“We must cultivate our garden”
Reflections from Paris book tour, Voltaire, Horace and more
Gracious reader,
We’re just in the Burgundy region of France after a wonderfully rich weekend in Paris engaging in a series of vibrant discussions about my book, The Soul of Civility, with people from Paris but also around the globe.
A special note of thanks is due to my mother, Judi, and my husband, Kian, for joining me on this trip to help with the kids, and to support me on the first international tour of The Soul of Civility. I couldn’t have done it without them! (If you’re interested in learning more about my mom’s resources for manners for children, look at her website and join her mailing list here: http://themannersclub.com/)
The first event this week was hosted by DiploCité — a diplomatic community — Université Paris Cité, Fondation des États-Unis, and Braver Angels Europe.
Over thirty countries were represented in the audience that exceeded sixty people. After a few remarks from me about the themes of the book, everyone broke into groups to discuss themes from each chapter. It was a beautiful evening exploring the role we each have in sowing seeds of harmony and peace in our broken, divided and lonely world.
The fundamental question of philosophy is about the one and the many. What is the same in all times and places, and what is different? There’s a core body of human wisdom, that has been shaped by many minds over time, about the timeless principles of human flourishing and civility that help us thrive in all times and places. It was great to explore this with the group. Conversations about the one and the many are enriching to have in very cosmopolitan groups, where people bring such a diversity of wisdom and experience to texturize the conversation.
I also had the honor of speaking with students and faculty of Marymount, Paris — the Parisienne location of a network of thirteen well-regarded international schools around the world.
We discussed how life with others is often rather vexing. And yet, we’re not the first or only era to have realized this. Certain principles of doing life together are universal — and the wisdom of history can inform us how we flourish with others across differences today.
That evening, I was honored to partner once again with Braver Angels Europe, plus Marymount Paris and The Tocqueville Foundation, to discuss themes of the book with another very international community. We explored the reality that amid our divided world of grave injustice and division, we can’t control others. But we can control ourselves.
We can take up the mandate to, as Voltaire says in his Candide—his novella exploring theodicy, or problem of evil and suffering in the world— and that “we must cultivate our garden.” That’s all any of us can do— and while that might seem like a drop in the bucket when we consider the magnitude of the task of social healing before us, we each have far more power to elevate our world than we think.
Thanks to all who joined us, and the many wonderful people and institutions who made the events in Paris this week to happen!
We ended up electing to postpone the book events in Belgium, Switzerland and Italy— I have an unhappy tendency of overestimating my abilities and underestimating how much time and energy things take! It was wonderful to have eager hosts in these countries to foster conversations about the book, but with me being five months pregnant— not to mention traveling with two children under four!— present a natural upper limit to my ambitions.
I’m thankful to now have a few days to decompress in the French countryside and to enjoy some time offline with the kids, my mother and husband before heading back to the States later this week.
I’ll leave you with Horace’s request not to take ourselves or life in general seriously—something I’ve certainly learned being on the road with the kids the last few days!
Horace wrote: “Mix a little foolishness with your prudence: It's good to be silly at the right moment."
Gratefully yours,
Alexandra Hudson
Looking ahead:
Upcoming book tour events in The U.S.A.
May 6-7, Knoxville, TN, Leadership Knoxville
May 9, Knoxville, TN, University of Tennesse
May 10, Newport
Young Voices Meet + Greet feat. Alexandra Hudson
May, 11 Los Angeles
The Soul of Civility: A Book Release Party
May 14 Stanford:
May 15, SF
We’d love to have you join us!