'Flâneuse' by Lauren Elkin explores the nuanced experience of women wandering through urban landscapes, challenging the traditionally male-dominated concept of the flâneur. Elkin weaves together her own journey through cities like Paris and New York with the stories of iconic female figures who embraced the art of roaming. As she reflects on the intersection of space, gender, and creativity, she unveils how these wanderers crafted their identities in the bustling modern world. The narrative invites readers to consider the power of observation and the freedom found in exploration. 'Flâneuse' is a thought-provoking celebration of the feminine experience in the city, leaving you eager to embark on your own urban adventure.
By Lauren Elkin
Published: 2018
"To walk the city streets as a woman is not just an act of exploration, but a rebellion against the confines of society, a declaration of existence in a world that often tries to render you invisible."
FINALIST FOR THE PEN/DIAMONSTEIN-SPIELVOGEL AWARD FOR THE ART OF THE ESSAY A New York Times Notable Book of 2017 The flâneur is the quintessentially masculine figure of privilege and leisure who strides the capitals of the world with abandon. But it is the flâneuse who captures the imagination of the cultural critic Lauren Elkin. In her wonderfully gender-bending new book, the flâneuse is a “determined, resourceful individual keenly attuned to the creative potential of the city and the liberating possibilities of a good walk.” Virginia Woolf called it “street haunting”; Holly Golightly epitomized it in Breakfast at Tiffany’s; and Patti Smith did it in her own inimitable style in 1970s New York. Part cultural meander, part memoir, Flâneuse takes us on a distinctly cosmopolitan jaunt that begins in New York, where Elkin grew up, and transports us to Paris via Venice, Tokyo, and London, all cities in which she’s lived. We are shown the paths beaten by such flâneuses as the cross-dressing nineteenth-century novelist George Sand, the Parisian artist Sophie Calle, the wartime correspondent Martha Gellhorn, and the writer Jean Rhys. With tenacity and insight, Elkin creates a mosaic of what urban settings have meant to women, charting through literature, art, history, and film the sometimes exhilarating, sometimes fraught relationship that women have with the metropolis. Called “deliciously spiky and seditious” by The Guardian, Flâneuse will inspire you to light out for the great cities yourself.
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“To walk the city streets as a woman is not just an act of exploration, but a rebellion against the confines of society, a declaration of existence in a world that often tries to render you invisible.”
Flâneuse
By Lauren Elkin
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Lauren Elkin is an acclaimed author and critic known for her insightful explorations of gender, identity, and urban life. Her notable works include 'Flâneuse: Women Walk the City in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Venice, and London', which reflects on women's experiences in urban spaces, and 'No. 91/92: A Guide to Daily Life in Paris'. Elkin's writing is characterized by its lyrical prose and deep engagement with the cultural and historical contexts of the cities she describes. She draws upon personal experiences and literary theory, creating a unique blend that resonates with both readers and scholars.
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