December 14

Left Bank: Art, Passion and the Rebirth of Paris, 1940-50 (2018)                  By Agnes Poirier

Today, as I write this post, Paris is under attack by anti-government protesters, unhappy with taxes, breaking windows, looting, setting fires.  Three years ago, just before I visited Paris, terrorists killed dozens of innocent victims in cafes, on the streets, and in a sports arena.  This beautiful city has seen its share of hard times, for sure - but the occupation of German troops during the World War 2 must surely have been one of the most difficult.  

Les Duex Magots today

I read only the first third of this book, the section entitled "War Was My Master" (July 1938-August 1945), which covers intellectual and artistic life in Paris just before, during ,and at the end of the war - but felt it provided a rich and atmospheric description of wartime Paris.  Many Americans, including Miles Davis, James Baldwin, and Sylvia Beach joined the likes of Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Albert Camus and others, along with expatriots Pablo Picasso and Samuel Beckett.  It's hard to imagine a more talented group of people living, loving and creating in such a concentrated area.  The next two sections will chronicle hardships after the war, and how the war affects these artists' work.

Dewey at Eugene Delacroix residence, 6th arr.

Many lived or worked right along Rue Bonaparte, where Dewey and I spent several days this past October.  Luckily for us, Paris was peaceful, and we could enjoy the cities museums, restaurants, parks, and architecture.  We could only imagine the meetings at Les Duex Magots, the secret messages passed from one to another, the lives risked for the sake of freedom.

Rue Bonaparte (our hotel is at green, round sign)