Every month in France-Amérique,
discover the best of French and Francophone culture in the United States.
Analysis of French-American news • French cultural events in the United States • Interviews with leading intellectuals • Fashion tips • Traditional and contemporary recipes • Reports from across the United States • Authors’ perspectives on America • Portraits of artists, entrepreneurs, and other French-American personalities • The best of Francophone literature translated into English • French movies and series in theaters and online • French habits and linguistic subtleties • Unique places to visit in France • And so much more…
April 2021
In this issue, meet “the Californian queen of French start-ups!” Roxanne Varza, who was born in Palo Alto, is at the helm of Station F in Paris – the world’s biggest start-up incubator – where she promotes women in tech. Next, fly to Chicago and the 1968 National Democratic Convention: The French writer of transgression, Jean Genet, standing with the Black Panthers, experiences police batons and condemns, in Esquire, the racism of U.S. society. Finally, head to Jim Haynes’ in the 14th arrondissement, where the eccentric American cultural activist – who recently passed away – used to bring the whole world together around extraordinary dinners that the Paris smart set is not about to forget!
Featured Articles
LIFESTYLE
VAUX-LE-VICOMTE
How French Châteaux Are Rising from the Ashes
The old French nobility has opened the doors to its ancestral residences in an attempt to ensure their maintenance and restoration. This has become a matter of life and death for these château owners and their slice of national heritage.
CULTURE
JULIA COMIL
The French Rising Star of Fashion in L.A.
Julia Comil is a popular French fashion influencer based in Los Angeles. She works with both big and small brands on her Instagram account, offering beautifully photographed content for her followers on a regular basis.
CULTURE
JEAN GENET
A French Writer Standing with the Black Panthers
Raised in foster homes, Jean Genet (1910-1986) was a thief and a pariah who became one of the greatest French novelists and playwrights of the 20th century, and is remembered for his works The Thief’s Journal, Our Lady of the Flowers, and Miracle of the Rose. His novels were translated in the United States in the 1960s and his plays, including The Balcony and The Blacks, were performed to critical acclaim. In 1968 and 1970, he secretly visited America and defended the civil rights movement on the invitation of the Black Panthers.
UNKNOWN FRANCE
VILLA CAVROIS
A Modern Château
Nearly a hundred years old, Villa Cavrois – an enormous private mansion in the northern French town of Croix, near Roubaix – still shines as a beacon of modernity, originality, and refined charm. Designed as a “total work of art” by the French architect Robert Mallet-Stevens, the house is a prime example of modernist architecture. After an eventful past, the villa has been fully renovated and is now open to the public.
Table of contents
NEWS
Vaccination Passports: A Shot in the Arm for the Travel Industry? By Anthony Bulger
COME ON OUT
Public Works of Art by French Artists in the U.S. By Tracy Kendrick
IDEAS
Editorial: A French Quarrel. By Guy Sorman
Maurice Samuels: “Although Both France and the U.S. Are Founded on Universalist Principles, They Have Evolved Different Notions of What This Entails.” By Guy Sorman
The Extraordinary Life of Jim Haynes. By Anthony Bulger
ENTREPRENEUR
Roxanne Varza, the Californian Queen of French Start-Ups. By Benoît Georges
FASHION
The Gentleman’s Style: French Riviera Preppies. By Julien Scavini
LIFESTYLE
Vaux-le-Vicomte: How French Châteaux Are Rising from the Ashes. By Jean-Gabriel Fredet
BON APPETIT
CULTURE
Julia Comil: The French Rising Star of Fashion in L.A. By Gabriel Bertrand
A Canvas, an Artist: Victor Vasarely, Vega D. By Tracy Kendrick
Jean Genet, a French Writer Standing with the Black Panthers. By Sophie Joubert
Maylis de Kerangal: The World Through the Eyes of Illusion. By Sophie Joubert
Elliott Erwitt: Stories of France. By Jonas Cuénin
LANGUAGE
HISTORY
UNKNOWN FRANCE
© Graziella Lech
