Anita Welbon

Attracted by the economic and creative freedom Paris offered, twentieth-century American writers found a place to become the writers they wanted to be and discovered a supportive community of intellectual and visual artists. We will read creative and autobiographical writings, view relevant films, and examine the historical and cultural connection between France and the United States that contributed to the development of American writers, including James Baldwin, Gwendolyn Bennett, Ernest Hemingway, Langston Hughes, and Gertrude Stein. In this course, students will develop their critical reading and writing skills and write three short papers and one longer paper based on research.

Tanner, Hughes, Baker. Prophet, Bearden, Chase-Rimboud. Wright, Baldwin, Himes. African-American visual, literary, and performing artists have journeyed to Paris for a few months, a year, or a lifetime to find what they could not in the United States, a space to fully explore, develop, and execute their artistic vision. This FYSII course examines the history of African American artists in Paris, exploring the cultural, political, and artistic forces that drew them to the city of light. Through short written responses and longer formal papers, students will continue to develop their writing skills as they consider this rich history.