shakespeareandcompany

Shakespeare and Company, Paris: A History of the Rag & Bone Shop of the Heart | Krista Halverson, Jeannette Winterson

#SchoolSpirit Day 4: I was in #College when I learned about this gorgeous bookstore, thanks to Before Sunrise. While I had the opportunity to visit the branch in Prague and New York, it was only two days ago that I got to visit this lovely store in Paris. Deeply thrilled about this. Now in Tours, France to deliver a keynote speech on “Diverse Picturebooks for Diverse Children: Reading for Socio-emotional Learning, Mental Health, and Well-Being.”

Eggs, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Dilara Oooh interesting! Will the keynote be available to watch online at some point? 4mo

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Great photos! 4mo

Eggs Lovely post 📚📚 4mo

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marleed Oh cool - I would love to visit. I did send my son there though and he and his group were surprised at how much fun they had there. 4mo

GatheringBooks @marleed we left our 22 year old college kid in paris while husband and i headed to tours for my keynote. College kid is having a fab time with my gay friend who is husband of a danish diplomat. We have fabulous hosts!! Super grateful. 4mo

GatheringBooks @Dilara yess! Am glad you asked. We were just informed that all keynote speeches will be uploaded on the website of the UNESCO chair of maltreatment. Will share once available. 💕💕💕 4mo

marleed @GatheringBooks oh what a great experience for her! I just love seeing posts on your travels - and the books that travel with you! 4mo

Dilara @GatheringBooks That's fantastic! Please tag me when you do 😁 🙏 4mo

BarbaraBB I visited it last year. A great bookstore indeed. 4mo

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Renee27

On Connection | Kae Tempest

pick

One of the most soulful, connecting and real books I've read in a long time
I could feel the author connect with me
Reading this was a much needed wake up call when we tend to lose ourselves in cyclic mundane routines. It's a book I will probably re read again.

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Librarybelle

The Paris Bookseller | Kerri Maher

It‘s time to discuss this month‘s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead ! I posted 8 questions as spoilers that can be found on my feed, the book‘s feed, or by searching the hashtags. Answer whenever you have a chance!

Next month‘s book is The Dress in the Window by Sofia Grant!

mcctrish, Julsmarshall, Cinfhen, melissajayne, Jerdencon, throwmeabook, kspenmoll, PurpleyPumpkin, BethM, megnews, mrp27, JamieArc, Sargar114, MoonWitch94, julieclair, AllDebooks

AllDebooks I didn't make time to read this. I would stll like to if it's recommended. I hope you all enjoyed it 😊 1y

PurpleyPumpkin Unfortunately, I didn‘t get around to this one this month! And I was so looking forward to it! I look forward to following the group discussion as I‘m still planning to read it. 😉 1y

kspenmoll This was a great choice; I learned so much!!! (edited) 1y

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Jerdencon I read about 1/2 before the library took it back and I‘m back on the list for it. 1y

Jerdencon And neither Libby nor the NYPL ebook have a copy of next months book but will try to get a copy from the library. 1y

julieclair I‘m about halfway through and really enjoying it. Will comment when I‘m finished. 1y

mrp27 Thanks for hosting. I learned so much! 1y

Sargar114 Thanks for the tag, didn‘t get around to finishing this month 🤞 for next month 🙂 1y

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Librarybelle

The Paris Bookseller | Kerri Maher

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8. Have you visited Shakespeare and Company? More information here: https://www.shakespeareandcompany.com/

What is your favorite bookstore?

kspenmoll Visited in 1991. Favorite bookstore in CT is RJ Julia‘s Bookseller in Madison. 1y

mrp27 No but it‘s definitely a bucket list item. I have been to Shakespeare and Co in NYC several times. It‘s been years and I don‘t even know if it‘s still there or if there is any relation to the Paris store. 1y

julieclair No, but I hope to… someday. I love all indie book stores. Don‘t really have a favorite. 1y

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Librarybelle

The Paris Bookseller | Kerri Maher

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7. Many of us dream of owning a bookstore. If you owned one, what three authors—past or present—would you invite to read at your store? ~from Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

megnews Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison. Let me think about the third 1y

kspenmoll Joy Harper, jane Kenyon, Mary Wollstonecraft. 1y

mrp27 Ohhh tough question. Judy Blume, JD Salinger, Isabel Allende. 1y

julieclair Jane Austen, Beatrix Potter, Thomas Hardy 1y

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Librarybelle

The Paris Bookseller | Kerri Maher

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6. The original epic poem The Odyssey, by Homer—on which Joyce based his novel Ulysses—is about Odysseus trying to get home to Ithaca after the Trojan War so that he could be reunited with his wife, Penelope. In what ways do the themes of home and reunion pop up throughout The Paris Bookseller? ~from Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

megnews It‘s a reflection on Joyce‘s trying to come home to his wife. They go back and forth between Ireland. Sylvia‘s family wants her to “come home” but she doesn‘t feel the US is home anymore. It‘s about making home and found home. (edited) 1y

kspenmoll Joyce faced many trials in writing/publishing his book like Odysseus, Nora was Joyce‘s “home” as evidenced by his trying to woo her back with a lovely home when she left him for Ireland- Penelope was Odysseus‘s “ home”. Reunion was desired & experienced by both Joyce & odysseus. I have not read Ulysses, I imagine the protagonist‘s day was met with such trials. Dorothy Parker‘s view as Penelope the real hero🔽 1y

kspenmoll 🔼 https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/penelope/ 1y

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kspenmoll Joyce & WWI etc: https://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php/articles-posts/4647-the-roots-of-c... 1y

kspenmoll @megnews Yes, Sylvia‘s found home became her bookstore & Paris. 1y

mrp27 This book makes me want to read Ulysses. Just not entirely sure I‘ll get through it. Dubliners was a struggle. But yes, I saw it as Joyce‘s struggle with Ireland, his home. 1y

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Librarybelle

The Paris Bookseller | Kerri Maher

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5. The Paris Bookseller takes place from 1917 to 1936, from the end of the First World War into the Depression, and it‘s being published one hundred years later. Did you detect any resonance with the twenty-first century as you read about the lives of these characters living a century ago? How are attitudes, laws, censorship, and art the same? How are they different? ~from Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

kspenmoll Although I so wish it were different now, I think there are parallels to the time period in the book & our current time. Even before Covid people were reading so much. During & after the pandemic, so many musicians, artist, writers responded to this world wide virus. Diverse writers are recognized, although there is so much more to do to support their work. Women writers & supportive groups,awards,also are seen & recognized. An ultra 🔽 1y

kspenmoll 🔼 conservative backlash has become front & center with book banning, libraries attacked, RON DESANTIS & other like minded politicians- seem to be taking over states. 1y

megnews Art, in all forms, will always make people think. There are those who benefit from people not thinking & therefore there will always be attacks on art, including writing. I‘m not one to easily make comparisons with Nazi German but the book banning going on right now can become a terrifying slippery slope into a place I hope we don‘t want to go.The racists emboldened by these attitudes coming out of the woodwork, I hope isnt a sign of times to come 1y

mrp27 If I read this 7 years ago I would have said thank goodness we don‘t live in a time like that, look how much we‘ve progressed!! But nope, we‘re back in the same troubled times. I do have hope that times like these are cyclical and we‘ll break free form these ignorant times and move forward again. 1y

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Librarybelle

The Paris Bookseller | Kerri Maher

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4. This novel is full of real-life strong women making history. Were any of their actions surprising to you, given the time period? Do you think there was something special about Paris at this particular time that made their actions possible? ~from Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

kspenmoll I do think there was something special about Paris, but then there still is something special about Paris! This time in between the Wars was a time of anti-everything in the United States and somewhat in England. Writers & artists & young people were reacting against WWI & its trenches, Trauma, etc. Joyce‘s experience with getting his book published was a prime example of the culture in the US -nothing new in life was accepted or understood.🔽 (edited) 1y

kspenmoll Strong women emerged because they had tested themselves during WWI - actively working in war efforts at home & abroad, doing jobs men were not doing or available for. Why would some of these strong women want to lose their new found acceptance? I imagine their lives were enriched by these new experiences. 1y

megnews It is surprising that women would be capable of opening their own business at this time, considering they couldn‘t get credit etc. I do think Paris was a special place where people bucking the system gathered which made new things possible. 1y

mrp27 I was thinking that too, how did women get the opportunity to open their own business during this time? I don‘t recall reading about credit so was it strictly a cash business and that enabled them to do it? Curious… The lawyers and other publishers they worked with were certainly not kind to them nor did they take the women seriously. 1y

julieclair I do think there was something special about Paris at this time, but I wonder just what it was. Why did so many artists and writers flock there? It‘s fascinating. 1y

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Librarybelle

The Paris Bookseller | Kerri Maher

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3. Adrienne and Sylvia disagree about how much time and energy Sylvia devotes to James Joyce. Why does Sylvia give so much of herself to the writer? Why does Adrienne disagree? How does this difference alter their relationship? ~from Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

kspenmoll It seems that Sylvia lost herself in Joyce & initially was blinded by what she saw as his genius. She did not allow for or see his flaws as Adrienne did. Also as Adrienne kept pointing out to her, she left herself no time for her own in her life and development. She gave her all to Joyce, who is no way appreciated it. 1y

megnews Agree with everything @kspenmoll said 1y

mrp27 Seems Adrienne was able a better judge of character and was able to see through Joyce. I wondered if she had some experience similar in her work and had learned early on how to deal with writers. I understand how Sylvia could feel defensive and have it seep into her relationship with Adrienne. Thankfully she came out of it in the end. 1y

julieclair I did wonder why Joyce was so important to her. It was like an obsession. Adrienne was much more clear sighted and was doing her best to open Sylvia‘s eyes to reality. 1y

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Librarybelle

The Paris Bookseller | Kerri Maher

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2. At first Sylvia is stymied by all the famous writers in Adrienne‘s store, but she goes on to open her own store and befriend the most famous writers of her day without being self-conscious about it. What do you think enabled her to call Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, Ezra Pound, and the others her friends? ~from Reading Group Guide #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

kspenmoll I think because she let them be & did not impose herself on the writers, they could relax & over time see her store & self as a true home, one without judgement. 1y

megnews She provided space for them to create and gave them their space to do it. Over time, their proximity drew them to share their lives with her. She provided a safe space to let them be themselves and create. 1y

mrp27 I agree, she may have been intimidated but she provided a space and environment for the writers to be comfortable and come to her. 1y

julieclair I agree with all that has been said, plus I think that having Adrienne introduce them as her friends made them seem like real people to Sylvia, right from the start. 1y

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