Jul 22, 2017 05:16 PM
(This post was last modified: Jul 22, 2017 05:19 PM by Magical Realist.)
http://www.fourseasons.com/magazine/disc...-the-world
"Hotbeds of creativity and progressive ideas, salons are synonymous with the French Enlightenment. The salonnières most associated with the early days are women such as the colourful Madame Geoffrin, who ran arguably Paris’ most famous salon in the mid-18th century, hosting writers and artists. Women led many of the early salons in Europe, creating an important outlet for voices that otherwise might not have been heard. And women are often the catalysts in the current movement.
Today salons have had a renaissance, perhaps as a pushback against the decline of face-to-face human contact in our digital age. From poetry brunches to multimedia presentations in art galleries to scientific discussions in converted warehouses, these gatherings point to the universal need for personal interaction and mental exercise. They allow people to come together to increase their knowledge and hone their tastes through conversation and the exchange of ideas. Their mission is to allow debate, to stoke passion and to inspire.
“Part of my inspiration was Natalie Clifford Barney,” Brothers tells me, “another American expat who ran what was dubbed ‘the liveliest salon in Paris’ in the first half of the 1900s.” Brothers set up her own salon in Paris before moving again, this time to London. Now, her London Literary Salon is based in her living room, where patrons tackle such weighty authors as Joyce, Proust and Faulkner.
Salons are for the free exchange of any type of stories or ideas.
So, I tell myself, a salon is basically a book club. But I quickly learn that I’m oversimplifying: “We use the literature as a launch pad for deeper discussion,” Brothers explains. “It’s a means to an end rather than the end in itself. The literature is a road map to the bigger questions.”
My first lesson is learned: Salons are for the free exchange of any type of stories or ideas. Some salons marry a literary theme with a broader sense of culture or art. Inspired by an invitation to read from her then-in-progress novel at a SoHo art gallery, New York–based writer Vica Miller set up a multimedia salon in 2009. Her idea was to emulate the salons of 1920s Paris salonnière Gertrude Stein and those of St Petersburg—a city important in her family background—with writers reading from new work amid contemporary art. “The multimedia component is important to me, as I love such synergies,” Miller says. “People connect on a different level because hearing a good story read aloud against a backdrop of amazing art is a transcendent experience.”
Other salons are completely removed from literature. I recently attended an event at Shoreditch House, a members’ club in a converted warehouse, organised by Salon London. The word “literary” doesn’t feature in its objectives of “Science, Art, Psychology.” Co-founder Helen Bagnall says, “People come from all disciplines and want community and intelligent entertainment.” So what’s up for discussion?"
"Hotbeds of creativity and progressive ideas, salons are synonymous with the French Enlightenment. The salonnières most associated with the early days are women such as the colourful Madame Geoffrin, who ran arguably Paris’ most famous salon in the mid-18th century, hosting writers and artists. Women led many of the early salons in Europe, creating an important outlet for voices that otherwise might not have been heard. And women are often the catalysts in the current movement.
Today salons have had a renaissance, perhaps as a pushback against the decline of face-to-face human contact in our digital age. From poetry brunches to multimedia presentations in art galleries to scientific discussions in converted warehouses, these gatherings point to the universal need for personal interaction and mental exercise. They allow people to come together to increase their knowledge and hone their tastes through conversation and the exchange of ideas. Their mission is to allow debate, to stoke passion and to inspire.
“Part of my inspiration was Natalie Clifford Barney,” Brothers tells me, “another American expat who ran what was dubbed ‘the liveliest salon in Paris’ in the first half of the 1900s.” Brothers set up her own salon in Paris before moving again, this time to London. Now, her London Literary Salon is based in her living room, where patrons tackle such weighty authors as Joyce, Proust and Faulkner.
Salons are for the free exchange of any type of stories or ideas.
So, I tell myself, a salon is basically a book club. But I quickly learn that I’m oversimplifying: “We use the literature as a launch pad for deeper discussion,” Brothers explains. “It’s a means to an end rather than the end in itself. The literature is a road map to the bigger questions.”
My first lesson is learned: Salons are for the free exchange of any type of stories or ideas. Some salons marry a literary theme with a broader sense of culture or art. Inspired by an invitation to read from her then-in-progress novel at a SoHo art gallery, New York–based writer Vica Miller set up a multimedia salon in 2009. Her idea was to emulate the salons of 1920s Paris salonnière Gertrude Stein and those of St Petersburg—a city important in her family background—with writers reading from new work amid contemporary art. “The multimedia component is important to me, as I love such synergies,” Miller says. “People connect on a different level because hearing a good story read aloud against a backdrop of amazing art is a transcendent experience.”
Other salons are completely removed from literature. I recently attended an event at Shoreditch House, a members’ club in a converted warehouse, organised by Salon London. The word “literary” doesn’t feature in its objectives of “Science, Art, Psychology.” Co-founder Helen Bagnall says, “People come from all disciplines and want community and intelligent entertainment.” So what’s up for discussion?"