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Notre Dame: The Limestone Phoenix

Notre Dame, the Limestone Phoenix  By Louise Peloquin Victor Hugo’s bestselling gothic novel Notre-Dame de Paris, published in 1831, roused public interest in the deteriorating cathedral and led to its restoration between 1844 and 1864 spearheaded by architect Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc. Just as, on November 8th, the cathedral’s 8 restored bells tore…

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Crime or Insanity?

Crime or Insanity? – (PIP #49) By Louise Peloquin On  April 15th 2019, the New York Times featured the following headline:  “Fire Mauls Beloved Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.” 95 years earlier, Little Canada’s beloved cathedral would have suffered the same fate were it not for a young woman’s acuity and responsiveness. Here is L’Etoile’s front-page coverage…

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Thanksgiving Merriment in Lowell

Thanksgiving Merriment in Lowell – (PIP #48) By Louise Peloquin      After turkey and fixings, Lowell’s French-Canadians pursued Thanksgiving festivities by singing and dancing in their social clubs. Among the traditional dances was a series of complex, rapid and rhythmical steps come from Ireland. “La gigue” became emblematic of Québec…

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Living Madly: Art is Power

Living Madly: Art is Power By Emilie-Noelle Provost I’ve been thinking about art lately, not only visual art but also literature and music. These things are an important part of my life, not just because I’m a writer but because they make me feel connected to something larger than myself,…

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In the Trees

In the Trees By Stephen O’Connor The first tree I remember climbing was the apple tree in our small backyard in the ‘Acre’ section of Lowell. There were no great trees in that yard nor on that street—no oaks or maple or pitch pine, but from the branches of that…

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