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About The Seine: The River that Made Paris

Full of lively anecdotes and historical detail, The Seine is a compelling story of how a river brings a city to life. The book and its namesake both enchant and remind us of how necessary this river is to Paris and to those other towns and cities along the river. The story will answer why filmmakers and photographers, painters and writers have made it their own.
About Elaine Sciolino

Born in Buffalo, New York, she graduated summa cum laude from Canisius College and received a master’s degree in French History from New York University. She also holds honorary doctorate degrees from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Canisius College, and Dowling College. She is one of the only American members of Femmes Forum, a Paris-based private club of 200 of the leading women of France.
Praise
A soulful, transformative voyage along the body of water that defines the City of Light. Elaine Sciolino is the perfect guide to the world’s most romantic river.– Lauren Collins, Paris staff writer, The New Yorker
This beautifully written and deeply personal book captures something profound, not just about the Seine and France, but about people’s lives, and how important rivers are to them. We are called to find both solace and pleasure in bodies of water, and so we find them in this lovely exploration of the river at the heart of France. Elaine Sciolino writes with the authority of a historian, the sleuthing skills of a journalist, and the voice of a storyteller eager to recount the tales of those who have been touched by the Seine.- David Bell, Lapidus Professor of History at Princeton
Upcoming Events

Julia Malye: Writing Across Histories and Languages
AUTHOR TALK SERIES IN COLLABORATION WITH MIT
Join us for an evening with Julia Malye, author, translator, and rising literary voice, as she discusses her latest novel, Pelican Girls—a sweeping historical epic that brings to light a little-known chapter of French and American history.
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Poetry in Three Languages: A Haitian Night of Grace and Grit
Featuring women poets in French, Creole, and English.
Gather with us for a poetic evening featuring voices from Haiti and its diaspora. Through verse and conversation, we explore themes of strength, memory, and the rhythms of language across borders.
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Seeking opportunities to speak French? Join us for our popular members-only conversation gathering.
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