George Whitman
Encyclopedia
George Whitman is the proprietor of the Shakespeare and Company
bookstore in Paris
. He was a contemporary of such Beat
poets as Jack Kerouac
and Allen Ginsberg
. He is a grand-nephew of American poet Walt Whitman
.
He was born in Salem, Massachusetts
. On the website of the bookstore he once owned, and is now owned by his daughter, his date of birth is listed as December 12, 1913. In 2006 Whitman was awarded the "Officier des Arts et Lettres" medal by the French government for his contribution to the arts over the previous fifty years.
's earlier Paris bookstore "Shakespeare and Company". His shop, located at 37 rue de la Bûcherie
in Paris, was opened in August 1951 (two years before a sister bookshop City Lights
was opened in San Francisco by Lawrence Ferlinghetti
) by George Whitman with an inheritance from his aunt. He called the shop "Le Mistral" after his first French girlfriend. From the very first night he allowed travellers, young writers, poets and artists to lodge in exchange for a hand in cleaning the shop, building shelves and selling books. Sylvia Beach
, whose famous shop was on 12, rue de l'Odéon, was still in Paris and came to Le Mistral to see the writers of the new generation, whom Anaïs Nin
called Xerox artists, read aloud their new work. Whitman modeled his shop after Sylvia Beach's. As it was the only free English-language lending library in Paris, the Beats
who arrived at the Beat Hotel
on rue Git-le-Coeur quickly found their way to the small bookshop and made a place for themselves there. In 1962, Sylvia Beach died, willing to George Whitman a good deal of her private books and the rights to the name Shakespeare and Company. In 1964, Le Mistral was renamed Shakespeare and Company. Whitman named his daughter, born in 1981, after his bibliophilic predecessor; Sylvia Whitman took over the running of the shop in 2003 at age 22.
Whitman allows young travellers to stay in the residential quarters of his rue de la Bûcherie premises (specifically published writers); you are also encouraged to read a book a day during your stay and are asked for two hours work as contribution to the running of the shop. All Whitman asks of his guests is to provide a short "biography" and photograph and work a short period in the shop. On Sunday mornings he traditionally cooks his guests a pancake breakfast, brewing up a thin ersatz "syrup" out of some burnt sugar and water.
, by Gonzague Pichelin and Benjamin Sutherland, ran on The Sundance Channel in fall 2005. At the end of the film, Whitman trims his hair using the flame of a candle, sets his hair on fire, then damps it out.
On Wednesday, September 26, 2007, journalist Gerry Hadden's story on George Whitman, his daughter Sylvia, and Shakespeare & Company aired on NPR
's The World (a co-production of the BBC
, Public Radio International
(PRI), and the Boston
radio station WGBH
).
Shakespeare and Company (bookshop)
Shakespeare and Company is the name of two independent bookstores on Paris' Left Bank. The first was opened by Sylvia Beach on 17 November 1919 at 8 rue Dupuytren before moving to larger premises at 12 rue de l'Odéon in the 6th arrondissement in 1922. During the 1920s, it was a gathering place for...
bookstore in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He was a contemporary of such Beat
Beat generation
The Beat Generation refers to a group of American post-WWII writers who came to prominence in the 1950s, as well as the cultural phenomena that they both documented and inspired...
poets as Jack Kerouac
Jack Kerouac
Jean-Louis "Jack" Lebris de Kerouac was an American novelist and poet. He is considered a literary iconoclast and, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Kerouac is recognized for his spontaneous method of writing, covering topics such as Catholic...
and Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg
Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
. He is a grand-nephew of American poet Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman
Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
.
He was born in Salem, Massachusetts
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
. On the website of the bookstore he once owned, and is now owned by his daughter, his date of birth is listed as December 12, 1913. In 2006 Whitman was awarded the "Officier des Arts et Lettres" medal by the French government for his contribution to the arts over the previous fifty years.
Bookstore
Whitman founded his bookstore in 1951 and named it Le Mistral, then later named it after Sylvia BeachSylvia Beach
Sylvia Beach , born Nancy Woodbridge Beach, was an American-born bookseller and publisher who lived most of her life in Paris, where she was one of the leading expatriate figures between World War I and II.-Early life:...
's earlier Paris bookstore "Shakespeare and Company". His shop, located at 37 rue de la Bûcherie
Rue de la Bûcherie
Rue de la Bûcherie is a street in Paris, France.- History :Near the cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris and the Place Maubert, between La Seine and Boulevard Saint-GermainThe Rue de la Bûcherie is one of Paris' oldest Rive Gauche streets....
in Paris, was opened in August 1951 (two years before a sister bookshop City Lights
City Lights
City Lights is a 1931 American silent film and romantic comedy-drama written by, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. It also has the leads Virginia Cherrill and Harry Myers. Although "talking" pictures were on the rise since 1928, City Lights was immediately popular. Today, it is thought of...
was opened in San Francisco by Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Lawrence Ferlinghetti is an American poet, painter, liberal activist, and the co-founder of City Lights Booksellers & Publishers...
) by George Whitman with an inheritance from his aunt. He called the shop "Le Mistral" after his first French girlfriend. From the very first night he allowed travellers, young writers, poets and artists to lodge in exchange for a hand in cleaning the shop, building shelves and selling books. Sylvia Beach
Sylvia Beach
Sylvia Beach , born Nancy Woodbridge Beach, was an American-born bookseller and publisher who lived most of her life in Paris, where she was one of the leading expatriate figures between World War I and II.-Early life:...
, whose famous shop was on 12, rue de l'Odéon, was still in Paris and came to Le Mistral to see the writers of the new generation, whom Anaïs Nin
Anaïs Nin
Anaïs Nin was a French-Cuban author, based at first in France and later in the United States, who published her journals, which span more than 60 years, beginning when she was 11 years old and ending shortly before her death, her erotic literature, and short stories...
called Xerox artists, read aloud their new work. Whitman modeled his shop after Sylvia Beach's. As it was the only free English-language lending library in Paris, the Beats
Beat generation
The Beat Generation refers to a group of American post-WWII writers who came to prominence in the 1950s, as well as the cultural phenomena that they both documented and inspired...
who arrived at the Beat Hotel
Beat Hotel
The Beat Hotel was a small, run-down hotel of 42 rooms at 9 Rue Gît-le-Cœur in the Latin Quarter of Paris, notable chiefly as a residence for members of the Beat poetry movement of the mid-20th century -Overview:...
on rue Git-le-Coeur quickly found their way to the small bookshop and made a place for themselves there. In 1962, Sylvia Beach died, willing to George Whitman a good deal of her private books and the rights to the name Shakespeare and Company. In 1964, Le Mistral was renamed Shakespeare and Company. Whitman named his daughter, born in 1981, after his bibliophilic predecessor; Sylvia Whitman took over the running of the shop in 2003 at age 22.
Whitman allows young travellers to stay in the residential quarters of his rue de la Bûcherie premises (specifically published writers); you are also encouraged to read a book a day during your stay and are asked for two hours work as contribution to the running of the shop. All Whitman asks of his guests is to provide a short "biography" and photograph and work a short period in the shop. On Sunday mornings he traditionally cooks his guests a pancake breakfast, brewing up a thin ersatz "syrup" out of some burnt sugar and water.
Recent notice
After years of local renown, Whitman has begun to receive international notice. A documentary titled Portrait of a Bookstore as an Old ManPortrait of a Bookstore as an Old Man
Portrait of a Bookstore as an Old Man is a 2005 documentary film directed by Benjamin Sutherl and Gonzague Pichelin. about George Whitman who opened a bookshop-commune in Paris in 1951 called Shakespeare and Company.-External links:*...
, by Gonzague Pichelin and Benjamin Sutherland, ran on The Sundance Channel in fall 2005. At the end of the film, Whitman trims his hair using the flame of a candle, sets his hair on fire, then damps it out.
On Wednesday, September 26, 2007, journalist Gerry Hadden's story on George Whitman, his daughter Sylvia, and Shakespeare & Company aired on NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
's The World (a co-production of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, Public Radio International
Public Radio International
Public Radio International is a Minneapolis-based American public radio organization, with locations in Boston, New York, London and Beijing. PRI's tagline is "Hear a different voice." PRI is a major public media content creator and also distributes programs from many sources...
(PRI), and the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
radio station WGBH
WGBH (FM)
WGBH is a public radio station located in Boston, Massachusetts. WGBH is a member station of NPR and PRI. The license-holder is the WGBH Educational Foundation, which also owns WGBH-TV and WGBX-TV....
).