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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 2024
Laying the Tracks of French-American Friendship
All aboard! This February, we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the French Gratitude Train, also known as the “Merci Train” – a convoy of 49 boxcars that brought 250 tons of gifts to the United States as a thank-you after the liberation of France in World War II. Also in this issue: The Champs-Elysées get a royal makeover ahead of the Paris Olympics; Barnard College researcher and professor Séverine Autesserre looks for better ways to build peace; French photographer Maxime Riché travels to Paradise to meet with survivors of the California megafire; and writer Nicolas Mathieu looks back on his Villa Albertine residency in the American South!
Featured Articles
HERITAGE
THE TRIUMPHANT RETURN
of the Champs-Élysées
Abandoned by locals and awash with tourists and international retailers, the world’s most beautiful avenue is refusing to become the Paris equivalent of Times Square. Made famous by cultural references such as the song by French-American crooner Joe Dassin and the movie Breathless starring Jean Seberg and Jean-Paul Belmondo, it is now getting a makeover in the run-up to the 2024 Olympic Games.
By Jean-Gabriel Fredet
HISTORY
EUGENE BULLARD
A Pilot’s Struggle for Freedom
He flew for liberty, equality, and fraternity. This grandson of Georgia slaves volunteered for the Foreign Legion during World War I and became the first African American fighter pilot, a hero of French aviation – before being disgraced, sidelined, and forgotten by his native country.
By Diane de Vignemont
PORTFOLIO
MAXIME RICHÉ
Colors of the Flames
From 2020 to 2021, the French photographer documented the ravages of megafires in Paradise, California. The stunning landscapes shot on infrared film and the unflinching portraits of the town’s survivors, available in a forthcoming book, reflect his singular perspective on a climate disaster that has also wreaked havoc in France.
By Jonas Cuénin
ANNIVERSARY
THE MERCI TRAIN
Laying the Tracks of French-American Friendship
A granite plaque used to be set into Broadway’s Canyon of Heroes, a former testament to its passage down this avenue. But who still remembers the “Merci Train,” sent by France to the United States 75 years ago? Between World War II and the Cold War, this convoy of symbolic gifts renewed cultural diplomacy between our two countries.
By Diane de Vignemont
Table of contents
FROM THE NEWSDESK
Immigration Legislation Sparks Political Crisis for the Macron Administration. By Anthony Bulger
COME ON OUT
French Cultural Events in North America. By Tracy Kendrick
EDITORIAL
Two Countries Separated by One Small Step. By Guy Sorman
INTERVIEW
THE OBSERVER
Le Donut, Le Street Food, and Other Signs of the Times. By Anthony Bulger
HERITAGE
The Triumphant Return of the Champs-Elysées. By Jean-Gabriel Fredet
HISTORY
PORTFOLIO
ANNIVERSARY
The Merci Train, Laying the Tracks of French-American Friendship. By Diane de Vignemont
BOOKS
BOOK REVIEW
THE WORDSMITH
Singing the Banlieue Blues. By Dominique Mataillet
