Every month in France-Amérique,
discover the best of French and Francophone culture in the United States and Canada.
Analysis of French-American news • French cultural events in the United States and Canada • Interviews with leading intellectuals • Fashion tips • Traditional and contemporary recipes • Reports from across the United States and Canada • 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…
February 2023
L’Amour à la Française vs. American Romance
Do we love in the same ways on both sides of the Atlantic? Are Americans prudish? Are the French more unfaithful? What about differences in sexual practices? For Valentine’s Day, Florida-based psychotherapist Bérénice Boursier-Baudouin answers our most risqué questions on French-American relationships! Also in this issue, read about the new golden triangle of contemporary art in Paris; meet French chef Gilles Epié, the culinary rock star out to conquer the U.S. capital; and discover how Barbie, who arrived in France sixty years ago this month, has become an outsize – and controversial – symbol, not only in her home country but around the world.
Featured Articles
THE OBSERVER
BARBIE
Celebrating 60 Years of the American Doll in France
Among the historical milestones being marked this year in France – the first public session of the Académie Française, Molière’s death, the launch of the Ariane space program – there’s one that may seem slightly frivolous. That’s right: 2023 is also the sixtieth anniversary of the arrival of the Barbie doll in Europe.
By Anthony Bulger
BUSINESS
FRENCH FOUNDERS
A Revolutionary Entrepreneur Network
Founded in New York City in 2014 by two expats, FrenchFounders drew its inspiration from the start-up model and is now shaking up communities of entrepreneurs living abroad. This new approach has since won over more than 4,000 members across the world.
By Benoît Georges
THE TALK
L'AMOUR À LA FRANÇAISE
vs. American Romance
Do we seduce each other in the same ways on both sides of the Atlantic? Are Americans prudish? Are the French more unfaithful? And how easy is it to be in a binational relationship? For Valentine’s Day, these questions are all answered by Bérénice Boursier-Baudouin, a Florida-based French psychotherapist.
By Juliette Démas
HISTORY
W.E.B. DU BOIS IN PARIS
An Exhibition against Racist Clichés
In 1900, the prominent sociologist worked with the Paris Exposition Universelle to showcase the newfound freedom and rapid progress of Black Americans. But Belle Epoque France was more interested in colonial expansion than social emancipation – which is the focus of an exhibition currently on display at the Cooper Hewitt in New York City.
By Roland Flamini
Table of contents
FROM THE NEWSDESK
Bis Repetita: Another Attempt at Pension Reform in France. By Anthony Bulger
COME ON OUT
French Cultural Events in North America. By Tracy Kendrick
EDITORIAL
Woke, a Fashionable Dance. By Guy Sorman
INTERVIEW
Olivier Zunz: “Tocqueville Believed That Democracy Is a Constant Struggle.” By Guy Sorman
THE OBSERVER
Celebrating 60 Years of the Barbie Doll in France. By Anthony Bulger
BUSINESS
FrenchFounders, a Revolutionary Entrepreneur Network. By Benoît Georges
ART
THE TALK
L’Amour à la Française vs. American Romance. By Juliette Démas
BON APPÉTIT
Gilles Epié: Out to Conquer the Capital. By Hélène Vissière
RECIPE
Herring-Style Marinated Scottish Salmon. By Gilles Epié
HISTORY
W.E.B. Du Bois in Paris: An Exhibition against Racist Clichés. By Roland Flamini
BOOKS
BOOK REVIEW
Constance Debré: Mother, Lonesome Cowboy. By Sophie Joubert
THE WORDSMITH
Sobriety: The Party’s Over. By Dominique Mataillet
