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…

March 2024

The French-Speaking Cowboys of Louisiana

In March, we celebrate le Mois de la francophonie! Meet Drake LeBlanc, the French- and Creole-speaking cowboy, filmmaker, and cofounder of Télé-Louisiane; read our interview with Harvard professor Claire-Marie Brisson on the North American Francosphere; and discover why “Molière may be dead, but his language is alive and well.” Also in this issue, Albert Camus travels to America; former ambassador Gérard Araud analyzes the White House race and its potential consequences for France and Europe; and French soccer star and LGBTQ+ advocate Marinette Pichon discusses her U.S. career and her fight for equality in women’s sports.

Featured Articles

INTERVIEW

GÉRARD ARAUD

Should We Fear Donald Trump’s Return?

The former ambassador to Washington is one of the most prolific commentators on the United States in the French media. Speaking with France-Amérique, he tries to explain the complexities of American society and gauge what Donald Trump’s return to the White House would mean for both France and Europe.

By Guy Sorman

BUSINESS

CYRIL DEWAVRIN

The American Dream of a Serial Bookseller

Founding a French neighborhood bookstore in New York City was the madcap challenge undertaken by this avid reader and busy entrepreneur. The Frenchman has just opened La Joie de Vivre near Chelsea, a space offering books in French and English, coffee, and pastries.

By Benoît Georges

PORTRAIT

DRAKE LEBLANC

The Francophone Cowboy

He’s as comfortable on horseback as he is behind the camera. For his documentary Footwork, which recently premiered at the French Film Festival in New Orleans, the director, bilingual activist, and co-founder of Télé-Louisiane chose to shine a light on a world he knows well, that of the Black, French- and Creole-speaking cowboys in his state.

By Clément Thiery

SPORT

MARINETTE PICHON

“In the U.S., a Girl Can Make Her Dreams Come True!”

The striker and former national team captain was the first French female soccer player to sign a professional contract when she joined the Philadelphia Charge in 2002. Now working as a coach in Quebec, Marinette Pichon has hung up her cleats but continues to campaign for women’s sports and LGBTQ+ rights on both sides of the Atlantic.

By Diane de Vignemont

Table of contents

FROM THE NEWSDESK

French Farmers Stage Massive Protests to Protect Livelihoods and Futures. By Anthony Bulger

COME ON OUT

French Cultural Events in North America. By Tracy Kendrick

EDITORIAL

On Tolerance in France. By Guy Sorman

INTERVIEW

Gérard Araud: Should We Fear Donald Trump’s Return? By Guy Sorman

THE OBSERVER

Have We Reached the Tipping Point? By Anthony Bulger

BUSINESS

The American Dream of a Serial Bookseller. By Benoît Georges

PHOTOGRAPHY

Jean-Marie Périer’s Sleepless Nights. By Jean-Gabriel Fredet

BEYOND THE SEA

Aimée Crocker, the Transatlantic Queen of Bohemia. By Jérôme Kagan

FRANCOSPHERE

Claire-Marie Brisson: “Let’s Make French a Global Language in North America!” By Etienne de Metz

PORTRAIT

Drake LeBlanc, the Francophone Cowboy. By Clément Thiery

SPORT

Marinette Pichon: “In the U.S., a Girl Can Make Her Dreams Come True!” By Diane de Vignemont

PERSPECTIVES

Molière May Be Dead, But His Language Is Alive and Well. By Dominique Mataillet

BOOKS

Albert Camus: Rebuilding France from America. By Ben Libman

BOOK REVIEW

Tanguy Viel: The Girl You Call, the Mechanics of Control. By Sophie Joubert

THE WORDSMITH

Say Goodbye to “Ugly France”! By Dominique Mataillet

© Joseph Vidrine