The American Library in Paris

Dog Man Party (ages 6–12)
2024-09-28 11:00 - 12:00 (Europe/Paris) | The American Library in Paris
Celebrate comics and reading for fun, and share your love of Dog Man by joining us for this supa fun celebration. Participants will make art inspired by Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man series, play trivia, and more. Costumes are encouraged for adults and children alike. Dog Man is go!
Library programs are created to encourage children to actively engage with stories. This activity is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided. 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.

ACOTAR Fan Club: A Book Group (ages 12+)
2024-09-28 14:00 - 15:00
Meet other fantasy readers and fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR), and discuss the series, your favorite characters, and the world. This book club will be facilitated by Children’s and Teens’ Services Intern (and ACOTAR fan) Zara Lees.
Light snacks and drinks will be provided by the Library. 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.
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.

Music Together with Stacey Pavesi Debré (ages 0–5)
2024-09-28 16:00 - 17:00, 2024-10-19 14:00 - 15:00
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.

Writing A College Admission Essay with Cathy Altman Nocquet (ages 14–18)
2024-09-29 15:00 - 17:00
Platitudinous droning, however polished, will not get you into the college of your choice. University admissions officers want to know who you are and how you think, not read your affirmation that “music is the universal language.” Finding your own voice and unique content for your essay will not only help your application rise to the top, it will improve your writing overall. Join writing coach and author Cathy Altman Nocquet for insights and writing exercises that will help you craft a strong college essay.
About Cathy Altman Nocquet: Cathy Altman Nocquet graduated from Barnard College/Columbia University and made a career of creative thinking while working in international advertising as a writer and strategist. Her workshops feature original exercises designed to conquer writer’s block and facilitate written expression. In addition to working with students from dozens of schools in the US and Europe one-on-one or in groups, she has led workshops at libraries and for the English Language Schools Association as well as other non-profit educational groups. Her work has been shortlisted and nominated for Editorial Prizes in national and international writing competitions. Her books, Write Outside the Lines: A Creativity Catapult and Write a Bad College Essay, Then Write the One That Gets You In, and her novel, Near Misses, are available at the Library. 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.
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) Does Grief Ever End? With Cody Delistraty and Lindsey Tramuta
2024-10-01 19:30 - 20:30
Cody Delistraty lost his mother to cancer when he was in his early 20s. As he explored ways to mediate his grief, the American Psychological Association and World Health Organization announced a diagnosis: Prolonged Grief Disorder. While this diagnosis allowed for novel treatment, Delistraty was left with a question: Should we treat grief medically?
Delistraty appears in conversation with Paris-based writer and travel journalist Lindsey Tramuta.
About the speakers:
Cody Delistraty is a writer and speechwriter, most recently working as the culture editor at the Wall Street Journal Magazine. He has written for the New York Times, the New Yorker, the Atlantic, and was the European arts columnist for the Paris Review. He has degrees in politics from New York University and in history from the University of Oxford. British Vogue named him a best young writer of the year, and he has frequently given talks about art, creativity, and loss. He lives in New York City.
Lindsey Tramuta has been based in Paris since 2006. She is a bilingual French-English culture and travel journalist, bestselling author, podcaster, and editorial consultant. Since 2012, her work has appeared in T: The New York Times Style Magazine, the New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, Fortune Magazine, Afar Magazine, Travel & Leisure, Eater, Bloomberg, Elle, and Vogue, among other international publications. 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: Seasons Change (ages 3–5)
2024-10-02 14:30 - 15:30
For this Story Hour, we’ll read stories both factual and fictional all about the seasons, which a special emphasis on fall. Stories include picture books for young children such as Goodbye, Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak (pictured here). We’ll also sing songs and practice rhymes.
This program is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided. This participatory program is intended to encourage children to actively engage with stories. Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads and Intern Zara Lees, 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) Illustrating Exile with Edel Rodriguez and Maria Krasinski
2024-10-02 19:30 - 20:30
Hailed for his iconic art on the cover of Time and dubbed “America’s illustrator in chief” (Fast Company), Edel Rodriguez is among the most prominent political artists of our age. When Rodriguez was nine, Fidel Castro announced his surprising decision to let 125,000 traitors of the revolution, or “worms,” leave Cuba. Before they could leave, his family was imprisoned and then marched to a flotilla that miraculously deposited them, overnight, in Florida. Worm recounts the coming-of-age of an artist and activist, who, witnessing America’s turn from democracy to extremism, struggles to differentiate his adoptive country from the dictatorship he fled.
This conversation will be moderated by artist, designer, and educator, Maria Krasinski.
About the speakers:
Edel Rodriguez is a Cuban American artist who has exhibited internationally with shows in New York, Los Angeles, Havana, Berlin, La Paz, Cape Town, Prague, and London. A regular contributor to the New Yorker, the New York Times, and Time magazine, he has created more than two hundred magazine and book covers and illustrated several children’s books, including Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx, and is the author of Sergio Jumps and Sergio Saves the Game. Rodriguez’s artwork is in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution, among others, and he has received numerous awards from the Art Directors Club and the Society of Illustrators. Worm is his first graphic novel. He lives in New Jersey.
Maria Krasinski is an artist, designer, and multimedia educator. She is managing director of News Decoder, a Paris-based educational news platform that partners with schools around the world to build global citizenship through journalism. She is the illustrator of the books Art Hiding in New York and Art Hiding in Paris, and the forthcoming title, I’m Not Your Muse: Uncovering the Overshadowed Brilliance of Women Artists & Visionaries. 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.

History Tour at the Library
2024-10-04 11:00 - 12:00, 2024-10-18 11:00 - 12:00
The American Library in Paris invites you to register for a 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 troops 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
The true stories of the brave Librarians who kept the Library open during the Occupation of WWII
How the Library has evolved over its 104-year history into the largest English-language lending library on the European continent

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 contact us if you wish to reserve for 5 or more people (do not reserve through the site).
For school or group reservations, or for other questions, please email tours@americanlibraryinparis.org.
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.

Teen Night: Scary Movies (ages 12–18)
2024-10-04 19:00 - 21:00
What makes a great scary movie? Share your take, and enjoy a film during this event for teens. Vote on the horror film 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 Zara Lees.
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.

DIY Halloween Decorations (ages 3–12)
2024-10-05 11:00 - 12:00
Just in time for Halloween, come in and make your own seasonal decorations. We’ll have all the supplies you need to make a fun decorations to take home.

This event will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services staff 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 and speak English in order to participate in the program.

Caregivers and parents of children ages 3–6 are encouraged to participate in this event with their children. 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 the Library’s annual Halloween programming. Costumes are encouraged for all of our Halloween events.

Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. This activity is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided. Children under age 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. 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 Ethics of Blame with Miranda Fricker and Amanda Dennis
2024-10-08 19:30 - 20:30
What are we doing when we blame and forgive? What is ‘epistemic injustice’ and how does it affect these practices? How is it being used in processes of truth and reconciliation in South America and in supporting women survivors to come forward and tell their stories? How can the techniques of fiction deepen our insights into philosophical questions? How does unequal access to conceptual language enable some people to tell their stories, while others suffer without knowing how to put names to their experiences? Miranda Fricker, a professor of philosophy at New York University, will discuss these questions with novelist Amanda Dennis. Fricker coined the term ‘epistemic injustice’ in her 2007 book Epistemic Injustice: Power and the Ethics of Knowing.
This event is produced in collaboration with the American University of Paris.
About the speakers:
Miranda Fricker is Julius Silver Professor of Philosophy at NYU, and Co-Director of the New York Institute for Philosophy. She is the author of Epistemic Injustice: Power and the Ethics of Knowing, and her recent research is mainly in moral philosophy. She is a Fellow of the British Academy, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Her forthcoming book, Blaming and Forgiving: The Work of Morality, explores the interpersonal moral psychological responses of blaming, apologizing, and forgiving.
Amanda Dennis is the author of the novel Her Here, and a book about Samuel Beckett and French philosophy: Beckett and Embodiment: Body, Space, Agency. Her writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books, the Times Literary Supplement, and Guernica. She teaches creative writing and comparative literature at the American University of Paris. 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: Monster Mash (ages 3–5)
2024-10-09 14:30 - 15:30
For this Story Hour, we’ll read stories all about monsters both silly and scary, such as My Teacher is a Monster by Peter Brown (pictured here). We’ll also sing songs and practice rhymes.
This program is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided. This participatory program is intended to encourage children to actively engage with stories. Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads and Intern Zara Lees, 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) How Hitler Came To Power, with Timothy Ryback and Jim Bittermann
2024-10-09 19:30 - 20:30
The year 1932 would shape decades to come. Takeover: Hitler’s Final Rise to Power is a dramatic recounting of the six critical months before Adolf Hitler seized power, when the Nazi leader teetered between triumph and ruin. Timothy W. Ryback details the remarkable story of Hitler’s dismantling of democracy through democratic process and shares insights into Hitler’s personal and professional lives, recounting backroom deals, unlikely alliances, stunning betrayals, an ill-timed tax audit, as well as a fateful weekend that changed our world forever.
This conversation will be moderated by Jim Bittermann.
About the speakers:
Timothy W. Ryback has written for the Atlantic, the New Yorker, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Financial Times, among others. His books have appeared in more than forty editions around the world. As a former lecturer at Harvard University, Ryback explores the intersection of history, politics, and culture, with a focus on the legacies of National Socialism and authoritarianism. His books include The Last Survivor, a New York Times and Washington Post notable book; Hitler’s Private Library, which served as the basis for a feature-length documentary, The Books He Didn’t Burn; and Hitler’s First Victims, currently being adapted for cinematic release. He divides his time between Europe and the United States.
Jim Bittermann is CNN’s Senior International Correspondent based in Paris. Since joining CNN in 1996, he has covered the death of Princess Diana, NATO air strikes on Kosovo in 1998, the earthquake in Turkey in 1999 and the World Cup soccer championships, among other stories. His many honors include a CableACE Award for CNN’s coverage of the civil war in Zaire. He has been a panel moderator at the World Economic Forum and a member of the jury for the Overseas Press Club and Emmy Award competitions. He is an emeritus professor at the American University of Paris, where from 1998 to 2021 he was an assistant adjunct professor of communications, teaching courses in broadcast news and documentary film. 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.

Critical Conversations 2024–25: The Internet Is Not What You Think, Meeting One
2024-10-10 19:00 - 20:30
What is the internet? How far back in history can we find its precursors, in the form either of mechanical social, or perhaps even biological information networks? What are the political and philosophical ideas that drove early efforts to network human society? And is the internet a fulfilment of these ideas, or does the actually existing internet turn out to be in certain respects fundamentally different from the political and philosophical vision that guided its early development?
In this series of conversations, we will be taking a maximally wide-focused view of these questions, and we will be looking in particular at their importance for understanding the unprecedent technological revolution we are currently living through, as well as its economic, political, cultural, and psychological consequences. We will be focusing in particular on those thinkers who have articulated a theoretical account of the nature of information networks, the possibility of machine intelligence, or the utopian (or dystopian) prospects of a society reliant on machine-aided decision-making.
Registration Details:

The 2024–2025 series will unfold over eight sessions, on Thursdays from October 2024 to June 2024. Conversations will begin at 19h00 and run for ninety minutes, in person, at the Library.
By registering, participants commit to attending all sessions and completing the assigned readings. To maintain the continuity of the series, attendance to individual sessions is not permitted.

Teen Night: Halloween Decorating Party (ages 12–18)
2024-10-11 19:00 - 21:00
Create handmade Halloween decorations for yourself or the Library, then help us decorate the Library and set the mood for Halloween. We’ll have all the supplies you need to create original festive decorations. This event will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads, Children’s and Teens’ Services Intern Zara Lees with the help of Library volunteers.
Light snacks and drinks will be provided by the Library. 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.

Saturday Series: Scary Stories (ages 6–12)
2024-10-12 11:00 - 12:00
Enjoy spine-tingling scary stories, and create one as a group.

This event will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads with the help of Library volunteers. 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 participate.
*This event is part of Magical Halloween Month of 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.

Free Write: A Creative Session (ages 12–18)
2024-10-12 15:00 - 16:30
Meet other writers in the community as you explore ways to jump start your creative writing. Begin a short story during this session, or bring in a project you are working on. There will be time to write and dedicated time to share and get feedback.
Library volunteer and Young Authors Fiction Festival winner (1st place, 12th grade category) Zara Reid Hodson will facilitate this workshop. Teens interested in the Library’s Teen Writing Group are encouraged to attend this session, as this workshop will follow a similar format.
Light snacks and drinks will be provided. 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.
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.

Creating Historical Fiction with Elizabeth Wein (ages 10+)
2024-10-12 17:00 - 18:00
The Library is delighted to welcome author Elizabeth Wein.
Join Elizabeth Wein, in discussion with teen community members, to talk about her writing and writing process. Learn how she put her research on WWII, spies, and female pilots to use to create award-winning bestsellers such as Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire. An audience Q&A will follow, and then Elizabeth Wein will be available to sign books.
Join us for a conversation on creating new worlds and stories grounded in historical events.
About the speaker:
Elizabeth Wein is a recreational pilot and the owner of about a thousand maps. She is the author of several young adult novels, including Code Name Verity, Black Dove, White Raven, and Stateless. Her book A Thousand Sisters: The Heroic Airwomen of the Soviet Union in World War II was a finalist for YALSA’s Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award. Originally from the US, Elizabeth graduated from Yale University, and holds a PhD in Folklore from the University of Pennsylvania. She currently lives in Scotland.

Important information:
The discussion will be in person only. Elizabeth Wein will appear at the Library, and the discussion will not be recorded. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Visitors are expected to familiarize themselves with the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant environment for all patrons.
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.

(Zoom Tickets Available) A Memoir of the Village Voice Bookshop with Odile Hellier and Alan Riding
2024-10-15 19:30 - 20:30
From 1982 to 2012, Paris’ Village Voice Bookshop was frequented by some of the greatest English-language authors of its time, such as David Sedaris, Amy Tan, and Don DeLillo. In her new memoir, Village Voices: A Memoir of the Village Voice Bookshop, Odile Hellier recounts her store’s forty years of cultivating literary excellence. This discussion will be moderated by long-time New York Times correspondent Alan Riding.
About the speakers:
Odile Hellier was born in the South of France during World War II and raised in Lorraine, near the German border, and Brittany, on the Atlantic Ocean. She is the founder and owner of the Village Voice Bookshop, a hub of Anglophone literary life and culture that operated in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris for more than thirty years.
Alan Riding is a former correspondent of the New York Times, having been variously based in Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Rome and Paris, most recently as the paper’s European arts correspondent. He is author of books on Mexico, Shakespeare, Opera and the cultural life of Paris during the Nazi occupation. He lives in Paris with his journalist wife, Marlise Simons. 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: Surprises and Scares (ages 3–5)
2024-10-16 14:30 - 15:30
For this Story Hour, we’ll read stories full of surprises, with a few Halloween scares too. The books included in this program are picture books for young readers such as Boo! Haiku by Deanna Caswell, illustrated by Bob Shea (pictured here). We’ll also sing songs and practice rhymes.
This program is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided. This participatory program is intended to encourage children to actively engage with stories. Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads and Intern Zara Lees, 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) The Ghosts of Paris with Lauren Elkin and Daniel Medin
2024-10-16 19:30 - 20:30
Lauren Elkin’s first novel, Scaffolding, is the story of two couples who live in the same apartment in north-east Paris almost fifty years apart. In 2019, Anna, a psychoanalyst, is processing a recent miscarriage. In 1972, Florence and Henry are renovating their kitchen. Both couples face the challenges of marriage, fidelity, and pregnancy, as their ghosts intersect, unaware they once all inhabited the same space.
This event will be moderated by Daniel Medin.
About the speakers:
Lauren Elkin is the author of several books, including Flâneuse: Women Walk the City, a Radio 4 Book of the Week, a New York Times Notable Book of 2017, and a finalist for the PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel award for the art of the essay. Her essays on art, literature, and culture have appeared in the London Review of Books, the New York Times, Granta, Harper’s, Le Monde, Les Inrockuptibles, and Frieze, among others. She is also an award-winning translator, most recently of Simone de Beauvoir’s previously unpublished novel The Inseparables. After twenty years in Paris, she now lives in London.
Daniel Medin is an editor and professor of comparative literature at the American University of Paris.
This event is produced in collaboration with the American University in Paris‘s Center for Writers and Translators.
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.

Toddler Time: Halloween (ages 1–3)
2024-10-17 11:00 - 11:30
Our Toddler Time is for children ages 1–3 and their caregivers, and features 30 minutes of stories, songs, and rhymes. Stories featured during our Toddler Time programs include short picture books and board books, such as Ghost Eats It All by Janee Trasler (pictured here), which will be included in this 17 October event. This session will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads.
The program is entirely in English, as are all of our events for children and teens. No translation will be provided. 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. 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 and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

(In Person Only) Braver Angels: Depolarizing Within Workshop
2024-10-19 13:00 - 16:00
All too often, our ideological conflicts become personal and we stereotype, dismiss, or ridicule our fellow citizens who support other political parties, leaders, and policies. In this time of polarization, many of us avoid conversations with others, even in our own communities, whose perspectives and opinions differ from our own. We worry that any attempts at discussions will devolve into arguments and acrimony, and result in anger and further divisiveness.
In this workshop, you’ll learn skills for having respectful conversations when differences arise including how to:

Become aware of your own “inner polarizer”
Disagree with others without demonizing, dismissing, or stereotyping them
Speak in ways others will want to hear
Affirm the importance of building relationships
Feel safe practicing your new skills

Please arrive on time for this highly interactive workshop. Attendance is free.
Space is limited so if you need to change your RSVP for any reason please contact the BA Europe co-chair Laura Pascal at lpascal@braverangels.org
*Tickets are Free, Donations Help Use promo code BRAVER during registration to get a free ticket. Donations beyond the free ticket support Braver Angels, 501(c)3.
About Braver Angels:
Braver Angels is a non-profit non-partisan organization devoted to bridging the partisan divide and strengthening the democratic republic of the United States of America.

(Hybrid) Abraham Lincoln’s Great Chain-Reaction with Don Doyle and Denis Lacorne
2024-10-22 19:30 - 20:30
The Age of Reconstruction: How Lincoln’s New Birth of Freedom Remade the World highlights the overlooked connection between the Reconstruction era in the United States and the radical transformations in Europe during the late nineteenth century. From the end of slavery in Spain’s Caribbean colonies to the end of Napoleon III’s reign in France, Don Doyle illuminates how American political changes have never occurred in a vacuum.
This event will be moderated by political scientist Denis Lacorne.
About the speakers:
Don H. Doyle is a retired professor of history who has taught at the University of South Carolina, Vanderbilt, and as a Fulbright professor in Rome, Genoa, and Rio de Janeiro. He has authored many books, among them The Cause of All Nations: An International History of the American Civil War and The Age of Reconstruction: How Lincoln’s New Birth of Freedom Remade the World. He lives in Folly Beach, South Carolina.
Denis Lacorne is a French political scientist. He is Director of Research Emeritus at the Centre de recherches internationales (CERI, Sciences Po). A specialist in the United States, his research focuses on American elections, the construction of national identities, multiculturalism, and the politics of tolerance and secularism from a comparative perspective. 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: It's Magic! (ages 3–5)
2024-10-23 14:30 - 15:30
For this Story Hour, we’ll read stories all about magic such as The Magical Yet by Angela DiTerlizzi illustrated by Lorena Alvarez (pictured here). We’ll also sing songs and practice rhymes.
This event is part of our Halloween programming, and costumes are encouraged!
This program is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided. This participatory program is intended to encourage children to actively engage with stories. Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads and Intern Zara Lees, 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.

History Tour: 1920s Edition
2024-10-25 11:00 - 12:00
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 troops 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 contact us if you wish to reserve for 5 or more people (do not reserve through the site).
For school or group reservations, or for other questions, please email tours@americanlibraryinparis.org.
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.

Trick-or-treating (all ages) (open to the public)
2024-10-26 10:00 - 19:00
From 10h–19h on 26 October, the Library invites you to follow the trick-or-treating route we’ve set up, and visit nearby businesses in the 7th arrondissement.
Pick up your trick-or-treating maps at the Library on 26 October. They are free for Library members and 10€ per family for non-members. You do not need to pre-register in order to trick-or-treat.
This is a self-led activity.
How to trick-or-treat:

Put on your costume.
Find a bag for your candy.
Find your grown-up (they’ll need to be with you from now on!).
Pick up your map at The American Library in Paris.
Follow the map to the trick-or-treating spots.
At each spot, say: “Trick or treat” and take one piece of the candy.
Say: “Thank you! Happy Halloween!” before you leave.
Walk (don’t run) on the sidewalk (with your grown-up) to the next spot.
Trade the candy with friends if there’s something you don’t like.
Take your candy home to enjoy after your grown-up looks it over.

Candy Donations: The Library happily accepts donations of individually-wrapped, store-bought candy for Trick-or-Treating for this community event. If you would like to help out, please drop off your donation at the Children’s and Teens’ Services Desk at the Library any time during open hours.
Questions? 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.

Bubbles & Broomsticks for Baby Bookworms (ages 0–6) (Ticketed Event) (SOLD OUT)
2024-10-26 11:00 - 12:30
This family event for Library members is part of the Library’s annual Halloween Extravaganza. The party features games and surprises throughout the Library, as well as music and a story time for young children. The event will culminate in a costume showcase for children and their chaperones with costume prizes awarded in several categories for children, and a special prize for parents.
Costume prizes will be awarded in the following categories. The costume judges are always especially impressed by homemade costumes, and creative ensembles:

Funny
Literary
Scary
Animal
Pretty
Creative
Handmade
Magical
Classic Halloween
Parent
Duo/Group Costume

Light refreshments will be provided by the Library.
On 26 October, we encourage members and non-members alike to follow the trick-or-treating route we’ve set up, and visit nearby businesses in the 7th arrondissement. No registration required. 10€ per family for non-members. Maps available on 26 October at the Library. Important information!
TICKETS REQUIRED: Beginning on Tuesday 1 October at 10h00, Library members may purchase tickets for the event above for 15€ each. Members may purchase up to six tickets in total, and may give a maximum of two tickets to their non-member guests. All other ticket holders must be members of the Library on the day of the event. All tickets must be purchased in advance and each person attending must have a valid ticket (except babies under 12 months accompanying older siblings). If any tickets remain on Tuesday 15 October, they will be made available for purchase by non-members. We encourage families to select one of the Halloween Extravaganza parties to attend on Saturday 26 October, and enjoy trick-or-treating in the neighborhood.
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.
