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Paris Noir: African Americans in the City of Light
A history of black Americans who settled in Paris, France, from 1900 to the present.
412 pages, Paperback
First published December 4, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 20, 2015
Fascinating read! I've always been a bit enamored by Black artists, writers, and other creatives who brought the Jazz Age to Paris. I also appreciated how the author made the reader aware that even though many were seeking to leave racism behind, France had/has its own issues with racism.
July 3, 2013
Richard Wright, James Baldwin, Basquiat. Charlie Parker, Miles David - just to name
some of the most talented and famous
among the Black artists who chose to escape
America's racism and live in Paris.This was a
fascinating and well-written book about an
important time in history.
some of the most talented and famous
among the Black artists who chose to escape
America's racism and live in Paris.This was a
fascinating and well-written book about an
important time in history.
May 23, 2013
This book describes in great detail the historical trend of groups of African Americans during World War I, World War ll, and post war years. After the war several artists, musicians, GI's, and writers spent time in Paris to escape the binds of American racism in the United States. The book is divided into the following chapters; Freedom Overseas: African American soldiers fight the great war, Bringing the Jazz age to Paris, Depression and war: Paris in the 1930's, Life on the left bank, the golden age of african american literature in Paris, new perspectives on race, and African Americans in Paris today.
The two groups of African Americans in Paris was a result of the war and seeking exile from American racism, artists were able to become successful in both Europe and America because of the large group of intellectuals and like Black American expatriates, also during these two periods of time Parisians first saw American blacks as exotic and less than themselves, however during the second period of American black expatriates Parisians saw American blacks as equal people and equal intellectuals. During the war famous American blacks in Paris included; Josephine Baker, Chester Himes, Louis Armstrong, James Baldwin, Richard Wright, among others. In the later chapters we discover that the end of 1920's and 1930's and other periods are dominated by the end of legendary writers, artists, and musicians. We also see that though Paris and France appear to be color blind, that's not entirely correct since French immigrants and blacks are treated cruelly, like how American blacks were treated. What we learn in the final chapter is that places like clubs, music halls, and American black restaurants are the places where generations of black expatriates form their communities. American black expatriates created "communities" which was stronger during the war years with renown artists, musicians, writers both across Europe and the United States. Even though these legendary figures knew fellow such American black figures they didn't always know one another. However as the years progressed the American black community spread but these expatriates were more modern and students who didn't come to Paris to reside but for short stays. The book goes to great length in differentiating the three different periods of black American expatriates. Even though these black Americans choose exile from American racism, but they kept current and engaged in the black struggle in the U.S. Such figures choose to engage themselves with the black struggle through their literary works; novels,articles, short stories, and poems. For the most part most these figures chose to annually or more than once a year to return visiting and engaging in the black struggle movement in the U.S. This is a great book for understanding how the black diaspora formed. If your looking for a book about the African American experience abroad specifically in Paris use this as a guidebook in conjunction with Michel Farbe's From Harlem to Paris. Which are general introductions to the African American experience in Paris.
The two groups of African Americans in Paris was a result of the war and seeking exile from American racism, artists were able to become successful in both Europe and America because of the large group of intellectuals and like Black American expatriates, also during these two periods of time Parisians first saw American blacks as exotic and less than themselves, however during the second period of American black expatriates Parisians saw American blacks as equal people and equal intellectuals. During the war famous American blacks in Paris included; Josephine Baker, Chester Himes, Louis Armstrong, James Baldwin, Richard Wright, among others. In the later chapters we discover that the end of 1920's and 1930's and other periods are dominated by the end of legendary writers, artists, and musicians. We also see that though Paris and France appear to be color blind, that's not entirely correct since French immigrants and blacks are treated cruelly, like how American blacks were treated. What we learn in the final chapter is that places like clubs, music halls, and American black restaurants are the places where generations of black expatriates form their communities. American black expatriates created "communities" which was stronger during the war years with renown artists, musicians, writers both across Europe and the United States. Even though these legendary figures knew fellow such American black figures they didn't always know one another. However as the years progressed the American black community spread but these expatriates were more modern and students who didn't come to Paris to reside but for short stays. The book goes to great length in differentiating the three different periods of black American expatriates. Even though these black Americans choose exile from American racism, but they kept current and engaged in the black struggle in the U.S. Such figures choose to engage themselves with the black struggle through their literary works; novels,articles, short stories, and poems. For the most part most these figures chose to annually or more than once a year to return visiting and engaging in the black struggle movement in the U.S. This is a great book for understanding how the black diaspora formed. If your looking for a book about the African American experience abroad specifically in Paris use this as a guidebook in conjunction with Michel Farbe's From Harlem to Paris. Which are general introductions to the African American experience in Paris.
March 31, 2020
Dr. Stovall traces the presence of African Americans in Paris, France from the Roaring ‘20’s until the 1990’s. Black American jazz musicians were the early émigrés who satisfied Parisians’ rapacious thirst for their new type of music and the dance movements displayed by performers such as Josephine Baker. Such entertainments were a balm for French citizens and visitors--Royal and work-a-day--after the weariness of both the first and second World Wars. Stovall writes this history as if it were a romance between Black American artists and the entire city--a Paris that accepted them as fellow humans when their own American countrymen, even while in Paris, belittled and demeaned them and their works. Yes, when the local economy went awry, the French did protest that these foreign musicians were taking too many jobs. And the French eventually developed and supported homegrown, white jazz artists. But African Americans were able to open clubs and restaurants of their own in Paris and were even able to find prestigious positions as diverse as news reporting, engineering and fashion photography with local companies. I found PARIS NOIR to be quite an engrossing read.
April 21, 2008
A very important and super detailed account of Black Americans who found Paris as a great home, starting with the World War 1 years. Fascinating history of people like Josephine Baker, the great jazz drummer Kenny Clarke, Richard Wright and others who made Paris as their central headquarters for creative activity.
January 6, 2017
Paris Noir is a fantastic deep dive into the lives of African-American expats living in Paris during the interwar (post-WWI, pre-WWII) period. Stovall's writing is a bit dense, but all the stories he packs into this book are fascinating.
April 16, 2011
A fast-paced, well-researched look at the African-American experience of Paris. Chock full of entertaining anecdotes, its exploration of the post-World War I years is especially engaging.
August 31, 2020
Read first two chapters for “black writers in paris” class
January 5, 2019
An excellent compendium of African Americans in Paris but not particularly artful.
March 22, 2024
"At the end of 1970, health problems led [James Baldwin] to convalesce in the medieval village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence just inland from the bustling Riviera. Baldwin fell in love with the beauty and tranquility of the community and bought a large ramshackle farmhouse on ten acres of land, complete with a view of the Mediterranean in the distance. Baldwin had finally found a place where his soul could rest, and Saint-Paul would serve as his home base for the rest of his days. The villa represented the conclusion of James Baldwin's transformation from poor, agonized child of the Harlem streets to a man of property and prestige in France, and no place had played a greater role in that metamorphosis than Paris.
December 29, 2020
This book is an incredible glimpse into the lives of Black Americans settling in Paris since the early 20th century. Although I was fascinated by the subject matter, I struggled to latch on to the writing style. I would generally consider myself a fast reader, and it took me approximately 6 months to finish this book because I could only read ~10 pages at a time. All that being said, if you’re interested in learning more about the history of African Americans in Paris, this is still definitely the book for you.
June 19, 2019
Interesting and well presented
July 28, 2023
Fairly academic, but informative
March 25, 2024
To p.146
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews