When we visited Paris last year we signed up for one of her all day walking tours. We loved it and really learned a lot!
by Julia Browne
Taking You Outside Black Paris
How do we keep alive the vitality and relevance of Richard
Wright and his time in France - outside the classroom? We follow his footsteps
back to where he wrote, we meet the people he enjoyed, we walk the ground he
did. Then we give back something to keep the flame alive.
Many a French masterpiece found life and nurture out
somewhere in the French countryside.
Black Paris expats also drank in that country air, let it
course through their creativity, and voila - many an African-American
masterpiece came to life beyond Paris, too.
We trod where he lived, we breathed the air that infused his
haiku. Then, we left a reminder for locals and for those of you who might go
looking for Richard.
Ailly lies about an hour east of Paris. It's a community of
1052 souls - about the same number at Richard Wright's time. The Aillytiens, as
they're called, take great effort to maintain their 'home sweet home' feel of
old time French country living. But visitors are warmly welcome! There's even a
soft spot for Americans. On the 24th August 1944, American troops liberated the
village, as they did many others in Normandy.
A trip down Richard Wright's lane can be arranged for individual
travelers and for groups. And, if you've got a novel you'd love to write in
this peace and calm, or a musical score to finish, it doesn't get much more
idyllic than here (and the food's great).
Click here to read the entire blog story AND learn more about the tours. I highly recommend them!
And be sure to tell Julia I sent you!
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