Library Chairman’s Q&A

Forrest Alogna was recently named the Chairman of the Board of the American Library in Paris. Forrest is a partner at Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier, a Paris law firm, where he specializes in cross-border transactions. He has lived in Paris since 2006, but previously visited Paris as a undergraduate when he took a semester off college to study cuisine at Le Cordon Bleu.

What childhood memories do you have of libraries?
I spent a disproportionate amount of time in libraries.  I remember being excited to go to, and to be at, the library.  I can remember walking out with such big piles of books I could barely carry them all.  There was some limit on the number of books you could check out at once and I can remember knowing it.  I had very varied tastes. My library card was like this precious key.

What first brought you to the American Library?
My children.

How do you and your family use the Library?
At this point in my life, the Evenings with an Author are a big draw for me.  The kids are quite interested in YAFF (the Young Authors Fiction Festival).  The Library also helps to inspire our reading, if there is an author who is coming and we want to read up on his or her work before.

What Library event are you most excited for this fall?
There are so many good ones I can’t choose a favorite!

What are you reading now?
Right now I am reading— or listening to, to be honest— Mick Herron’s Joe Country, Rick Atkinson’s The British Are Coming and Stefan Zweig’s The World of Yesterday.  I recently finished Les Misérables, which took me a long time!  I am also reading The Whale Rider, by Witi Ihimaera to my 13 year-old daughter and Walter Isaacson’s The Innovators to my 11 year-old son.