French Night 5

Our fifth French night took place on the 9th of February, at the Cornelia Street Cafe.

It was a star-studded night. We presented excerpts of three French novels published this last fall with a common theme : The American stars.

The first novel – Jayne Mansfield 1967 - by Simon Liberati, relates the days before the actress died on a car wreck in 1967. It’s Simon Liberati's 4th novel and has already been awarded the 2011 Femina Price

Beau Bothwell reads, in English, the opening pages of the book, describing the car wreck,

 with a beautiful yet horrific specificity.

 Here some people are reading the text almost as if by candlelight while others are riveted
by the spoken word itself.

  Muriel Resal reads the text in its orginal French

Isabelle Milkoff introduces the second novel, The rapture of Britney Spears / Le ravissement de Britney Spears by Jean Rolin.
The main character, directly inspired by Hollywood thrillers, is a French intelligence service agent who
was sent to LA to get in touch with Britney Spears in order to protect her from a possible rapture.
He lived the life of paparazzi, but without a car.

Tom Radigan begins the reading of
 the opening chapters which he translated for the occasion

Isabelle Milkoff follows by reading the text in French 

`

Then back to the English translation, when it is uncovered that B. S. went dining with "no underwear ! " 

 

The last novel but not the least is dedicated to Jimi Hendrix. The author, Lydie Salvayre, who has been published since 1990, celebrates Jimi Hendrix’s appearance in Woodstock in August 1969 when he played his now famous Star Spangled Banner.
The title - Hymne – is, in French, a play on words both on the American national anthem and the book’s celebration of Jimi Hendrix's life, music and rebellion.

Nathalie Roussel begins the reading of a chapter that  tells the Hendrix "Legend" says.

Then she reads the beginning of the chapter about Hendrix's grandmother 

and their close relationship.

Adam Kahan reads the end of the same chapter, translated for the occasion by Anne-Marie Gassier. 

The French night is over. Time for chatting and doing some last minute errands 

in the neighborhood, as for example getting some French baguettes

The baguette is not a reward for the reading, but it could be !

because it makes people very happy !

The French nights are supported by the cultural services of the French Embassy