American Writers in Paris

I went to Shakespeare and Company, a conglomeration of two bookstores founded by Sylvia Beach in 1919 and George Whitman in 1951. Joyce'e Ulysses was published here, and many English-speaking writers and expats have gathered here to share their work throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. I came here to visit my friend Paul, a poet in residence, living in a small room above the bookstore. Here is the view from outside, where Paul and I were listening to a reading of writers from NYU's MFA program.