Dear Reader,

Today, was our first official day in Paris. We hit the ground running by having our first dinner at La Baraka where we were greeted by the resident feline, Fluky. With a warm meow for a hello, we walked inside to a beautiful courtyard filled with wisteria, wooden chairs, pillows, and wicker light fixtures. After a long day of traveling, we were served a comforting meal of couscous that could be mixed with chicken, sausage, chickpea stew, fish, kebabs, and a smooth and crisp wine that was hard to refuse (check it out below).

This meal involved introductions and deep conversation about the importance of the arts today. The big topic of discussion was: why is society diminishing the arts? For example, currently most of Hollywood’s writers and actors are on strike due to AI or artificial intelligence. The major concerns surrounding artificial intelligence are how and where it is being used, like writing TV shows or movies for us. Many writers and actors are concerned that this is going to be our future. Another burning question surrounding this issue was, how can artificial intelligence replicate one of the most important qualities of being human, such as empathy and overall emotions? I’ll let you answer that one for yourself. This led into our next part of the conversation of why we are holding this retreat and why our participants are here. We want to be able to create a space where all creativity and writing is nurtured. We also want to create a space where writers feel inspired and what better place than Paris? A city where the arts are alive and well. Many of our participants not only joined for the scenery but to also have a safe and inclusive space. They also joined to find inspiration and to fall in love with writing again.

The night went on as a saxophone melody started playing in the background. No one seemed to know where it came from except for one: Fluky. Fluky sat on the roof completely engaged by the art that was happening. He could not help but listen and close his eyes while his ears perked up at each note. I’m not sure about you all but we had never seen a cat so engaged and at peace with music playing. That’s the beauty of the arts, you never know what kind of emotion or feeling they can evoke, even for a cat. Art helps people to process emotions, surroundings, and to help better understand the world. As we wrap up this blog post, we not only encourage you to find joy in the arts but we encourage you all to be like Fluky. Engaged, appreciative, understanding, and open to transforming your art.

Sincerely,

Corrine Previte, Manager
Cambridge Writers’ Workshop