The Louvre(罗浮宫) is the world's most-visited museum now, drawing nearly 10 million people each year. It is a museum about education whose main aim is to protect and pass on our heritage to future generations.

As a palace in the past, the Louvre shows the history of France for about eight centuries. Divided among eight departments, the collections feature works admired throughout the globe, including the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, and the Venus de Milo.

Special feature

In keeping with France's 2005 disability law, the Louvre aims to make sure all visitors can access the museum safely and comfortably. Special attention is given to the disabled throughout the museum. More importantly, Louvre's Touch Gallery has a space specially designed for members of the public with disabilities, inviting them to gain artistic knowledge by touch with the help of technique.

Practical information

* Buying tickets online is a good way to get into the museum in less than 30 minutes.

* Tours of the Louvre are conducted by guides from the French national museum network.

* Download or rent an audio guide and choose your visit! Explore the Louvre on your own, guided by the museum's experts.

Tel.: +33(0)1 40 20 53 17

The Louvre is open every day (except Tuesday) from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Closed on the following holidays: January 1, May 1, May 8, December 25.

Night opening time: until 9:45 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Fall 2021 Story Contest

Our Fall Contest is open to all fiction and nonfiction writers. We're looking for short

stories, essays, memoirs, photo essays, graphic stories, all forms of literary nonfiction, and excerpts (摘录) from longer works of both fiction and nonfiction. Entries (参赛作品) must be previously unpublished, no longer than 15, 000 words, and must not have been previously chosen a8 a winner, finalist, or honorable mention in another contest,

As always, we are looking for works with a strong narrative drive, with characters we can respond to, and with effects of language, situation, and insight that are intense and total. We look for works that have the ambition of enlarging our view of ourselves and the world.

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR WORKS.

Awards: First Prize is $ 2, 500, Second Prize is $ 1, 000, Third Prize is $ 500, and up to ten finalists will receive $ 100 each, All entries will be considered for publication.

Submission Fee: There is a $ 27 fee for each entry. With your entry, you'll receive three months of free access to Narrative Backstage.

All contest entries are qualified for the $ 4, 000 Narrative Prize and for acceptance as a Story of the Week.

Timing: The contest deadline is November 30, 2021, at midnight, Pacific standard time.

I'm an 18-year-old pre-medical student, tall and good-looking, with two short story books and quite a number of essays to my credit. Why am I singing such praises of myself? Just to explain that the attainment of self-pride comes from a great deal of self-love, and to attain it, one must first learn to accept oneself as one is. That was where my struggle began.

Born and raised in Africa, I had always taken my African origin as burden. My self-dislike was further fueled when my family had to relocate to Norway, where I attended a high school. Compared to all the white girls around me, with their golden hair and delicate lips, I, a black girl, had curly hair and full, red lips. My nose often had a thin sheet of sweat on it, whatever the weather was. I just wanted to bury myself in my shell crying "I'm so different!"

What also contributed to my self-dislike was my occasional stuttering(口吃), which had weakened my self-confidence. It always stood between me and any fine opportunity. I'd taken it as an excuse to avoid any public speaking sessions, and unknowingly let it rule over me.

Fortunately, as I grew older, there came a turning point. One day a white girl caught my eye on the school bus when she suddenly turned back. To my astonishment, she had a thin sheet of sweat on her nose too, and it was in November! "Wow," I whispered to myself, "this isn't a genetic(遗传的) disorder after all. It's perfectly normal." Days later, my life took another twist(转折). Searching the Internet for stuttering cures, I accidentally learned that such famous people as Isaac Newton and Winston Churchill also stuttered. I was greatly relieved and then an idea suddenly hit me—if I'm smart, I shouldn't allow my stuttering to stand between me and my success.

Another boost to my self-confidence came days later as I was watching the news about Oprah Winfrey, the famous talk show host and writer—she's black too! Whenever I think of her story and my former dislike of my color, I'm practically filled with shame.

Today, I've grown to accept what I am with pride; it simply gives me feeling of uniqueness. The idea of self-love has taken on a whole new meaning for me: there's always something fantastic about us, and what we need to do is learn to appreciate it.