Rock ‘n’ Roll Pioneer

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 27 May 2020 > In the News

Little Richard was one of the pioneers — or as he put it, the architect— of rock ‘n’ roll. He was the flamboyant singer of a string of hits from “Tutti Frutti” to “Good Golly Miss Molly”. Had Richard Penniman been white, he probably would have had a career like Elvis Presley’s. But Little Richard … Continue reading “Rock ‘n’ Roll Pioneer”

Comic Notes: Joe Sacco “Paying the Land”

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 14 May 2020 > What's On

Joe Sacco has been creating works of comic non-fiction for more than two decades, illustrating conflict, war and human atrocity through the medium of graphic art. For his latest book — “Paying the Land”—Joe Sacco travels to the Arctic regions of Canada and tells us the history of the Dene Nation, an indigenous people living … Continue reading “Comic Notes: Joe Sacco “Paying the Land””

Daily Routine with Rockwell

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 06 May 2020 > Webpicks

As we have said many times, teachers are finding amazing creative ways to keep providing their pupils with motivating, and feasible, work to do during lockdown. This sequence found on the Académie de Grenoble’s English site can be done entirely in distance learning. It mixes culture and language in a class for 6e about daily … Continue reading “Daily Routine with Rockwell”

Edward Hopper: Telling Stories

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 22 April 2020 > Shine Bright Lycée What's On

Evocative American painter Edward Hopper was to be the subject of an exhibition at the Fondation Beyeler in Basel, Switzerland this spring. But since visitors can’t go to the museum, the museum can come to them online. Hopper’s paintings are wonderful jumping off points for creative writing, or, as film director Wim Wenders explains, for … Continue reading “Edward Hopper: Telling Stories”

Tales of the US Border in Theatres Around France

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 24 February 2020 > What's On

San Francisco theatre company Word for Word’s annual French tour is being postponed to the autumn. This year their show is a coming-of-age story by Mexican-American writer Octavio Solis, Retablos: Stories from a Life Lived Along the Border. They will perform it in Nancy, Paris, Angers and Lyon. For 25 years, Word for Word has … Continue reading “Tales of the US Border in Theatres Around France”

Just Mercy

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 24 February 2020 > Shine Bright Lycée What's On

A new film tells the true story of a battle against endemic racism in the American justice system. It’s based on a memoir by  Bryan Stevenson, a lawyer in Alabama, and tells the story of his firm’s battle to prove the innocence of Walter McMillian, who was condemned to death for a murder he didn’t … Continue reading “Just Mercy”

NBA Giant

Posted by Speakeasy News > Sunday 16 February 2020 > In the News Shine Bright Collège

Kobe Bryant was a hero to basketball fans in the U.S.A. and around the world. They were devastated to learn about the former NBA star’s death in a helicopter crash on 26 January, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others. Her coaches said Gianna, the second-oldest of Bryant’s four daughters,  was destined to … Continue reading “NBA Giant”

U.S. Presidential Marathon

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 03 February 2020 > In the News

The race to the White House is heating up, but there’s still a long way to go to the 3 November election. Because in this year’s election  the incumbent President, Republican Donald Trump, is standing again, most of the focus so far has been on the campaign to become the Democratic candidate. Some hopefuls declared … Continue reading “U.S. Presidential Marathon”

Women’s Voices at Deauville 2019

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 04 September 2019 > What's On

The 45th Deauville American film festival, taking place from 6 to 15 September, has a particularly feminine slant this year, with a large number of female-directed films, and two women jury presidents, Catherine Deneuve for the competition jury, and Anna Mouglalis for the revelation jury. Deauville is its usual mix of mainstream and edgy, split … Continue reading “Women’s Voices at Deauville 2019”

On Route 66

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 08 August 2019 > Celebrate

Route 66 has mythical status in the U.S.A. and around the world. It’s been immortalised in songs, novels and films. Although it’s no longer a major highway, it still draws visitors keen to experience the iconic home of the road trip. Every September, enthusiasts gather in Springfield, Illinois, for the Mother Road Festival, using the … Continue reading “On Route 66”