Emmanuelle Loyer's 'Paris à New York' Examines French Intellectual Exile 1940-1947

Emmanuelle Loyer's 'Paris à New York, 1940-1947' (Éditions Grasset) explores the experiences of French intellectuals and artists who found refuge in the United States during World War II. Following Jeffrey Mehlman's 2005 work, 'Émigrés à New York,' Loyer examines the entire French exile community, starting from the 1940 defeat and the antisemitic laws instituted by Vichy. Visa limitations meant that only the elite could leave France. She discusses rescue networks, the revival of a Francophone literary scene in New York, and the complex stances of individuals such as Jules Romains and André Maurois. The book also emphasizes the École libre des hautes études and the shift of artistic influence to New York, noting that many exiles returned after the war while preserving Franco-American connections. Additionally, it critiques the methodologies surrounding cultural migration.