Paris

Settle into our hotel, centrally located in the 2nd Arrondissement near the Louvre Museum. This evening, gather with fellow travelers for a welcome reception at the hotel followed by dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Gather this morning for book discussions with Professor Treharne. This afternoon, embark on a walking tour of the Montparnasse district with its cafes, bars, and restaurants that were frequented by writers of the Lost Generation, such as Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Visit the Carnavalet Museum, housed in a beautiful and historic 16th-century mansion, and explore its exhibits on the history of Paris, which will help set the context for our week in this dynamic city.

Enjoy another morning of readings and discussions. Then, get to know some of Paris’s historic libraries and special collections. Walk to the Bibliotheque Nationale de France’s (BnF) reading rooms in the Richelieu Library to view rare manuscripts and admire the baroque architecture. Also see the library’s exhibition of art objects from the Treasury of Saint-Denis in the beautifully restored Mazarin Gallery. Continue to Notre Dame Cathedral where a local restoration expert details the monumental efforts made to recover what was lost in the fire of 2019. Conclude the day with some free time to browse the shelves of the famous Shakespeare and Company bookstore, originally established in 1919 by American ex-pat Sylvia Beach as a gathering place for writers and artists.

After breakfast, depart for a full-day excursion focused on medieval history and literature. Begin with an early-hours visit to Sainte-Chappelle and view its exquisite stained glass windows before the building opens to the public. Continue to the Musée de Cluny, built in a 15th-century chateau on the site of ancient Roman baths and renowned for its collection of medieval art and artifacts. After lunch, visit the beautiful Basilica of Saint-Denis outside Paris, once a place of pilgrimage and a necropolis containing the tombs of nearly every king from the 10th century to Louis XVIII in the 19th century. Return to Paris and visit the Père Lachaise cemetery where many famous artists, writers, and musicians lie buried, including Gertrude Stein, Alice B. Toklas, Oscar Wilde, and Molière.

Return to class for a morning of book discussions. This afternoon, visit the Pantheon where many great French writers and artists are entombed, including Victor Hugo, Emile Zola, and Voltaire. Then explore the history of African American writers in Paris on a guided walking tour. Stop at the Café de Flore, where James Baldwin wrote Go Tell It on the Mountain; Deux Magots, where he and Richard Wright would often engage in heated debates; and other locations significant to these writers in the 7th Arrondissement. Then visit with an African American writer living in Paris for a discussion of literature and culture while enjoying refreshments at a local brasserie.

After a morning of discussions, venture out to discover the Paris of Edith Wharton and Henry James. Visit the Hotel de Crillon, where Wharton rented an exclusive penthouse apartment and mingled with the city’s cultivated society. Continue to Parc Monceau, where James comingled with such luminaries as Ivan Turgenev, Emile Zola, and Guy de Maupassant in the apartment of Gustave Flaubert. Cap off our tour with wine tasting in a Parisian cellar.

After our final morning of discussions, enjoy an afternoon at leisure. Then gather to toast our journey at a farewell reception and dinner.

After breakfast at our hotel, transfer to the airport for homeward bound flights.