Paris on the Brink: Mary McAuliffe with Laura Hughes

An immersive look at the creative renaissance in Paris between the wars.

The 1930s were a tumultous time in Europe, and Paris was a political powder keg. Beginning with the Wall Street Crash and ending in war and occupation, violence and instability characterized the decade. At the same time, the City of Light was a center of cultural creativity. Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, André Gide, Marie Curie, Coco Chanel, Josephine Baker, Man Ray, Le Corbusier, Jean Renoir, Salvador Dalí, and Elsa Schiaparelli were reaching creative peaks. In Paris on the Brink, Mary McAuliffe (author of Dawn of the Belle Epoque, Twilight of the Belle Epoque, When Paris Sizzled, and Clash of Crowns) brings this extraordinary era to life through rich illustrations and evocative narrative. She will be joined in conversation by Laura Hughes, a specialist of 20th- and 21st-century French writing, with a focus on archives and autobiography. 

FIRST COME, FIRST SEATED

Registration does not guarantee admission. For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A stand by line will form thirty minutes before the program.

The Program Room opens at 6 PM.

ASL interpretation and real-time (CART) captioning available upon request. Please submit your request at least two weeks in advance by emailing accessibility@nypl.org.