A Novel by Mark Perlman
Sylvia was a free spirit and feminist, but she usually referred to herself as a “booklegger”. A native of New Jersey, she arrived in Paris during World War One. Eventually, she opened an English bookstore across from her mentor and partner, Adrienne Monnier in Montparnasse. Her store soon became a landmark for the bohemian set. …
The “Harlem Hellfighter” band, the most famous band in the American Army during World War One, was led by the famous ragtime and jazz bandleader, Lt. James Reese Europe. He was instrumental in recruiting new members to the 15th NY National Guard Regiment when America declared war on Germany in April 1917. He and his …
Josephine Baker was first married at the age of 13 in St. Louis. At the age of 19 she left NYC, with a song and dance troop, and headed off to Paris to find artistic and personal freedom in France. She became a song and dance phenom, and major celebrity. At the age of 25, …