Parisians have been figuring out urban living for a very long time. From the muddy beginnings of Paris to today’s sparkling cosmopolitan centre, the City of Light has helped define Western ideas about city life. We’ll discuss historical turning points—including how Parisians invented the restaurant, with the famous “Belly of Paris” market—and talk about literary Paris with celebrities like George Sand, Gertrude Stein and Hemingway. We'll look at the revolutions, both physical and artistic, that have torn up the city's streets, and how the unstoppable Baron Haussmann destroyed and rebuilt Paris for modern living. And we'll wrap up with shimmering contemporary Paris and what the city has to offer the future.
This course is led by Lisa Pasold, a Governor General’s Award–nominated writer, journalist and television host. A Montreal native now based in Paris, Lisa’s work has appeared in The Globe and Mail, The Chicago Tribune, National Post and Billboard, among others, and in Michelin, Time Out and Fodor's guides. She has lectured and led workshops from Dawson City, Yukon, to the American University in Paris and her third book of poetry, Any Bright Horse, was nominated for the 2012 Governor General’s Award. She is the host and co-writer of Discovery World’s TV travel show, Paris Next Stop.
Doors will open one hour before the first class. Registrants will receive supplementary materials in advance of their first class.
Co-presented by Alliance Francaise de Toronto.
Mondays September 18–October 30, 10a.m. to noon
*Please note there is no class on October 9
September 18: The Bones of Paris – How a medieval city emerged from the muddy Seine.
We begin our journey into Paris on a swampy riverbank of the Seine, where a tribal town evolves into a crucial crossing-point of trade, conquest, and most importantly, ideas. How do the markets, churches, and universities that will change Western history emerge from this muddy spot?
September 25: The Food of Paris – How a huge central market helped invent the restaurant.
Paris is food: extraordinary restaurants, amazing cuisine, Michelin stars. But who invented restaurants and how did people eat before? The answer lies in the great "Belly of Paris," Les Halles Market, and the flavour revolution of the 17th century. We’ll discuss why the city’s culture is still intricately bound up with the meaning of lunch.
October 2: The Words of Paris – Why this swampy city has inspired so many writers.
What do the writers Hemingway, Colette and Gertrude Stein have in common with 17th Century aristocrat Mme de Sevigne? Brilliant thoughts and an avid desire to communicate and provoke! This week we’ll sit in on a boisterous literary salon of the imagination, sharing ideas with the great writers and philosophers who found inspiration in Paris.
October 16: The Art of Paris – How painters define Parisians’ view of themselves.
Exquisite medieval book illuminations. Gorgeous Impressionist paintings. Cubism. Radical ideas of colour and perspective. Parisian painters have always forced us to see the world anew. We’ll examine the many Paris visual art movements. Is there something in the light that drives so many artists to look at the world differently from here?
October 23: The War of Paris – Why Parisians have always taken it to the streets.
Paris has survived and prospered through centuries of brutal looting, occupations, civil war and class struggle. The French Revolution of 1789 and the Nazi Occupation are familiar stories. This week we’ll look at the even-more-radical ideas of the Paris Commune (and how it was brutally suppressed), and we’ll discover how the youthful social revolutions of May 1968 laid the foundation for today’s city.
October 30: The Now of Paris – The spectacular reinvention of Paris for the 21st century.
Deadly air pollution, terrifying terrorist attacks, a rash of AirBnBs. Yet despite all this, a new multi-cultural Paris is prospering, sparkling with new artists and writers, star chefs and radical thinkers. From our comfortable cinema seats, we’ll find out at what’s going on now in this extraordinary city of 7 million Parisians. Take a sneak peek into why the City of Light continues to shine.