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…
November 2021
Josephine Baker
French-American icon Josephine Baker will enter the Pantheon on November 30. You may know her as a performer in 1920s Paris, but she was also a Resistance fighter, an antiracist activist, and a mother to 12 adopted children. Follow our writers as they take you through these aspects of her life and discover the Château des Milandes, in Dordogne, where she raised her family. Also in this issue, read about the U.S. submarine deal that angered the French president, the fight for reproductive rights in France and the United States, and the Marquis de Lafayette – another French-American icon.
Featured Articles
LIFESTYLE
LE DOMAINE DU RAYOL
A Garden of Eden on the French Riviera
Nestled at the foot of the Massif des Maures between Le Lavandou and Saint-Tropez, and boasting Art Deco architecture in a vast, landscaped, Mediterranean garden overlooking the sea, the Domaine du Rayol only reveals its secrets to those who truly love the Côte d’Azur. An absolute must-see for anyone staying in the Var.
CULTURE
JOSEPHINE BAKER
The French-American Resistance Fighter Enters the Pantheon
More than forty years after her death, the celebrated African-American dancer and singer will enter the Pantheon on November 30 on the orders of the French president. While often reduced to her banana belt in the 1925 Revue nègre show, she was also a Resistance fighter and an antiracist activist.
CULTURE
ACCIDENTALLY WES ANDERSON
A Cinematic Journey
Who hasn’t dreamed of exploring in real life the symmetrical decors and bright color palettes of the American director of The French Dispatch? A New York couple, Wally and Amanda Kowal, made this dream come true in 2017 when they created Accidentally Wes Anderson, featuring some of the world’s most Wes Anderson-esque places shared by a global online community.
By Carla Peyrat
CULTURE
SUZANNE VALADON
The Model Who Became a Master Painter
The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia is hosting a major exhibition of Suzanne Valadon, one of the greatest French painters of the last century. The show runs until January 9 and is the first American event for this avant-garde figure, who was long excluded from art history.
Table of contents
NEWS
Un coup de Trafalgar: How a U.S. Defense Deal Angered France. By Anthony Bulger
COME ON OUT
French Cultural Events in North America. By Tracy Kendrick
IDEAS
Editorial: Everyone for Themselves. By Guy Sorman
Laurent Zecchini: “Lafayette, the Great Mediator.” By Guy Sorman
The Growing Threats to Reproductive Rights. By Anthony Bulger
ENTREPRENEUR
Christine de Wendel: The French-American Woman Taking Restaurants by Storm. By Benoît Georges
FASHION
The Gentleman’s Style: Flannel. By Julien Scavini
LIFESTYLE
Le Domaine du Rayol: A Garden of Eden on the French Riviera. By Jean-Gabriel Fredet
CULTURE
A Canvas, an Artist: Paul Signac, Place des Lices, St. Tropez. By Tracy Kendrick
Josephine Baker: The French-American Resistance Fighter Enters the Pantheon. By Vincent Dozol
The Château des Milandes: Josephine Baker’s Third Love. By Gabriel Bertrand
Accidentally Wes Anderson: A Cinematic Journey. By Carla Peyrat
Suzanne Valadon: The Model Who Became a Master Painter. By Prune Perromat
Hervé Le Tellier: Literature Is Child’s Play. By Sophie Joubert
Franck Bouysse: In Blue Beard’s Castle. By Sophie Joubert
LANGUAGE
The Wordsmith: Le multiculturalisme en France. By Dominique Mataillet
© Michel Ginfray/Gamma-Rapho
