The Crazy Years: Paris in the Twenties” by William Wiser

This book revealed much about Paris that I didn't know. There were a few stories regarding Coco Chanel, Diaghilev, and other Russian expaptriates that I knew very little about and found very interesting. It also covered culture-makers as diverse as writers, dancers, musicians, fashionists, etc. This book had excellent authors who were the literary/artistic community in 1920s Paris. Almost everybody who had talent was there, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, James Baldwin, Picasso, and Dali within many others. The style of the authors individual stories were in the format of magazine articles which I thought were clever making me tune into each article that kept surprising me every step of the way. Even though this book was time consuming considering that it was packed with facts and real evidence such as addresses among others, every time I went into a different story I read many interesting anecdotes. To me this was the best book seeing that it was deep into the cultural history of Paris of the '20s.

“Plaisir D'Amour: An Erotic Memoir of Paris in the 1920s” by Anne-Marie Villefranche

This book was pretty much in the nude once I started reading it. It gradually followed a memoir that had many mini stories integrated into each chapter, each one giving more and more interesting details about life in Paris within the era that was incredibly liberating. Since this book was written by a well known young French widow who later remarried (1899-1980), these stories were fictionalized episodes, written in the third person, with all the names changed, Even with the pure sense of the 1920s, these happened to most likely be the author's fantasies about her assorted siblings and siblings in law who commit adultery in the most predictable places you can expect someone to get caught in, creating the characters personality to not care about anything but their self satisfaction. Aside from standard seductions, there's a lesbian sequence, a Swedish masseur, a sinning priest, and a couple of chapters devoted to Marquis de Sade, whom happens to become one of the main characters. The sexual seductions are graphic, though cut off when things that can happen later on, are left to your imagination. The sexual seduction scenes seen throughout the book are part of the theme that makes it more liable to know what exactly was happening during the 1920's when life was expressing ones self and having freedom.

Paris 1920's Image Exposition

“Hemingway's France: Images of the Lost Generation” by Winston S. Conrad

This book was very appealing to me in a sense that it gave me the answer to what my perception of Paris in the 1920s was really seen as. In this book, I happened to have created this sort of theme that I collected throughout the book. It’s mainly based on a well-known author whom I’m really curious to read about, as well as find out how he is known to have defined France in the 1920s, and people just can’t seem to describe France alone without mentioning his name. According to the reviews that I’ve read recommending this book, they find it filled with history and culture that cultivates the sense of that era and gets in on details about Hemingway being involved in WW2 as a soldier as well as being a writer. His story just seems so amazing. I’m already getting anxious to read what Hemingway has to showcase as “The biggest star of the 20th century literature.”

1920's Map

This map shows the approximate cities and popular places in Paris, which the authors visited or mostly have lived by.

Expatriate Paris: A Cultural and Literary Guide to Paris of the 1920s

this book has been super influential because of its overall interest in the depth of the life style in which people in Paris lived. From chapter to chapter it has constantly made me gain more knowledge and experience the culture that Paris had to offer during the times of the 1920s. It recreates important events in Paris which were considered the mark of history, and where great authors and artists came together to be recognized all throughout Paris. This novel really grabbed my attention because it showed authenticity in the way the author created scenes where you almost felt like you were breathing the same air the authors were at the time. I love to have found this particular writing style which has inspired me to be more creative and detailed with the stories that I tell from others perspectives. This book conveys a more surprisingly real and detailed style with true facts that occurred during this era, which I think is what I needed in order to imagine myself living in that time to understand it more thoroughly. I truly would recommend this book to other people whom are interested in traveling into a new world of cultural art, wealth, and tourism. I have also recognized the author’s way of “keeping it real” where he talks about topics that were common back in the twenties such as music in Paris, Russian immigration, lesbianism, the effect of rich Americans on Paris, and many others they discussed that made me find the book even more interesting and satisfied to have read.

Paris in the 1920's Timeline

Paris in the 1920’s Timeline 1920: American authors started moving into Paris as a result of the unstable America they were living in. They referred to their country of origin at the time as, judgmental in any type of delicate expression towards, sexuality amongst other things. Whereas in Paris, it was the total opposite. The Parisians went out often; they went to Music-hall shows especially the reviews, like Josephine Baker’s, operettas, theatre, and circus, but also to the cinema which was becoming more and more popular. John Dos Passos: “One Man's Initiation: 1917” “Three Soldiers” 1921: “France and Sherwood Anderson: Paris Notebook, 1921” by Sherwood Anderson 1922: The novel of Victor Margueritte, which was called “La Garçonne” was published in 1922. This book was a good illustration of the debauchery and the extravagance of this decade. 1923: “A Night Among the Horses,” by Djuna Barnes 1925: “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald 1927: “Transition” by poet Eugene Jolas, and his wife Maria McDonald In 1929, Beckett published his first work, a critical essay entitled "Dante... Bruno. Vico.. Joyce".

Project Proposal

I would love to take on this honors challenge of researching and committing myself to read books based upon Paris during the 1920s. This project has many challenges that I would love to come across and confront, to later on look back and know how much knowledge I have gained overall. I had never really thought about the idea of going back in time and focusing on one specific era that I would really want to consider living in. As a result I came down to one country which was France, at first I was a little hectic about choosing this particular country but I researched it thoroughly and got immediately convinced when I came across stories based in Paris about the music, the style, the people etc. It just seemed crazy and I had made my decision. I think this would be a fabulous decade to research because of its exciting diverse phenomenon in which people came together. I find it fascinating that this glamorous and enthusiastic era was right after a cruel Cold War in which pretty much everyone was traumatized by, not only economically but also emotionally. The first book that I found interesting relating to Paris in the 1920s, was, “The Crazy Years: Paris in the Twenties” by William Wiser. I picked this book because of its overall interest in the depth of the life style in which people in Paris lived. From the little that I’ve read about it, it recreates important events in Paris which were considered the mark of history, and where great authors and artists came together to be recognized all throughout Paris. This novel really grabbed my attention because it seemed to show authenticity and I love to have found this in a book. It conveys a more surprisingly real and detailed style with true facts that occurred during this era, which I think is what I need in order to imagine myself living in that time to understand it more thoroughly. People that recommend this book also happen to recognize the author’s way of “keeping it real” where he talks about topics that were common back in the twenties such as music in Paris, Russian immigration, lesbianism, the effect of rich Americans on Paris, and many others they discussed that made me find the book even more interesting and eager to read. The next book that I find helpful for me to understand how it was like living in Paris, is, “Expatriate Paris: A Cultural and Literary Guide to Paris of the 1920's” by Arlen J. Hansen. I found this book throughout many others that were based only upon the 1920s, and the reason why I chose it out of the bunch to read, was because it seemed like a great dramatic book that spilled every little detail based on how the American authors in Paris lived. It’s a tell all book and I think that’s what makes it fascinating to me. In addition to this, it was published a little more recently than the other books that I found, so I might understand the author and his writing style more clearly. For this reason I know I am going to get lots of important information that is accurate and valuable. The next book that I stumbled upon was, “Hemingway's France: Images of the Lost Generation” by Winston S. Conrad. This book appealed to me in a sense that gave me the answer to what my perception of Paris in the 1920s was really seen as. In this book from what I’ve read, I happened to have created this sort of theme that I think will be seen throughout the book. It’s mainly based on a well-known author whom I’m really curious to read about, as well as find out how he is known to have defined France in the 1920s, and people just can’t seem to describe France alone without mentioning his name. According to the reviews that I’ve read recommending this book, they find it filled with history and culture that cultivates the sense of that era and gets in on details about Hemingway being involved in WW2 as a soldier as well as being a writer. His story just seems so amazing. I’m already getting anxious to read what Hemingway has to showcase as “The biggest star of the 20th century literature.” The final book I selected was, “Plaisir D'Amour: An Erotic Memoir of Paris in the 1920s” by Anne-Marie Villefranche. Going through various books about the history and Paris as an overall city that grew more spectators every day, I felt the need to change the style in the type of book that I wanted to read next. I wanted to engage more in a personal lifestyle that maybe a person had during their time in Paris, or even events that happened during Paris that affected someone’s life dramatically. So, in conclusion I chose this book in particular because it fit my expectations on what I was looking for in a book regarding the 1920s as well as a more personal connection and experience they had with Paris. This book gave a personal insight on different stories that get up close and personal with different individuals on how they lived around the 1920s in Paris, and reading the review was surprising because the twist of it all was that it all the individuals are related. In addition to this book, which is filled with surprises of certain customs in Paris, there are several different versions of this book that I’m quite intrigued to sample and choose one that describes a more dramatic scene in Paris. I am so thrilled to get started on this project and get a sense or even a little taste of what Paris was like back in the 1920s. For this purpose I have been researching some historical resources that will come in handy, getting a head start on imagining the scenery and the vibe of the era. These are some examples of reliable resources that will help me along the way. List of books/resources that will help: Expatriate writers in Paris during the 1920s - You are a lost generation http://uninvitedwriter.hubpages.com/hub/Expatriate-writers-in-Paris-lost-generation A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway The Parisian Life In The 1920’s By Anne Rohan http://www.parissweethome.com/parisrentals/art_uk.php?id=109 http://www.ed.umuc.edu/undergrad/field_study/paris_expat_1920s.html http://history.state.gov/milestones/1914-1920/ParisPeace http://www.besthistorysites.net/index.php/american-history/1900/roaring-20s

"The Daughters of Juarez" by Teresa Rodriguez

Wow! I have finally made it through to the ending, and every single page has left me intrigued wanting to know more. I felt as if I was the investigator as well. All the protests, walks, victims, etc. has lead me to only one thing, anger. I have filled myself with anger towards the people who are doing this to women who aren't at fault at anything, they have just been unlucky enough to have encountered people like this that have no vales whatsoever and think that they can do whatever they want just because they have power and money at their hands. This has been the main pin point to this story, it's all clear that the women who live in the city of Juarez have to work and care for their families. But the only work is miles away in factories where only women are allowed to work and have late night shifts where their only way to get back home is on buses that are driven by males. And on top of this situation the people high in power in the city go along with this and think this is okay so they won't even move an inch to help the workers build homes closer to the factories. It's just so ridiculous! But, however I have learned many positive things from this book that don't make me angry. As much as there were murderers and worthless leaders, there was also heroes that stood up for justice such as a lawyer who helped the victims families find the killer. As well as this people started healing the cities pain with counseling sessions and people looked out for each other. All of these things was what made me see the powerful people as the villains, and the civilians as the heroes to all this madness. This book has been a journey figuring out case after case after case. But at the end all the pieces of the puzzle came together and left me surprised from beginning to end.

"The Daughters of Juarez" by Teresa Rodriguez

So far in my reading I just can't put the book down it is truly an inspirational book that confronts the violence and demands justice. This book is mainly about the raped, mutilated and murdered women of Juarez who seem to grow in numbers every day. Journalist Teresa Rodriguez whom which the book is centered on, has countless investigations towards these murders, and even though I haven't gotten to the end of the book I can say that at this point, I admire her for her bravery and strength. She is not scared that there might be police men whom are involved in this she keeps on going and her mind is set to find who is guilty of these crimes, even if it means finding each and every one of the girls's killer. I love that the author doesn't leave any little detail out of the story. She keeps her calm when someone important is named, she gives facts as how she saw them and have to be seen out in the open to make us realize that there is a serious problem going on in the City of Juarez which is only South of the border near Texas.

"The Daughters of Juarez" by Teresa Rodriguez

Wow I am Astonished ! As soon as I opened the book and read "The desert sky is vast and cloudless. It shelters all and hides nothing. The desert sun is unforgiving. It bleaches all beneath it. The desert breeze walks through the landscape, softening the searing sun, or freezing beneath the evening star. It is a landscape of extremes. A desert landscape can be beautiful - cactus flowers, an endless horizon, creatures which thrive somehow. But in Ciudad Juarez it is a backdrop for murder. It is a vast unwilling graveyard." I was immediately blown away. I had never pictured something this clear in my head before, just by reading a couple lines in a book. It amazes me that in such short sentences of description fits the beautiful picture of the city of Juarez, but which later on collapses down into ugly scenes of murder and death. This is my type of book for sure, in every little word and description I can feel what is going on without the author having to tell me straight up in an obvious sentence. This keeps me intrigued wanting to read more and more, having to find out my own conclusions by the clues they give me and teaching me about the reality of life that goes on outside our doors.

Joana Juarez Interview

What books have impacted your life. And why? Well, there have been many books that have impacted my life so far but one particular book that did was "The Daughters of Juarez" by Teresa Rodriguez. This book opened my eyes to many things in life that I didn't quite see along the way. It had a sense of reality that I had never read in a book before, it was really controversial, and I think that was why I felt attracted to it when I saw it at the library. It was such a cruel reality that was sadly happening in Mexico where we have family and friends that live similar to the stories of the daughters of Juarez. Why did these books matter so much to you? This book matters a lot to me because it could be going on anywhere, and that frightens me. It is mostly based on true unsolved murders that are still going on today and nobody wants to get involved because they are too scared. It's a shame that we can't count on the police to feel safe in our own homes and that to me is a real problem that has to come to and end. I think we should start taking actions into our own hands helping our people, and together have each others trust. Teresa Rodriguez is an amazing women who knew how to do that and much more. How old were you at the time? I think I was around your age, about 16 years old when I discovered this book. It was fascinating to read this book at my time because I had never read something as real as this that gave every little detail about what happened in Juarez as it was in the newspapers. What was going on in your life while reading these books? During the time that I was reading this book, I think I was more scared of the fact that many people were crossing the border illegally and those people who aren't at fault for anything were getting murderered and raped along the way. I was very into this subject and for this book to be introduced to me at the right time made me connect with both issues and reflect on how I could value my position in life better. Many people don't have the luxuries of going to school and becoming someone they want to be in life. There are many ways to destroy the needs of others and there are many examples of these situations in the book, it is absolutely horrible how many barriers the people in the city of Juarez have, not only that but other countries as well. If the books changed you, how so? The book definitely changed me in a positive way and made me realize all the things that I had at home as a women. I have many privileges that others might want and reading this book made me appreciate them more as well as help others who might have be in troubled situations. Who would you recommend this book to? I would definitely recommend this book to people who are looking for that life changing journey where you read real life testimonies about real people and realize many things about your own life that you didn't expect to appreciate. This is a book for mature people aren't afraid of the truth.

"Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

“Look’ee here, Pip. I’m your second father. You’re my son—more to me nor any son. I’ve put away money, only for you to spend. When I was a hired-out shepherd in a solitary hut, not seeing no faces but faces of sheep till I half-forgot wot men’s and women’s faces wos like, I see yourn. . . . I see you there a many times plain as ever I see you on them misty marshes. ‘Lord strike me dead!’ I says each time—and I goes out in the open air to say it under the open heavens—‘but wot, if I gets liberty and money, I’ll make that boy a gentleman!’ And I done it. Why, look at you, dear boy! Look at these here lodgings of yourn, fit for a lord! A lord? Ah! You shall show money with lords for wagers, and beat ’em!” I love this quote. It is remarkably touching in a way that makes you wonder how many people are deep inside. The revelation that Magwitch told Pip was an eye opening situations where the story changes and so do the feeling of the characters. I would have never expected Magwitch to be the one whom helped Pip be a gentleman and have a higher education than he had. An action that he did as a humble child stuck through this poor mans mind and had a greater plan for him than just being an orphan. I love that the author explained in great detail why Pip wanted to be a great gentleman, serving for only one womens love, but instead Pip turned out to find his path to being a gentleman from another mans appreciation towards him. I think that this book turned out to be what I had expected and it surprised me that it wasn't a typical love story instead it was an even better connection of ambitions for a better education and an appreciation for a humble a man.

"Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

Going along through the book it has been very difficult to understand some words but so far, I've been considering a dictionary to help me understand situations that Pip has encountered while being poor as well as rising to his fortune. I think that Charles Dickens has been very wise to choose the various words that he uses. They are very powerful and strong. They have many different meanings to them but when I'm reading the book I immediately have a clue of what the meaning of the word will be. This uncommon vocabulary to me is rare, but as I get used to the book more, I start understanding phrases a lot better. “Pip, dear old chap, life is made of ever so many partings welded together, as I may say, and one man’s a blacksmith, and one’s a whitesmith, and one’s a goldsmith, and one’s a coppersmith. Diwisions among such must come, and must be met as they come.” This quote is a great example of what I'm seeing all throughout the book. With this quote Joe is talking to Pip about how there are different levels of people and how they are determined. Since Pip is now a gentleman and really doesn't know what the whole meaning of being a gentleman is, he is reassured by his brother in law whom raised him until he could.

"Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

So basically what is happening in the beginning of the book, from what I have understood, has been that it takes place in England, and the main character of this book is a little boy named Pip. He is a very sweet, nice and humble boy who got to live a very sad life where basically all his family has died and the only one left to take care of him is his sister whom he lives with. The author describes Pip in a really sensitive way, he thinks of him as a vulnerable person who depends on other people in order for him to be someone in life. Reading through Charles Dickens descriptions of how Pip lived made me feel very appreciative of what I had at home. Pip lived very poor in a little town and never had anything that belonged to him. He was always very honest about everything he did, he never lied until he met a dirty scary looking guy in the churchyard in front of where his families tombstones were. He was very frightened so when the man told him to steal food for him, he did whatever he said. And this was the first time he had ever done such a thing.

Alejandra Goularte Interview

What books have impacted your life. And why? Great Expectations impacted my life when I was a teenager because it was the first difficult novel I read. The book itself is quite intimidating and difficult to read, and when I opened it I felt scared. I was scared that I wouldn't be able to finish the book, that I wouldn't be able to understand it, and that it would hurt my grade in my honors English class. I took on the challenge and faced my fear of the book by reading one page at a time. I was able to get into the story, and was able to finish the book. Great Expectations was my introduction to the world of Charles Dickens and I loved it! This book helped me develop a love for reading and a love of classic novels. There were many times in my educational life where I recalled reading Great Expectations when I was faced with a difficult academic challenge. I would think, "if I was able to read Great Expectations, I can do anything!" Why did these books matter so much to you? This book was important in my life because it symbolized my own personal educational challenge. I was very proud of myself for getting through the book. I had been so scared and intimidated by the book, that finishing it meant a great deal to me. I proved to myself that I was capable, and that I knew how to read (I read it and comprehended what I was reading). Having read this book so early on in high school was also very impacting in my high school career. I always used the Great Expectations reminder for myself when I faced challenges in my later years of high school and in college. Since I proved to myself that I could read Dickens, I knew that reading Homer's The Iliad or The Odyssey would be a piece of cake! I also liked the main theme and title of the book: Great Expectations. I related to Pip's character in that he wanted a better life for himself, and he had 'great expectations' of what his life would be in the future. I liked this theme. I too had 'great expectations' of myself and of my life. This has been a theme in my own personal and educational life. I always set great expectations for myself, and just like Pip, this can also lead to great disappointment. It's good to have great expectations of yourself, but when life happens and things don't turn out the way you want them to, you (meaning, me) end up feeling greatly disappointed and sad. How old were you at the time? I was in 9th grade when I first read this book. I was 15 years old. What was going on in your life while reading these books? When I first read this book, I was dealing with my parents' divorce. I remember that this book was assigned to me during Christmas vacation. So I spent most of December reading Great Expectations. I remember that Christmas was the last Christmas I spend with my father. My father was going to go to Nicaragua a few months after, so this was a significant Christmas season. I remember that on Christmas eve, I couldn't put the book down, and my mother scolded me in front of my dad and my siblings and told me to put the book down and to enjoy Christmas with the family. I remember being so angry at my mom because she was now delaying my reading progress. It's funny to think about it now, but it shows how much I enjoyed Great Expectations and what a significant impact it had on my educational life. If the books changed you, how so? I think the book changed me in the sense that it provided me with another source of educational motivation. It helped me to not give up on school and to tackle on challenges. Did the books make you see things more clearly? How so? I guess it made me see school assignments in a different way. As I said before, it allowed me to prove to myself that I was capable of handling a difficult book and was able to really enjoy it! I learned that learning--even when it's difficult--can be fun and enjoyable. Who would you reccomend these books to? Or who are these books intended for? I would recommend this book to anyone who hasn't read it because it's my favorite book! :) But I would especially recommend this book to students who are in high school. This book made such an impact in my life when I was in 9th grade, that I hope it would also influence other students positively in the same way it influenced me. I really enjoy introducing students to Charles Dickens!