Fight to save James Baldwin's home

James Baldwin

In the Provençal town of Saint-Paul-de-Vence you will find a picturesque stone house under medieval walls. This house is known as "La Maison de Jimmy". That's where writer and social critic James Baldwin lived. It was also in that house that he died of stomach cancer in 1987 at the age of 63.

For 17 years, the locals have adopted the African-American author as one of their own. This one was often seen speaking at the local Colombe d'Or bar and the affection shown by him is reciprocal of all the people. Today's defenders are fighting to secure the future of the house and its grounds, which have been destined to the construction of 18 luxury apartments. Two wings of the property have already been demolished.

Shannon Cain, a Paris-based American novelist, has spearheaded the fight to save the property, eventually settling in the not-yet-demolished section for 10 days in an attempt to stop the destruction.

"Aside from his books, the house is all that remains of Baldwin's physical presence. His dream was for the property to become a colony or residence for artists and it would be a tragedy to let him go. "

One of the neighbors, Hélène Roux, remembers “Jimmy” as one of the greatest presences in the Colombe dÓr, including for his late mother, Yvonne Roux.

“It was a great presence in my childhood. Jimmy used to write in the evenings and he used to come every day around 4 in the afternoon to sit and chat with my mother. He came every day, so it was always there when I came home from school. "

“At first he seemed intimidating, then you saw the life in his eyes and a smile that lit up his face. And every day I wondered how my day at school had been. My mother held him in high regard and vice versa. She was his great friend, it was a beautiful relationship "

The couple was so close that Baldwin named the main character of his 13 novel, If Beale Street could talk Clementina, which was the middle name by Yvonne Roux.

“It was not a coincidence. The degree of generosity and affection he showed with his time and incredible intelligence was wonderful. He followed us through our childhood to adolescence, boyfriends… Jimmy was there. "

Baldwin bought a one-way ticket to Paris when he was 24, desperate for American prejudice against African Americans and homosexuals, and was soon adopted on the left of the French capital. In 1070 he settled in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, where he received visits from Josephine Baker, Miles Davis and Ray Charles.

The city has long been a great magnet for famous people. Piccaso and Chagall worked there, Jacques Raverat and his wife Gwen, Charles Darwin's granddaughter, lived there, former Rolling Stone bassist Bill Wyman has a property nearby, and actor Donald Pleasence died in Saint-Paul-de-Vence .

After James Baldwin's death there was a big dispute over what would happen next with the property. The Baldwin family fought a long legal battle that they ultimately lost. Until now the house has been sold three times.

Shannon Cain, the one who led the fight to save the property, is back in Paris after developers took advantage of her absence to remove her belongings to a nearby hotel.

Now your goal is convince the French Ministry of Culture to declare the house a heritage of the country to take over. If not, he says he will try to raise more than 10 million euros to buy it.

“The plan is the same as it has been from the beginning. Work with the ministry of culture to take over the home on the grounds that historic preservation laws were violated and, if that plan doesn't work, raise enough money to buy the house"

"The goal of this initial phase is to establish an organization with the ability to raise a significant amount of money to purchase and / or renovate this home, as well as to establish a permanent fund that will support an artist residency in perpetuity."

Balding's literary legacy has stopped Cain from using his name for the campaign website and the campaign comments on the lack of cooperation. But Shannon hopes to bring family on board and start negotiations with the property developer in the next month.

“This is a passion project for me. I can't quit ir "

Hélène Roux comments on the tragedy of the loss of Baldwin's last home.

“This is where Jimmy wrote, lived and died. If this house is lost there will be absolutely nothing by James Baldwin in this town, a place where he was happy and where we were all happy to see him "

“It would be heartbreaking if it disappeared. LWhat is really devastating is that people often knock on my door asking where they can find James Baldwin's house and have to direct them to this devastating vision."


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