The War That Used Up Words? Literature in Paris 1910-1940

For decades, works like Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast and Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris have captivated our imaginations with their images of lively cafés that were a refuge from cold and poverty, of smoky clubs full of gin and jazz, and above all, of a city surging with creative energy. And rightly so—the decade after World War I was a time of radical experimentation in novels, poetry, painting, dance and more.
But it is only part of the story. Writers on both sides of the Atlantic were tapping into forces that had long made Paris a beacon of innovation. In this talk we’ll explore the wider panoply of prewar and postwar writers and discuss how the war intensi ed the already-present quest for new modes of expression. Immerse yourself in this unforgettable period and leave with a deeper understanding of literature in Paris, 1910–1940.

Join Melanie Blake of Classical Pursuits
for an evening of stories, history and discussion.

Thursday, January 16 at 7:00 PM

Alliance Française San Francisco
1345 Bush Street | San Francisco, CA

Alliance members $10, non-members $15