Parisians Light the Way to the Voting Polls
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It’s down to the wire now to vote or not for your favorite U.S. presidential candidate.
Dorothy’s Gallery and the American Center for the Arts is supporting Barack Obama with a special exhibition titled “Obama’s America: Les mille visages de l’Amérique” (Obama’s America – The Thousand Faces of America) along with a variety of events organized to raise awareness of the artistic and cultural diversity of America and the many issues raised by the election.
Saturday night, Sarah Savoy and the Francadians played their Cajun music to an adoring audience, myself and fellow-New Orleanians included. Sarah resumed her family tradition — her father, Marc Savoy, being one of the best accordionists in Louisiana and her mother, Ann Savoy, recognized as a leading musician and author of Cajun Music: A Reflection of a People — a bible of Cajun music. To say they were GREAT is an understatement! How I wanted to get up and dance…but didn’t!
The evening in the back room of Dorothy’s Gallery included a film by Jean Pierre Bruneau, In the South Louisiana, and a tasting of a Cajun-style gumbo cooked by Sarah Savoy. The almost one-hour-long film documented the history of Cajun life in South Louisiana on the bayous and on the plains. It looked like it was right out of a James Lee Burke novel and I yearned for ‘home.’
Dorothy Polley, gallery director, remembering the once active American Center on boulevard Raspail that closed down years ago, has also set her sights on creating a new American Center for the Arts. The idea is to have “a place open to the world and dedicated to bringing together the country through art and culture in all its forms: art arts, music, performing arts, but also reading lectures and meetings between artists and specialists.” Memberships start at a mere 30€ — not much to show your support, which I urge all of you to do. For more information about the benefits and to register, visit American Center for the Arts.
Sunday evening at the last of a series of six “Obama Meetups” by Democrats Abroad, John G. Morris, joked about calling his 103 year-old Republican sister to convince her to vote Democratic. The 96 year-old celebrated journalist and photo editor, whose career with Life Magazine, Ladies Home Journal, the Washington Post and New York Times (among others), and who has lived in Paris since 1983, has made working for peace a priority after witnessing the coverage of the invasion of France on June 6, 1944 – D-Day. He often opens his Marais home to Democrats Abroad with no reserve and remarked during last night’s session that he’s invited his 4,300-plus Facebook friends to join him in getting Obama as much of the popular vote as possible.
Connie Borde, Chair of Democrats Abroad France, called the meetings a kind of ‘therapy session’ for Democrats. There was much discussion over the polls citing Real Clear Politics, statistician Nate Silver’s 538 Blog predictions and Harry’s Bar, where the traditional “straw vote” Saturday (held since 1924 and has only gotten the results wrong twice) showed Obama leading against Romney by 66 votes, based on the 362 votes cast so far.
Many Parisians will be staying up all night to watch the election results. Young Dems Abroad will be “Rockin'” Tuesday night at the Palais Maillot (2, Place de la Porte Maillot, 75017) for a mere 10€ (including a drink) where you can watch the election returns on big-screen TVs and dance. (RSVP by emailing [email protected]).
Not so young Democrats will be celebrating with seven giant screen TVs to watch the elections returns live during an elegant affair (and what they hope will be a victory party) held at the beautiful and historic Pershing Hall (49 rue Pierre Charron, 75008) starting at 11 p.m. Tuesday night and ending…6 a.m.? It’s 80€ a person, but that includes two drinks, ample finger food, and a light breakfast starting at 5 a.m. the following morning. RSVP directly.
And to all of you in the New York vicinity who have lost their voting stations, may the light shine brightly and help you find a way to get out there and vote!
A la prochaine…
Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris
P.S. “Lights Out, Manhattan” is your way to be an angel and donate to Hurricane Sandy victims. All profits from the sale of this original 10″x15″ photo print by Erica Simone go directly to local hurricane relief programs.
“Hurricane Sandy has left an incredible amount of devastation across the entire east coast, leaving so many people without shelter, food and power. A little goes a long way in disasters like this, and this is how you can help if you haven’t already. This photograph was taken in SoHo during the blackout in lower Manhattan. This hurricane has reminded me to never take what life has to offer for granted and to appreciate everything and everyone I have in my life. Hopefully, you will feel the same as well as the generosity to help those who are not as fortunate as we are at this moment. Thank you for your generosity.” Erica Simone
PURCHASE YOUR PRINT AND HELP THOSE IN NEED.
P.P.S. Don’t miss James Navé, poet, speaker, and storyteller, when he presents “Looking at Light: From the Imaginative Storm to the Creative Form” on November 13, 2012 at our upcoming Parler Paris Après Midi and then sign up for his special workshop on Saturday, November 17th, “Personal Storytelling: An Imaginative Storm Workshop in Paris.” Visit Parler Paris Après Midi for more information.
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