Summary:

"Left Bank: Art, Passion, and the Rebirth of Paris, 1940–50" by Agnès Poirier celebrates the cultural and artistic resurgence of Paris during a transformative decade. Poirier explores the dynamic personalities and groundbreaking works that defined the Left Bank scene, from existentialist literature to avant-garde art movements. This captivating narrative provides insight into the city's creative energy and its enduring impact on the global cultural landscape.

An incandescent group portrait of the midcentury artists and thinkers whose lives, loves, collaborations, and passions were forged against the wartime destruction and postwar rebirth of Paris

In this fascinating tour of a celebrated city during one of its most trying, significant, and ultimately triumphant eras, Agnes Poirier unspools the stories of the poets, writers, painters, and philosophers whose lives collided to extraordinary effect between 1940 and 1950. She gives us the human drama behind some of the most celebrated works of the 20th century, from Richard Wright’s Native Son, Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex, and James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room to Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot and Saul Bellow's Augie March, along with the origin stories of now legendary movements, from Existentialism to the Theatre of the Absurd, New Journalism, bebop, and French feminism.

We follow Arthur Koestler and Norman Mailer as young men, peek inside Picasso’s studio, and trail the twists of Camus's Sartre's, and Beauvoir’s epic love stories. We witness the births and deaths of newspapers and literary journals and peer through keyholes to see the first kisses and last nights of many ill-advised bedfellows. At every turn, Poirier deftly hones in on the most compelling and colorful history, without undermining the crucial significance of the era. She brings to life the flawed, visionary Parisians who fell in love and out of it, who infuriated and inspired one another, all while reconfiguring the world's political, intellectual, and creative landscapes. With its balance of clear-eyed historical narrative and irresistible anecdotal charm, Left Bank transports readers to a Paris teeming with passion, drama, and life.

Editorial Reviews:

"Agnès Poirier vividly captures the spirit of postwar Paris. An enthralling exploration of a pivotal moment in cultural history." - The Guardian

"Poirier's narrative is both informative and evocative, offering a vivid portrait of Parisian life and creativity during a tumultuous era." - Literary Review

About the Author:

Agnès Poirier is an acclaimed journalist and author with a passion for cultural history. With expertise in French culture and politics, Poirier brings depth and insight to her exploration of Parisian life and art in "Left Bank." Her writing has been featured in leading publications, and she is celebrated for her engaging storytelling and meticulous research.