(Hybrid) Voices of America: Emily Dickinson and Modernism
2023-10-11 19:30 - 21:00 (Europe/Paris) | The American Library in Paris
In an evening celebrating American art and Franco-American relations, we are delighted to present Poésies d’Emily Dickinson, published by Éditions Diane de Selliers.
Since 1992, Éditions Diane de Selliers has been committed to building bridges between words and images to produce books that stand the test of time.
Once a year, they publish a major literary or poetic text alongside monumental pieces of art history, staging a conversation across the works and opening a dialogue between the written word and the visual world.
This year, they have elected to open their repertoire to American literature, and share with their readers the captivating American modernist paintings of the early 20th century. Touched by the sensitivity, spirituality, modernity and universality that run through her work, this esteemed publishing house has chosen Emily Dickinson as its first American voice.
Accompanied by Anna Hiddleston, curator at the Centre Pompidou and a specialist in American painting, Diane de Selliers and her team have combined a selection of Emily Dickinson’s poems with paintings by Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe, Charles Sheeler, Arthur Dove, Agnes Pelton, Marguerite Zorach, Helen Torr and some sixty other artists from the first half of the twentieth century. New depths to Emily Dickinson’s work is unveiled in a selection of 160 poems, presented in their original version and translated into French by Françoise Delphy. Her powerful, incisive and resolutely modern language, at odds with the literature of her time, resonates perfectly with American modernism. In sum, the book is a voyage to the heart of the American continent.
Françoise Delphy, Anna Hiddleston and Diane de Selliers will speak at the Library, offering their insight into American art and poetry.
Copies of Poésies d’Emily Dickinson will be available for purchase.
This conversation will be followed by a champagne reception. Learn more about Éditions Diane de Selliers:
In the words of founder Diane de Selliers, their mission is to “image bridges between word and image.” Read about their history.
Flip through a sneak peak of Poesies d’Emily Dickinson.
Previous titles from Editions Diane de Selliers include the Epic of Gilgamesh, illustrated by Mesopatamian art, and Ovid’s Metamorphoses, illustrated by Baroque painting. Discover their collection. 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.
This event is made possible through the generous support of the support of The Florence Gould Foundation and the American Center for Art and Culture.
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: Scary Movie Night (ages 12–18)
2023-10-13 19:00 - 21:00 | The American Library in Paris
Vote on the horror film to you’d like to watch when you register for this event. Participate in scary movie trivia 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 and Teens Services Manager Celeste Rhoads, Children and Teens Services Intern Kelly Cummings 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 and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

Saturday Series: Mask-Making* (ages 6–12)
2023-10-14 11:00 - 12:00 | The American Library in Paris
Make your own Halloween mask to use as part of your Halloween disguise, or create your own unique character mask and a story to go with it. The Library will provide all the supplies necessary for this event.
This event will be hosted by Children and Teens Services staff members with the help of Library volunteers. The activity is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided. All participants must be able to understand and speak English in order to participate in the program. Children between the ages 6–12 may participate in Library programs on their own, while their chaperone remains inside the Library.

*This event is part of the Library’s annual Halloween Extravaganza programming. Costumes are encouraged for all of our Halloween Extravaganza events.
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.

Costume Swap (ages 0–18)
2023-10-14 11:00 - 14:00 | The American Library in Paris
Library members of all ages are invited to stop by the Children’s Library with a costume, prop or accessory that you no longer need, and trade it for something new to you. No registration is required for this event. Come explore what’s available, and think about ways to recycle and repurpose costumes.
Children and Teens Services staff members 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. OR: Caregivers are encouraged to participate in this event with their children.
Important information: This event is for Library members. 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.

Writing A College Admission Essay with Cathy Altman Nocquet (ages 12–18)
2023-10-14 14:00 - 16:00 | The American Library in Paris
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) John Ashbery: a Life of Poetry
2023-10-17 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
John Ashbery, one of the most renowned American poets of all time, was celebrated for his avant-garde and often surrealistic approach to poetry. Who was the master behind the pen, and how did his life influence his work? Through interviews with Ashbery, study of his diaries, and discovery of early, unpublished poetry, biographer Karin Roffman traces the development of the poet across inner turmoils, from sexuality and family strife, to triumphs such as a prize bestowed by W.H. Auden. How did the shy, sensitive boy depicted in Roffman’s writing become a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet? If, as Ashbery writes, “Our question of a place of origin hangs / Like smoke”, Roffman has given us the tools to ask the smoky question. She will speak at the Library about Ashbery’s remarkable and singular voice, and the relationship between poetry and life. Learn more:
Ashbery’s poem “Some Trees” was selected by W.H. Auden for the Yale Younger Poets Award of 1956. Read it here.
Music was central to Ashbery’s artistic vision: poetry, for him, must strive to reach “the condition of music.” Listen to a playlist crafted by Roffman showcasing selected pieces from his music library.
About the speaker:
Karin Roffman, author of The Songs We Know Best: John Ashbery’s Early Life (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2017) which was named one of the 100 notable books for 2017 by the New York Times, is currently completing a full biography. In 2019, in collaboration with the Yale University Digital Humanities Lab, she released John Ashbery’s Nest, a virtual tour and website on John Ashbery’s Hudson house. Her recent essay, “John Ashbery’s Music Library: A Playlist”; appeared in Evergreen Review (March 2021). Her essays on 20 th and 21 st century writers and painters have appeared in Raritan, Modern Fiction Studies, Artforum, Rain Taxi, Yale Review, Chicago Review, Wallace Stevens Journal and others. Her ﬁrst book, From the Modernist Annex, won the Elizabeth Agee American Literature prize. She is currently senior lecturer of Humanities and Associate Director of Public Humanities at Yale University. Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (Roffman 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: Sweet Treats (ages 3–5)
2023-10-18 14:30 - 15:30 | The American Library in Paris
For this Story Hour, we’ll read stories about candy, cakes, and other sweet treats, and going trick-or-treating! Each Story Hour program features short picture books such as Just Say Boo! by Susan Hood, illustrated by Jed Henry, as well as songs and rhymes.
This Story Hour will be hosted by Assistant Children and Teens Services Librarian Jason Hazard and Children and Teens Services Intern Kelly Cummings. They will read books and lead you and your little one in songs and hand-rhymes during a live, interactive session. This participatory program is intended to encourage children to actively engage with stories. Plan to join in, sing along, and move around, and model movement and listening for your little one. We ask that all caregivers put away their phones and other electronic devices for the duration of this program. This activity is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided.
*This event is part of the Library’s annual Halloween Extravaganza programming. Costumes are encouraged for all of our Halloween Extravaganza events. Important information:
Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

(Hybrid) The New French Wine with Jon Bonné and Lindsey Tramuta
2023-10-18 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
Over the past 20 years, Jon Bonné has become one of the most influential and widely-read American voices on wine and food. Now, after eight years of research, eight hundred producers, and seven thousand different wines, Bonné’s The New French Wine is a comprehensive, thorough, and evocative exploration of the global center of wine production. As France faces social upheaval and economic transformation, the wine industry is constantly subject to transformation, from identity crisis across traditional appellations to the natural wine revolution. Contemporary French wine, like contemporary French culture, both remains in dialogue with history and constantly breaks with it. With expertise and skill, Bonné traces these cultural shifts, their political and economic causes, and their consequences in the world of wine. Learn more:
In the New York Times, wine critic Eric Asimov praises Bonné for his use of “wine as a vehicle for cultural history.” Read the full review.
Jon Bonné appeared on David Lebovitz’ podcast to discuss the wine of the 21st century. Listen here.
Jon is a seasoned writer on wine and culture. He has also written on ‘wine rules,’ from rosé year-round to food pairings, and how to break them. Learn more here.
About the speakers:
Jon Bonné is the author of The New California Wine, which was honored as the Roederer International Wine Book of the Year, and The New Wine Rules, which has sold more than 50,000 copies and is currently also published in several international editions. His latest book, The New French Wine, was released in March 2023. He is Managing Editor of RESY, coordinating its editorial coverage, with staff, editors, and contributors in more than 20 cities worldwide.His overall journalism career spans three decades, including pioneering work in digital journalism, beginning in 1996, for such organizations as NBC News, Court TV and News Corporation.
Lindsey Tramuta is Paris-based journalist and author. She is a regular contributor to the New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, Eater, Bloomberg, and many 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) and has hosted the popular The New Paris Podcast since 2017. Her work is focused on breaking down stereotypes, documenting the evolution of Paris, and introducing readers to the people and ideas shaping the capital’s future. Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (Bonné and Tramuta 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. Copies of The New French Wine will be available for purchase at the Library in the week leading up to this event and while the event takes place, generously provided by Smith&Son. All sales support this local independent bookstore.
Attendees will have the opportunity to have their copy signed following the conversation.
Evenings with an Author are free and open to the public (with a 10€ suggested donation)
thanks to the generous support of Gregory Annenberg Weingarten of GRoW @ Annenberg.

Toddler Time: Halloween (ages 1–3)
2023-10-19 11:00 - 11:30 | The American Library in Paris
Stories featured during our Toddler Time programs include short picture books and board books, such as Little Blue Truck’s Halloween by Alice Scherttle, illustrated by Jill McElmurry, which will be included in this 19 October event, along with other Halloween stories and songs.
*This event is part of the Library’s annual Halloween Extravaganza programming. Costumes are encouraged for all of our Halloween Extravaganza events.
Our Toddler Time is for children ages 1–3 and their caregivers, and lasts 30 minutes. The program is entirely in English, as are all of our events for children and teens. No translation will be provided. This session will be hosted by Children and Teens Services Manager Celeste Rhoads and Assistant Children 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. Important information:
Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

(Hybrid) Thursday 19: The Attention Economy with Graham Burnett and Justin Smith
2023-10-19 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
As the speed of the world increases, technology develops, and companies hone their abilities to steal our time and our gaze, do we still own our attention? In In Search of the Third Bird, scholars D. Graham Burnett and Justin Smith transform their attention anxiety into a historical study of literary, psychological, philosophical, and artistic approaches to attention. From attention to the world, each other, and ourselves, they imagine a new artistic order capable of re-awakening viewers to their own innate desire to look at length. Join them as they propose a strategy of resistance toward the commodification of our curiosity, celebrating the miraculous possibility of awe. The conversation will be moderated by Russell Williams.
About the speakers:
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).
Born in France, based in New York City, D. Graham Burnett trained in the History and Philosophy of Science at Cambridge University and teaches at Princeton. He works at the intersection of historical inquiry and artistic practice, and his writing and collaborations focus on experimental/experiential approaches to textual material, pedagogical modes, and hermeneutic activities traditionally associated with the research humanities. Recent projects include THE THIRD, MEANING at the Frye Art Museum (Seattle, WA).
Russell Williams teaches in the Comparative Literature and English department at the American University of Paris. He is also French editor at the Times Literary Supplement and is currently writing a book called French Weird. Learn more:
In an interview with the Princeton Humanities Council about the book, Burnett stated that the problem of attention is “an issue we saw as charged with immense contemporary importance in the context of the emerging ‘attention economy.’” Read the full interview here.
Burnett worked with Yale art historians to develop an accompanying art installation, THE THIRD, MEANING at the Frye Art Museum. This exhibit “circles the power and complexity” of the human faculty of attention: “our ability to give attention, and to receive what it gives; the power to land in front of anything, and wait upon everything.” Learn more here.
In Search of the Third Bird has inspired attention activism. Learn about the Friends of Attention and read their Twelve Theses on Attention, published in an effort to reclaim our own ability to notice the world around us. Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (the authors 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
2023-10-20 11:00 - 12:00, 2023-10-27 11:00 - 12:00, 2023-11-03 11:00 - 12:00 | The American Library in Paris
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 troupes in WWI
The establishment of the American Library in Paris as a private library
The famous writers of the Lost Generation (Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, Henry Miller, and more) who explored our stacks during their time in Paris
Our Paris Library School, which brought American innovations to French libraries in the 1920s
The true stories of the brave Librarians who kept the Library open during the Occupation of WWII
How the Library has evolved over its 103-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 email us if you are reserving for 4 or more people. (Do not reserve through the site.)
Please email tours@americanlibraryinparis.org with any questions.
This initiative is made possible through the generous support of the Florence Gould Foundation and the American Center for Art and Culture.
Attendance at this event constitutes permission for your photograph or video to be taken at the event and used by the American Library in Paris for marketing, promotional, pedagogical, or other purposes.

Teen Night: Halloween Decorating Party (ages 12–18)
2023-10-20 19:00 - 21:00 | The American Library in Paris
Create handmade Halloween decorations, then help us decorate the Library. We’ll have all the supplies you need. This event will be hosted by Children and Teens Services Manager Celeste Rhoads, Children and Teens Services Intern Kelly Cummings with the help of Library volunteers.

Light snacks and drinks will be provided by the Library. 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.

Ominous Origami (ages 3–12)*
2023-10-21 11:00 - 12:00 | The American Library in Paris
Make your own origami creatures and Halloween decorations using the materials provided by the Library.
This event will be hosted by Children and Teens Services Intern Kelly Cummings 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 6–12 may participate in Library programs on their own, while their chaperone remains inside the Library. Caregivers are encouraged to participate in this event with their children ages 3–6.

*This event is part of the Library’s annual Halloween Extravaganza programming. Costumes are encouraged for all of our Halloween Extravaganza events.
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 at Reid Hall) Entre Nous: Female Figures Transformed with Nina McLaughlin
2023-10-24 19:00 - 20:00 | Reid Hall, 4 Rue de Chevreuse, Paris, Paris, 75006, France
Drawing on the rhythms of epic poetry and alt rock, of everyday speech and folk song, of fireside whisperings and therapy sessions, Nina MacLaughlin, the acclaimed author of Hammer Head, recovers what is lost when the stories of women are told and translated by men. She breathes new life into these fraught and well-loved myths. In voices both mythic and modern, Wake, Siren revisits Ovid’s Metamorphoses: accounts of love, loss, rape, revenge, and change. It lays bare the violence that undergirds and lurks in the heart of Ovid’s narratives, stories that helped build and perpetuate the distorted portrayal of women across centuries of art and literature.
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 speaker:
Nina MacLaughlin is the author of Wake, Siren: Ovid Resung, a re-telling of Ovid’s Metamorphoses told from the perspective of the female figures transformed, as well as Summer Solstice: An Essay. Her first book was the acclaimed memoir Hammer Head: The Making of a Carpenter. Formerly an editor at the Boston Phoenix, she worked for nine years as a carpenter, and is now a books columnist for the Boston Globe.
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) Diaspora Unfurled with Fiona Sze-Lorrain
2023-10-24 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
Following up on her many successes as a poet, translator, editor, and musician, Fiona Sze-Lorrain has released her debut novel, Dear Chrysanthemums. The novel takes the form of subtly interconnected stories that span across decades and continents. Each story follows a different woman or group of women as they grapple with generational trauma and memory. Taken together, these women’s stories converge to offer a mosaic of Chinese history and diasporic experience from the mid-twentieth-century through to the recent past. Join Sze-Lorrain as she takes us through the many eras and movements of modern Chinese history, guiding us to a position of informed reflection upon the prismatic present. The conversation will be moderated by Biswamit Dwibedy.
About the speakers:
Fiona Sze-Lorrain writes and translates in English, French, and Chinese. She is the author of a new “novel in stories,” Dear Chrysanthemums (Scribner, 2023); five poetry collections, most recently Rain in Plural (Princeton, 2020) and The Ruined Elegance (Princeton, 2016); and fifteen books of translation. A finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the Best Translated Book Award, she was also a 2019–20 Abigail R. Cohen Fellow at the Columbia Institute for Ideas and Imagination and the inaugural writer-in-residence at the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires. She lives in Paris and has performed worldwide as a zheng harpist.
Biswamit Dwibedy was born in Odisha, India, and has an MFA from Bard College, New York. He is currently an assistant professor at the American University of Paris. He is the author of six collections of poetry, published in India and the United States. In 2012, he edited a dossier of Indian poetry in translation from seven different regional languages for Aufgabe, a literary journal published by Litmus Press, New York, and in 2015, he was a judge for the Best Translated Book Award conferred by Open Letter Books at the University of Rochester. He is also the founder and editor of Anew Print, a small press that publishes limited-edition chapbooks from writers in India and abroad. A memoir, Hundred Greatest Love Songs, is forthcoming from Penguin Random House in 2024. Learn more:
Dear Chrysanthemums has been longlisted for the 2024 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction.
Read a review of Dear Chrysanthemums in the Asian Review of Books.
Listen to Sze-Lorrain as she reads from her poetic collections and translations. To hear her performance of a classical piece called “High Moon” (月儿高) on the guzheng harp, go to 31:20. Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (the author 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. Copies of Dear Chrysanthemums will be available for purchase at the Library in the week leading up to this event and while the event takes place, generously provided by Smith&Son. All sales support this local independent bookstore.
Attendees will have the opportunity to have their copy signed following the conversation.
Evenings with an Author are free and open to the public (with a 10€ suggested donation)
thanks to the generous support of Gregory Annenberg Weingarten of GRoW @ Annenberg.

Story Hour: Halloween* (ages 3–5)
2023-10-25 14:30 - 15:30 | The American Library in Paris
For this Story Hour, we’ll read stories all about Halloween! Each Story Hour program features short picture books such as Winnie’s Haunted House by Valerie Thomas, illustrated by Korky Paul, as well as songs and rhymes.
This Story Hour will be hosted by Children and Teens Services Manager Celeste Rhoads and Children and Teens Services Intern Kelly Cummings. They will read books and lead you and your little one in songs and hand-rhymes during a live, interactive session. This participatory program is intended to encourage children to actively engage with stories. Plan to join in, sing along, and move around, and model movement and listening for your little one. We ask that all caregivers put away their phones and other electronic devices for the duration of this program. This activity is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided.
*This event is part of the Library’s annual Halloween Extravaganza programming. Costumes are encouraged for all of our Halloween Extravaganza events. Important information:
Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

(Hybrid) A New History of American Literature in France with Laurence Cossu-Beaumont
2023-10-25 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
Paris at the start of the 20th century was the center of transatlantic literary exchange. From Hemingway, to Stein, to Baldwin, the city represented a refuge for American voices seeking a welcoming home to literary exploration.
Who introduced the great American authors to French readers between the wars? Who worked to disseminate French literature in the United States? Essential brokers to this phenomenon were William and Jenny Bradley, who founded the first literary agency in France and worked for Clemenceau, Cendrars, Colette, Gide, Malraux, Sartre and Camus, as well as Dreiser, Hemingway, Faulkner, Stein, Dos Passos, Chandler, and Baldwin. The Bradleys were treasured members of the American Library in Paris community: members, donors, and contributors to Ex-Libris. One hundred years later, we are delighted to re-introduce the Bradleys to the American Library, and celebrate their essential role in the construction of the transatlantic Parisian literary landscape.
Spanning literary salons of the Île Saint-Louis and the holiday resorts of the Côte d’Azur, and drawing on previously unpublished archives, Laurence Cossu-Beaumont’s William et Jenny Bradley invites us to discover the untold story of this Franco-American couple, and sheds new light on literary history from the 1920s to the immediate post-war period.
About the speakers:
Laurence Cossu-Beaumont is Professor of American Studies at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University. Her research focuses on African American Studies and Book History with a special interest for transatlantic cultural exchanges in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Her latest book, Deux agents littéraires dans le siècle américain: William et Jenny Bradley, passeurs culturels transatlantiques, was published by ENS Editions in 2023. Learn more:
The records of the William A. Bradley Literary Agency document a monumental period in modernist literature. Discover the agency records here.
William and Jenny famously championed the publication of Gertude Stein’s The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas. Stein was a member and champion of the American Library in Paris. Learn more about the history of the American Library in Paris through our history tours.
Sylvia Beach of Shakespeare and Company introduced William and Jenny to an Irish author named James Joyce. Jenny became a friend of Joyce, loaning him a bed and table–the table upon which he completed Ulysses. The American Library in Paris recently teamed up with Shakespeare and Company to create a podcast celebrating the centenary of Ulysses. Discover Bloomcast here. Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (the author 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.

Trick-or-treating (all ages) (open to the public)
2023-10-28 10:00 - 18:00 | The American Library in Paris
From 10h–18h on 28 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 28 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.

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: Halloween Rumpus (ages 0–5) (Ticketed Event) (SOLD OUT)
2023-10-28 11:00 - 12:30 | The American Library in Paris
This family event for Library members features a story time for young children, and a live musical performance, as well as games and surprises throughout the Library. 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
Classic Halloween
Animal
Pretty
Creative
Superhero
Parent
Duo/Group costume

Light refreshments will be provided by the Library.
On 28 October, we encourage you to follow the trick-or-treating route we’ve set up, and visit nearby businesses in the 7th arrondissement. Important information!
TICKETS REQUIRED: Tickets must be purchased in advance for this event. Members may purchase tickets at the Children & Teens Services Desk at The American Library in Paris beginning on Tuesday 3 October: 15€ per person. Library members may purchase up to six tickets. 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.
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.

Halloween Extravaganza: Beastly Bash (ages 6+) (Ticketed Event) (SOLD OUT)
2023-10-28 15:00 - 16:30 | The American Library in Paris
This family event for Library members features a reading of spooky Halloween tales, and a live musical performance, as well as games and surprises throughout the Library. 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
Classic Halloween
Animal
Pretty
Creative
Superhero
Parent
Duo/Group costume

Light refreshments will be provided by the Library.
On 28 October, we encourage you to follow the trick-or-treating route we’ve set up, and visit nearby businesses in the 7th arrondissement. Important information!
TICKETS REQUIRED: Tickets must be purchased in advance for this event. Members may purchase tickets at the Children & Teens Services Desk at The American Library in Paris beginning on Tuesday 3 October: 15€ per person. Library members may purchase up to six tickets. 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.
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.

Halloween Extravaganza: The Haunted Library* (ages 8+) (Ticketed Event)
2023-10-28 18:00 - 20:00 | The American Library in Paris
In the evening on Saturday 28 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 20-25 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 19h30.
First, second, and third prize costume prizes will be awarded. The costume judges are always especially impressed by homemade costumes, and creative ensembles.
Light refreshments will be provided by the Library.
Important information!
TICKETS REQUIRED: Tickets must be purchased in advance for this event. Members may purchase tickets at the Children & Teens Services Desk at The American Library in Paris beginning on Tuesday 3 October: 15€ per person. Library members may purchase up to six tickets. If tickets remain on 15 October, they will then be available for non-members. Each person attending this event must have a valid ticket. All reservations are final and tickets are non-refundable.
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.
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: Library After Dark (ages 18+)(Ticketed event)
2023-10-28 21:00 - 23:30 | The American Library in Paris
Purchase your tickets (25€)

(Hybrid) Entre Nous: Reforming the Female Form with Lauren Elkin
2023-10-31 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
The female body, taken art historically, is an invention of the male gaze. Forged and fictionalized by male hands, how can women offer a new vision of themselves? With author and critic Lauren Elkin, learn how feminist artists have used art as a tool of resistance, inserting themselves into the very artistic lineage responsible for their oppression. In new work Art Monsters: Unruly Bodies in Feminist Art, Elkin proposes an alternative narrative of art history, painting a vivid portrait of art as a celebration of beauty, excess, sentimentality, touch, and the politics of the body. She will appear in conversation with art historian and visual culture expert Alice Blackhurst.
About the speakers:
Lauren Elkin is the author most recently of Art Monsters: Unruly Bodies in Feminist Art, which redefines monstrosity as a key element in feminist aesthetics; it’s “destined to become a new classic,” according to Chris Kraus. Her essays on art, literature, and culture have appeared in the London Review of Books, the New York Times, Granta, Harper’s, Le Monde, 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 is now based in London.
Alice Blackhurst is a writer, academic, and the author of Luxury, Sensation and the Moving Image recently shortlisted for the 2023 R Gapper Best Book in French Studies Prize. Her writing has appeared more widely in The Observer New Review, The Paris Review, the TLS, Jacobin and The New Left Review Sidecar.
Learn more:
Read Lauren Elkin’s recent article in Art Review on her reflections on art, writing, and staging a protest at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.
Alice Blackhurst interviewed Nobel laureate Annie Ernaux on her long career, writing process, and activism. Read in the Guardian.

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: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (Elkin and Blackhurst 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.

Library is closed
2023-11-01

Baby Rhyme Time (ages 0–1)
2023-11-04 11:00 - 12:00 | The American Library in Paris
This Baby Rhyme Time is for children ages 0–1 and their caregivers. Caregivers are invited to sing along with songs and rhymes for very young children, and enjoy a reading of short picture books. The program is entirely in English, as are all of our events for children and teens. No translation will be provided. This session will be hosted by Children and Teens Services Manager Celeste Rhoads, with the help of Library volunteers.
Each child must be accompanied by an adult chaperone, and chaperones are required to remain with their children for the duration of the program. Parents and caregivers are expected to sit with their children beside them, or in their laps, and participate in the program. Important information:
Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

English Club: My Bilingual Dictionary (ages 6–12)
2023-11-04 14:00 - 15:00 | The American Library in Paris
In this workshop, participants will make their own personal bilingual dictionary to take home and keep. Supplies will be provided by the Library.
This event will be hosted by Children and Teens Services Intern Kelly Cummings with the help of Library volunteers. This activity is intended for bilingual children and children with a basic understanding of English. All participants must be able to understand and speak English in order to participate in the program.

Children between the ages 6–12 may participate in Library programs on their own, while their chaperone remains inside the Library.
Important information: This event is for Library members, and advance registration is required. Caregivers are expected to familiarize themselves with the Library Policy for Children and the Rules and Code of Conduct so that we can provide a pleasant library environment for all patrons. Questions about collections and programs for children and teens can be sent to the Library’s Children and Teens Services Manager, Celeste Rhoads: celeste@americanlibraryinparis.org.

(Hybrid) Fact and Fiction: A Journalism Masterclass with Madeleine Schwartz
2023-11-07 19:30 - 20:30 | The American Library in Paris
Everyone reads the news, but how do journalists actually determine what’s new and true? A piece of news can quickly feel like it’s always been circulating. But the gap between hearsay and truth requires more than a bit of digging. In this workshop, we’ll be exploring how reporting happens, focusing on demystifying the process from the question through publication. How do journalists follow their instincts? How do they weigh fact and fiction? How do they know when to publish? Ideal for aspiring journalists and avid news readers alike, this masterclass will reveal the hidden secrets of the trade, helping us all become better readers, thinkers, and citizens.
In partnership with the Dial.
About the speaker:
Madeleine Schwartz lives in Paris, where she writes about the rise of the far right, urban politics and art fraud. Her work appears in the London Review of Books, the New Yorker and the New York Review of Books, where she previously worked as an editor. In 2019, her article “The End of Atlanticism: Has Trump killed the ideology that won the cold war?” won the European Press Prize. She teaches journalism at Sciences Po. Learn more:
Madeleine recently appeared in conversation with the editors-in-chief of Forbidden Stories, an organization dedicated to publishing the stories journalists were silenced for writing. Rewatch the conversation.
“The world’s little magazine,” The Dial is a new online magazine of culture, politics, and ideas with a focus on locally sourced writing from around the world. A space where daring writers stage global conversations unconstrained by geography, the publication spotlights writers who write the world as they see it—from wherever they might be. Check out their most recent issue, whose theme is ‘weapons.’ Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (Schwartz 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: Readers and Writers (ages 3–5)
2023-11-08 14:30 - 15:30 | The American Library in Paris
For this Story Hour, we’ll read stories about reading, writing, and telling stories! Each Story Hour program features short picture books such as Abdul’s Story by Jamilah Thomkins-Bigelow, illustrated by Tiffany Rose, as well as songs and rhymes.
This Story Hour will be hosted by Children and Teens Services Manager Celeste Rhoads. She will read books and lead you and your little one in songs and hand-rhymes during a live, interactive session. This participatory program is intended to encourage children to actively engage with stories. Plan to join in, sing along, and move around, and model movement and listening for your little one. We ask that all caregivers put away their phones and other electronic devices for the duration of this program. This activity is entirely in English, and no translation will be provided. Important information:
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.
