How Did Trump Win?
2024-12-03 19:00 - 20:30 (Europe/Paris) | The American Library in Paris
Fresh from the campaign trail, four journalists unpack Trump’s victory. How did the Democrats lose so badly? What does this imply about America and what does it mean for the country’s future? What are the ramifications for the rest of the world? And how did pundits, media analysts, and pollsters make such incorrect assumptions about the political mood in the U.S. ? Join us to ask questions and discuss the year’s seismic events in the U.S.
This event is in partnership with the Overseas Press Club.
This event is currently sold out. Zoom tickets are still available.
About the Panelists:
Richard Fausset, The New York Times. Based in Atlanta, Fausset writes about conservative politics, and covered Trump’s campaign. He has focused on the politics of the South, gun ownership, race, and poverty.
Vivian Salama, The Wall Street Journal. (Joining on Zoom from Washington.) Salama has been on the campaign trail all year, and covered Trump’s first term. She has reported from about 85 countries, including as AP’s Baghdad bureau chief, and been based in the UAE, Pakistan, Egypt, and Israel/Palestine. She is also an attorney and member of the District of Columbia bar.
Sylvie Kauffmann, Le Monde. Columnist for Le Monde and the paper’s former Editor-in-Chief, Kauffmann was previously a longtime foreign correspondent, with postings in the U.S., London, Moscow, and Singapore.
Ben Barnier, France Info TV. Senior correspondent for France Televisions news channel, Barnier co-anchored a nightly program on air during the campaign’s final weeks, and covered the Trump campaign. Barnier previously worked for ABC News, and is a graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism.
Moderator: Vivienne Walt, Paris Correspondent for TIME & Fortune Magazines. Walt has reported from dozens of countries across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, for TIME and Fortune Magazines. Her work has also appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, National Geographic, and other publications. She is a governor of the Overseas Press Club of America, the U.S.’s oldest organization for foreign correspondents.
About the Overseas Press Club:
The Overseas Press Club of America is the nation’s oldest and largest association of journalists engaged in international news. Every year, it awards the most prestigious prizes devoted exclusively to international news coverage. It was founded in 1939 by nine foreign correspondents in New York City, and has grown to nearly 400 members worldwide. The club’s mission is to uphold the highest standards in news reporting, advance press freedom and promote good fellowship among colleagues while educating a new generation of journalists. 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: Imaginary Creatures (ages 3–5)
2024-12-04 14:30 - 15:30
For this Story Hour, we’ll read stories about dragons, unicorns, fairies, and other magical creatures, such as Dragon was Terrible by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by Greg Pizzoli (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 Children’s and Teens’ Services 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.

Toddler Time (ages 1–3)
2024-12-05 11:00 - 11:30
This event for children ages 1–3 and their caregivers features 30 minutes of stories, songs, and rhymes. Stories presented during our Toddler Time programs include short picture books and board books, such as Sway Like an Octopus illustrated by Nicole LaRue (pictured here), which will be included in this 5 December 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.

History Tour at the Library
2024-12-06 11:00 - 12:00, 2024-12-13 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: Escape the Library (ages 12–18)
2024-12-06 19:00 - 21:00
Working in teams, participants will solve puzzles and challenges to escape the Library!
This event will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services Intern Zara Lees and Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads 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 and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Saturday Series: Playing with Words (ages 6–12)
2024-12-07 11:00 - 12:00
Learn new vocabulary, experiment with words and creating stories during this event hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services Intern Zara Lees.
Children should be able to read and write in English in order to participate in this workshop. 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.

Secret Society of Readers Book Club: Graphic Novels (ages 8–12)
2024-12-08 14:00 - 15:00
Children ages 8–12 are invited to bring a favorite graphic novel to share with the group. Participants should come prepared to tell the group about the setting, characters, and plot of their book, and to read a short passage—and to try to convince others to read the book without including any spoilers. Book-related activities and games will follow the discussion.
This event will be hosted by Assistant Children’s and Teens’ Services Librarian Laurine Lucie. This activity is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided. Children between the ages 8–12 may participate in Library programs on their own, while their chaperone remains inside the Library.
Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Story Hour: In the Forest (ages 3–5)
2024-12-11 14:30 - 15:30
For this Story Hour, we’ll read stories about the forest and the creatures who live there, such as Zoe and the Fawn by Catherine Jameson, illustrated by Julie Flett (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 Children’s and Teens’ Services 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.

Baya, an Algerian Outsider Artist in Post-War Paris with Alice Kaplan and James McAuley
2024-12-11 19:30 - 20:30
In the first biography of Baya, Yale professor Alice Kaplan recounts how this young woman seemingly trapped in subsistence farming became a sensation in Paris in 1947, then mysteriously faded from the history of modern art—only to reemerge after independence as an icon of Algerian artistic heritage.
This event will be moderated by James McAuley.
About the speakers:
Alice Kaplan is Sterling Professor of French at Yale. She is the author of many books at the intersection of literature and history, including Looking for the Stranger: Albert Camus and the Life of a Literary Classic and The Collaborator: The Trial and Execution of Robert Brasillach. Co-founder of the Yale Translation Initiative, former Guggenheim Fellow, member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and recipient of the French Légion d’Honneur as well the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in History (for The Collaborator), Alice is a proud member of the American Library in Paris Writers Council.
James McAuley is the author of The House of Fragile Things: Jewish Art Collectors and the Fall of France, which won the National Jewish Book Award in 2022. He is a former Paris correspondent for the Washington Post, and his writing has been anthologized in the Best American Essays of 2024. 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.

Bilingual Storytime (ages 3+)
2024-12-14 10:30 - 11:30
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of l’Heure Joyeuse, join Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads and Assistant Children’s and Teens’ Services Librarian Laurine Lucie for a bilingual storytime at Bibliothèque Germaine Tillion.
This participatory program is intended to encourage children to actively engage with stories. Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads and Assistant Children’s and Teens’ Services Librarian Laurine Lucie 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!
Contact Bibliothèque Germaine Tillion to register for this event: 01 71 18 97 37

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)
2024-12-14 14:00 - 15:30
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.

Story Hour: Silly Stories (ages 3–5)
2024-12-18 14:30 - 15:30
For this Story Hour, we’ll read funny, ridiculous, and silly tales, such as The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton (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 Assistant Children’s and Teens’ Services Librarian Laurine Lucie 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.

Teen Night: Movies Based on Books (ages 12–18)
2024-12-20 19:00 - 21:00
Was the book better? What was missing from your favorite film adaptation of a book? Share your take on these questions and more, and enjoy a film during this event for teens. Vote on the 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 with the help of Library volunteers.
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.

Electric Circuits: a Workshop (ages 8–12)
2024-12-21 11:00 - 12:00
In this workshop we’ll discuss currents, conductors, and voltage. Then, participants will experiment with simple conductive materials and electronics components to make a working circuit.
This event will be hosted by Children and Teens Services Manager Celeste Rhoads with the help of Library volunteers. This activity is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided. All participants must be able to understand and speak English in order to participate in the program.

Children between the ages 8–12 may participate in this Library program on their own, while their chaperone remains inside the Library.
Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Comic Club (ages 6–12)
2024-12-21 15:00 - 16:00
Bring in a favorite comic book or graphic novel to share with the group, and find out what everyone else is reading. Discuss the language of comics, comic books, and graphic novels and then create your own mini-comic.
Children’s and Teens’ Services Manager Celeste Rhoads will lead this event 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. 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.

Library Closed
2024-12-23 - 2025-01-01

Story Hour: New Favorites (ages 3–5)
2025-01-08 14:30 - 15:30
For this Story Hour, we’ll read newly published picture books such as Cesaria Feels the Beat by Denise Rosaria Adusei, illustrated by Priscilla Soares (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 the Children’s and Teens’ Services Intern 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.

Rachel Kushner on Creation Lake
2025-01-08 19:30 - 20:30
Rachel Kushner’s Creation Lake, Shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize and longlisted for the National Book Award, is a darkly funny and propulsive noir about an American woman infiltrating a French anarchist collective. Seduction, deceit, and power collide in this dazzling tale of strategy and desire.
About the speakers:
Rachel Kushner is the author of the novels Creation Lake, The Mars Room, The Flamethrowers, and Telex from Cuba, a book of short stories, The Strange Case Of Rachel K, and The Hard Crowd: Essays 2000-2020. She has won the Prix Médicis and been a finalist for the Booker Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Folio Prize, the James Tait Black Prize, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and was twice a finalist for the National Book Award in Fiction. She is a Guggenheim Foundation Fellow and the recipient of the Harold D. Vursell Memorial Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Her books have been translated into twenty-seven languages. Her fiction has been published in the New Yorker and the Paris Review, and her nonfiction in Harpers and the New York Times Magazine.
Rachel Donadio, the Library’s Curator of Cultural Programs, is a Paris-based writer, journalist and critic, a contributing writer for the Atlantic, a regular contributor to the New York Review of Books and a former European Culture Correspondent and Rome Bureau Chief of the New York Times. 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 (ages 1–3)
2025-01-09 11:00 - 11:30
This event for children ages 1–3 and their caregivers features 30 minutes of stories, songs, and rhymes. Stories presented during our Toddler Time programs include short picture books and board books, such as If You Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson (pictured here), which will be included in this 9 January 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.

History Tour at the Library
2025-01-10 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-01-17 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 105-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: Cookie Bake-Off (ages 12–18)
2025-01-10 19:00 - 21:00
If you love sweets, then this event is for you. Bake a batch of cookies (or buy a delicious bunch), and bring them in to add to our testing table. You’ll try to identify the ingredients, and vote on your favorite cookies. Then, participants will try recipes for no-bake cookies and test them out.
This event will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services staff.
Drinks and light snacks 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.

Family Dance Party (all ages)
2025-01-11 14:00 - 15:00
Join us to dance, sing, and move to classic children’s songs, and fun dance tunes. This event will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services staff members with the help of Library volunteers.
Comfortable attire is recommended!
The activity is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided. Children between the ages of 0–6 must be accompanied by a chaperone at all times while inside the Library. Children between the ages 6–12 may participate in Library programs on their own, while their chaperone remains inside the Library.

*Fairies, unicorns, elves, yetis, and other magical creatures are also appropriate.

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.

Meghan O'Rourke on The Invisible Kingdom
2025-01-14 19:30 - 20:30
A silent epidemic of chronic illnesses, poorly understood and often invisible, affects millions of Americans, from autoimmune diseases to long COVID. In The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness, a finalist for the 2022 National Book Award for Nonfiction, Meghan O’Rourke blends personal experience with a decade of research, uncovering the history and misconceptions behind these elusive conditions. This conversation will be moderated by Clémentine Goldszal, a frequent contributor to Elle and Le Monde Magazine.
About the speakers:
Meghan O’Rourke is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness and The Long Goodbye, as well as the poetry collections Sun In Days, Once, and Halflife. Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The New Yorker, and The New York Times, and more. The recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Radcliffe Fellowship, and a Whiting Nonfiction Award, she resides in New Haven, where she teaches at Yale University and is the editor of The Yale Review.
Clémentine Goldszal writes about culture and literature for Elle and Le Monde Magazine. She likes to tell stories about how books, movies and the people who make them shape the world we live in. She lived in Los Angeles for three years in the early 2010s and is now based in her hometown of Paris. Her first book of non-fiction, Premiers cris, will be out in France on January 24th (Le Seuil), and will be available in 2026 in the UK (Pushkin Press). 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: Big and Little (ages 3–5)
2025-01-15 14:30 - 15:30
For this Story Hour, we’ll read books about big creatures, small creatures, and everything in between, including picture books such as Who’s the Biggest by Delphine Chadru (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 the Children’s and Teens’ Services Intern 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.

Claire Messud on This Strange Eventful History
2025-01-15 19:30 - 20:30
A work of breathtaking historical sweep and vivid psychological intimacy, This Strange Eventful History (Longlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize) charts the Cassars’ unfolding story as its members move between Salonica and Algeria, the US, Cuba, Canada, Argentina, Australia and France – their itinerary shaped as much by a search for an elusive wholeness, as by the imperatives of politics, faith, family, industry and desire.
Join us with a conversation with author Claire Messud, moderated by Distinguished Professor, novelist, critic, and translator Dan Gunn.
About the speakers:
Claire Messud is the author of six works of fiction. A recipient of a Guggenheim and Radcliffe Fellowships and the Strauss Living Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, she lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with her family.
Dan Gunn is Distinguished Professor of Comparative Literature & English at The American University of Paris. He is a novelist, critic, and translator. His critical works include Psychoanalysis and Fiction: an exploration of literary and psychoanalytic borders and Wool-gathering or How I Ended Analysis. His novels include Almost You and Body Language. He is Director of AUP’s Center for Writers & Translators and Series Editor of the ‘Cahiers Series’. He was co-editor of the four-volume Letters of Samuel Beckett and is currently editing The Letters of Muriel Spark. 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.

Winter Wonderland (all ages)
2025-01-18 14:00 - 15:30
Kick off the new year, and meet fellow Library members during our annual winter and new year celebration full of music, games, crafts, fun, and surprises! This event will be hosted by Children’s and Teens’ Services staff members with the help of Library volunteers. Light refreshments will be provided.
For this winter-themed celebration, put on something sparkly, or dress up as your favorite winter creature*!
The activity is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided. All participants must be able to understand and speak English in order to participate in the program. Children between the ages of 0–6 must be accompanied by a chaperone at all times while inside the Library. Children between the ages 6–12 may participate in Library programs on their own, while their chaperone remains inside the Library.

*Fairies, unicorns, elves, yetis, and other magical creatures are also appropriate.

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.

Performing Stories (ages 7–12)
2025-01-19 14:00 - 15:00
Children ages 7–12 are invited to come prepared to read aloud a page of a book of their choice. They will get tips and feedback to improve their reading and public speaking. Everybody will have a chance to read another excerpt and to apply the advice they’ve received.
This event will be hosted by Assistant Children’s and Teens’ Services Librarian Laurine Lucie. This activity is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided. Children between the ages 7–12 may participate in Library programs on their own, while their chaperone remains inside the Library.
Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Story Hour: Light Show (ages 3–5)
2025-01-22 14:30 - 15:30
For this Story Hour, we’ll read picture books about light, rainbows, more such as Spark, Shine, Glow! What a Light Show by Lola Schaefer (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 Library volunteers 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.
