America (An Anthology of France and the United States) - 9780802149343

France and the United States have long shared a special relationship defined both by endless fascination and occasional incomprehension. François Busnel, one of France’s most prominent literary journalists and host of the literary talk show La Grande Librairie, seeks to bridge this gap with America, a journal of literature and politics with a particular focus on Francophone writers, launched in the wake of the 2016 election and now available to English readers for the first time.

In this collection of pieces from the magazine, Alain Mabanckou sketches the outlines of his Los Angeles, where he finds a sense of belonging far from his home country of the Republic of the Congo. Leïla Slimani considers the ways #MeToo is shaping a new discourse of consent on college campuses. Philippe Besson travels through the American heartland as he drives from Chicago to New Orleans. Joël Dicker traipses through Yellowstone National Park, while Alice Zeniter wanders the scorching streets of Las Vegas on foot. Featuring original work in English by Richard Powers, Colum McCann, and Laura Kasischke, America celebrates the enduring relationship between France and the United States and offers a testament to the essential power of literature to unite in times of division.