America 250: C'est qui, l'Amérique?!? Regards Croisés / Intersecting Gazes
Regards Croisés: Intersecting Gazes on the American Experiment
To mark this historic milestone, we invite you to look through the literary mirror. This curated collection brings together essential texts in French that explore, critique, and imagine America—both from the outside looking in and from the inside out.
Discover foundational historical analyses and classic American fiction, contemporary bestsellers by Francophone authors set against cinematic American backdrops, and sharp global perspectives on modern identity. Alongside these international observers, this collection proudly features titles set in America by U.S.-based French and Francophone authors who offer a deeply lived-in perspective on the country. Rather than relying on distant stereotypes, these writers—including Marc Levy, Guillaume Musso, Victor Dixen, Carole Geneix, and Arthur Genre—have established true roots in the United States, turning their lenses squarely onto American characters, local histories, and cultural frictions.
You will also find the sharp, essential insights of prominent contemporary figures like Abdourahman Waberi and Rama Yade, whose years embedded in American universities and transatlantic institutions allow them to dissect the complexities of modern American society from the inside out.
Crucially, a special cornerstone of this collection belongs to our very own local Mid-Atlantic Francophone community. These neighbor-authors bridge two worlds to bring us trusted, deeply researched fiction, poetry, and non-fiction centered right here on the American soil we walk every day. Explore meticulously uncovered regional history through André Colombat’s Les Réfugiés français du Maryland, dive into the evocative prose and vivid local settings of Pierre Messali and Pauline Mouhanna Karroum, or discover the striking poetic reflections of Ali Akkache. From the fast-paced boardrooms of New York and the sprawling landscapes of California to the quiet, historic pathways of our own local communities, these authors deliver an intimate, trusted, and authentic gaze on the American experiment.
