Herding Lions II - The Man Behind the Masks

Greetings, and a very belated happy June 20th! June 20th is the birthday of our current episode's subject: Jean Moulin. As a long-standing Moulin buff I could not expose you to the war-time heroics of this gentleman's life without also throwing light on all that came before. In this episode, we recall Max Jacob fondly, Andre Malroux infrequently, Marcel Bernard thankfully, and Henri Frenay as little as possible. Most importantly, we get behind the hagiography to balance the usual (albeit accurate) story of heroic dying with a tale of courageous living. Joking aside, I once wrote a bio of this person on a personal blog many years back. One reader commented that hearing about his life was like seeing a table filled with pictures. If we're at all lucky, you will hopefully walk away with a similar impression. "Les Alchimistes," the play mentioned in this episode, is running from July 25th to August 14th, 2011, at Theatre Nord-Ouest in Paris. I'll be there from the 25th to the 31st, if anyone would like to say hello. More info can be found at www.theatredunordouest.com. Enjoy, and as always, vive la Resistance!