Paris Connections - A 21st century salon

The Paris salon has been a tradition for centuries. Intellectual discussion and debate over cultural topics such as literature and the arts were hosted by 17th and 18th century society matrons such as the Marquise de Rambouillet, Madame Helvétius and the most famous of them all, Madame de Sévigné. American women such as Nathalie Barney and Gertrude Stein perpetuated this tradition in the early 20th century. Now, Georgia native Patricia Laplante-Collins has taken up the torch with her Sunday evening Paris Connections salons.

Laplante-Collins has long been a part of Paris' African-American community. She chose to make her home in the City of Light after having lived in Scandinavia, Italy, England, Germany and the south of France. A self-described wanderer, she found in Paris a place to finally settle down and pursue her dreams. She describes Paris as “a good place to dream your life away.”

Paris Connections is an extension of other non-profit groups and activities that Laplante-Collins has founded to pursue her cultural interests. As a result of the experiences she gained while serving as an interviewer at Média Tropicale (a Paris radio station), she founded a group called People of Color. Members were primarily from the Caribbean at first, but later, several African people joined as well. The group came together to discuss sociopolitical issues relevant to their Paris communities.

After a while, Laplante-Collins began to hold similar meetings on a wide variety of cultural topics, opening her doors to the diverse individuals with whom she'd become acquainted over the years. She christened these gatherings “Paris Connections”. Though she still plans occasional African-American literary soirées, Paris Connections now occupies the vast majority of her time. The popularity of these meetings has soared; they are now too large for Laplante-Collins to hold in her home. For the last several weeks, Paris Connections has met on the péniche “Daphne”, which is moored on the Seine opposite Notre-Dame cathedral.

The range of speakers is broad –Paris Connections speakers have included Ireland's Maria D'Arcy, a dancer and an interpreter of Celtic literature; U.S. filmmaker Bob Swaim; South Africa's Charles Ash, an art collector; and Jonathan Matsoukis, a Paris / San Francisco resident who has spoken on architectural psychology and the American Indian Medicine Wheel.

Laplante-Collins still prepares dinner for her guests, who consistently number 50 or more. She says that her soirées are geared toward expatriates, offering fellowship for those wanting to meet people in an informal, entertaining setting that also offers intellectual stimulation. Her weekly sessions are also held during the various holiday seasons and the month of August, a time when Paris feels empty due to the exodus of Parisians to their country abodes. Her goal is to provide “a door that is sincerely open…a place to feel at home.”