In the mid-1930s Paris, the Golden Age of the City of Light was waning. The Great Depression was in full effect and Hitler’s power was on the rise.
Americans were ditching the once-carefree lifestyle of Paris and fleeing for home. But Sylvia Beach, the owner of Shakespeare and Company bookstore, stayed.
This determination to stay in Paris at any cost was one of the main things that attracted me to Sylvia. Why did she stay when everyone else was headed for safety? How did she do it?
Sylvia’s tenacity inspired my own
Sylvia’s model of tenacity rooted in my imagination. Through this obsession with her, I developed my own tenacity. I have been researching and writing about Sylvia since 1997. In 1999, the stories I was crafting about her veered toward a novel. Now, nearly thirteen years later, the novel Chasing Sylvia Beach (June, 2012, Original Impulse) is nearly ready to be published.
I never considered myself to be the tenacious sort. Because I have a lot of interests, I shift gears often. (You, too?) Certainly I’ve never had Sylvia’s courage to move to Paris and stay – to immerse myself in the city beyond its romantic stereotypes, to wend my way through French bureaucracy in order to establish a business there, to deepen and nourish relationships beyond superficial connections.
But I persisted with the novel, guided by Sylvia’s example of dedication. I immersed myself in her world, witnessing from afar the decisions she made. The kind of person she showed herself to be impacted my own character.
I appreciate her willingness to work without financial reward but at great personal and creative gain. I resonate with her desire to connect and converse with other book lovers. First a bookseller like Sylvia, then a businesswoman, I found a better version of myself in writing this book.
Why was she so tenacious? From my research, I can infer that Sylvia was one of those no-nonsense people not easily deterred by obstacles. She was more interested in being of service to others than concerned about her own comfort. She lived in an apartment above her bookshop with no running water.
Sylvia didn’t go back to the comforts of home in the US because after more than a decade on the rue de l’Odéon on the Left Bank, Paris had become her home. This model of giving and commitment helped me set aside fears enough to get Sylvia’s story – and mine – into book form.
My parents’ tenacity showed me up-close how to stick with it despite challenges. My dad was a businessman who worked every day to build a beautiful life for his family. Whenever I cried, “I can’t!” he’d reply, “Can’t died in the cornfield!” I still don’t know exactly what that means but I know its essence is ‘Don’t give up.’
My mom was a dynamic saleswoman, and then her own businesswoman, building high-end custom homes. They married super young and are still married after 51 years. I owe much of my grit to them.
Grow your tenacity
While writing your book or creating your next great thing, you will have doubts. Your friends, family and peers may try to dissuade you. The economic climate and your own internal radar of safety will collude to assure you that it’s best to just give up and do something safe.
But now more than ever we need people to dedicate themselves to what they know to be true and right, despite the odds, despite the ‘norm’ and despite what seems ‘logical.
What helps you grow your tenacity? What books or heroines help you persist despite all odds? Share your stories in a comment below.
This is beautifully written. Short and too the point of why Sylvia was such an inspiration to you and also how it affected your life and probably in turn others through you. I reposted it on my Facebook page.
One of the books that taught me of the profundity that fiction can have on a person’s life was The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It locked in for me the idea that reading, even fiction, even in the middle of the day, is never a waste of time– but can actually be a beautiful tool for healing and growth in so many ways…. not to mention just an enjoyable past time.
Good for you on your book Cynthia.
Thank you, Aimee! I love your comment. I read that book last winter and loved it. (Though I hate the title!)
It’s true that fiction is powerful and important and works us in different ways. Without it, I wouldn’t be who I am!
Thanks for sharing this on Facebook! I appreciate it!
Dad and I are so very proud of you, Cynthia.. for now in the publication of your novel, Chasing Sylvia Beach…but for so many other reasons as well. You are so generous and loving to so many people.. sharing you vast talents with them is your gift. There is much reward ahead for you which you so richly deserve.
Thanks, Mom! You’ve always pointed me toward looking up and beyond any momentary concerns.
Sophia Loren said ‘Everything you see I owe to spaghetti.’ I say, “Everything you see I owe to my parents.” And that’s the truth.
Wow, Sylvia Beach’s story is so inspiring. It sounds like it will be a great book. This will definitely be on my TBR list!
When I’m feeling like throwing away my writerly dreams, I usually crack open Paolo Coehlo’s The Alchemist and reread the forward to myself. It’s always nice to have someone tell you it’s worth it to follow your dreams. 🙂
E.B.
Glad this story is already inspiring to you!
It’s SO true – we need those inspirateurs to help us stay on track when we don’t see why we should continue.
Our creative work works us in so many ways. I find so much value and learning in the process. The results are the cherry on the cake!