In fall 2006, the tradition continued when Le Louvre invited Toni Morrison to organize a series of events centered on her theme “The Foreigner’s Home”, encompassing notions of identity, exile and belonging. I was in town on two occasions in November and December while the series was underway. Remember, Paris is a skilled lovah who caresses, kisses, tempts and slays visitors with her irresistible charm. I had made plans to attend the Morrison talk with my friend but ended up being completely seduced by the diffused light-filled clouds over Paris and the warm glow of café bars along the Palais-Royal.
I enjoyed a sweet reunion with my friend, the same woman from the radical lesbian feminist collective I visited in 2005. The generosity and kindness of the lesbians I’ve met in Paris completely dispels the myth about all French being snobbish. My friend and I met at the historical Comédie-Française, and then walked along the splendid Place du Palais-Royal, through the enchanting garden and arcades.
We stopped in a tiny bar café for what we thought would be a glass or two of wine and then on to rendezvous with her friend at Le Louvre. Nearly two hours past before we realized the time. We missed the talk but I made a new friend when I was introduced to a Black sistah who had not seen our mutual friend in years. So okay, we missed the lecture, the French lesbians had catching up to do, and I wasn’t ready to return to my hotel. So in typical Paris fashion our trio set out to find another café for more wine, food and conversation.
I did manage to return to Le Louvre in December to obtain details about the exhibit. Le Louvre is not only a museum but also a massive subterranean complex of upscale shops, galleries, and exhibit halls. I felt so proud to be an African American woman standing in that august institution (12th century) in support of Toni Morrison’s work and community building efforts. Morrison was specifically invited to curate this series in recognition of the one-year anniversary of the banlieu uprisings.
I surprised myself when I became excited at the sight of a 15-20 foot exhibit banner hanging from the museum exterior. I stopped two French white women passersby who appeared to be in their mid-20. I requested they snap my photograph with the banner as a backdrop. I asked the women if they were familiar with Toni Morrison, they eagerly replied: “Yes, of course!” The way my chest was all puffed out one would have thought I was a close relative of Morrison.
February 19th, 2007 at 1:39 pm
I am so in love with Paris! I always have been. It is one of my dreams to visit and eventually live part-time in Paris. I really enjoyed Skye’s commentary. It was very informative and lively.
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