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
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
PORTRAIT
Drake LeBlanc, the Francophone Cowboy. By Clément Thiery
SPORT
PERSPECTIVES
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
