Go Round (ages 3–5)
2022-11-02 14:30 - 15:30 | The American Library in Paris
For this Story Hour, we’ll read stories all about vehicles, including Wheels by Sally Sutton and Brian Lovelock.
This Story Hour will be hosted by Assistant Children’s and Teens’ Services Librarian Jason Hazard and Library Volunteer Mary Wessels. 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 caregivers put away their phones and other devices for the duration of this program.

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) Justin Smith on The Internet is Not What You Think It Is
2022-11-02 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
The internet was born out of a desire to improve human life. By increasing access to information and facilitating communication, it would bring human beings closer, united in their quest for enlightened living. This utopian dream, argues historian Justin Smith in new work The Internet Is Not What You Think It Is, is the product of centuries of work aimed at making knowledge distributable. Unfortunately, Smith contends, this dream is officially, definitively dead. Considering social media, information algorithms, and smartphone dependency, Smith shows how the internet was transformed from social tool to social problem. Equal parts intellectual history, philosophical treatise, and manifesto, the book sounds the alarm for our future. Smith will be in conversation with Analog Sea founding editor Jonathan Simons and American Library Programs Manager Alice McCrum.
About the speaker:
Justin Smith is a historian and philosopher of science. A professor at the University of Paris, Smith is the author of Irrationality: A History of the Dark Side of Reason (2019), The Philosopher: A History in Six Types (2016), and Divine Machines: Leibniz and the Sciences of Life (2011).
Jonathan Simons is the founding editor of offline publishing house Analog Sea and its literary journal, The Analog Sea Review. As a poet and essayist, he has written for publications including the London Magazine, PN Review, El País, subTerrain Magazine, and the Analog Sea Review.
Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (Smith 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.
US viewers, please note French daylight savings time. This event will happen at 2:30 pm EDT.
This event requires advance registration.
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.

Entre Nous: Three Archives in Conversation with Lynnette Widder, João Pina, and Mila Turajlić
2022-11-08 19:00 - 20:00 | Reid Hall, 4 Rue de Chevreuse, Paris, Paris, 75006, France
Archives are imagined to be well-ordered places of safe-keeping; but most discoveries are made in unsuspected and unordered repositories of the past. Lynnette Widder, João Pina, and Mila Turajlić will talk about their experiences with archives as a catalyst for their work – archives neglected by history, maintained by families, sequestered in institutions, left behind in unculled bequests.
The conversation is in celebration of Widder’s architecture book Year Zero to Economic Miracle: Hans Schwippert and Sep Ruf in Postwar West German Building Culture and Turajlić’s documentary film Ciné-guerrillas: The Scenes From the Labudović Reels, and in anticipation of Pina’s forthcoming book on the discovery of family photographs of the Tarrafal concentration camp in Cape Verde.
The Entre Nous series is co-organized by Columbia Global Centers | Paris, the Institute for Ideas and Imagination, and the American Library in Paris.
Important information: This event will take place in person at Reid Hall | Columbia Global Centers at 4 rue de Chevreuse.
Access to this event requires registration through Columbia Global Centers | Paris. Click on the button below to reserve your place.
