Biddeford native Norman Beaupre displays the 24th book he has written called ‘Of Boa Constrictors, Elephants, and Imaginary Whales.’ ABIGAIL WORTHING/Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier

BIDDEFORD — In the dedication for “Of Boa Constrictors, Elephants, and Imaginary Whales,” the 24th book written by Biddeford native Norman Beaupre, the focus is imagination.

“Dedicated to all those who suffer from the lack of creative imagination in their lives and live to be wary of cautionary impulses,” Beaupre writes, “and for the children who know the within of things and need not be cautioned about understanding hidden things.”

A lifelong Biddeford resident, Beaupre grew up speaking French with his Franco-Americaine family. After completing his undergraduate studies at St. Francis College in Biddeford, he went on to earn his Ph.D. in French Literature from Brown University in 1974.

Beaupre then returned to his beloved Biddeford and spent the next 30 years working for the University of New England, becoming Professor Emeritus in 2000, before retiring to travel and focus on writing.

Like many in Biddeford, Beaupre is especially proud of his Franco-American heritage and his fluency in the French language.

He has taken three sabbaticals in Paris, having visited there a cumulative 34 times, and considers it to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. When speaking of Paris he cites a line by poet Charles Beaudelaire from the book of poems, “The Fleurs du Mal,” published in 1961: “Tu m’as donné ta boue et j’en ai fait de l’or,” which translates to “You gave me your mud and I turned it to gold.” It is one of many times that Beaupre casually references famous poets and storytellers, his knowledge and affection for literature apparent.

“I love words, I love creating and I love poetry and prose,” Beaupre said.

An avid traveller, Paris is still his favorite city. Beaupre beams with pride as he says that when he goes to France they do not believe that he is American, they assume that he’s Canadian or Belgian.

“‘Non,’ I say, ‘je suis Americaine!’” Beaupre laughs. “‘I am American!’ They’re always surprised.”

Beaupre was awarded the “Officier dans L’Ordre de L’Arte et Lettres” by the French government for his contribution to French culture.

While Beaupre is a bilingual author, with many of his books written in French, his most recent book is entirely in English. It was only released a few weeks ago, and he has already begun his next, which he said will be written en francais. Beaupre is a former columnist for the Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier, and published his column in both English and in French.

“I’d like to make a book compiling all of those columns,” Beaupre said.

When asked about the title of his latest book, Beaupre cited “The Little Prince” by Anton Saint-Exupéry. In the book, the little boy makes a drawing. Two grown-ups say it looks like a hat, however the boy says it’s actually a boa constrictor that has swallowed an elephant.

“His (Saint-Exupery) point is that adults can’t always see what children can see, and it’s a shame that we lose that over time,” Beaupre said.

As for the whale, Beaupre took inspiration from stories “Jonah and the Whale,” a biblical fable, “Moby Dick,” by Herman Melville, and “Pinocchio,” the Italian fairytale by Carlo Collodi, in which the beloved puppet-come-to-life is trapped within the belly of the beast.

Beaupre’s book contains about 25 cautionary tales, each a little silly but with a touch of sincerity. Some of the stories come from his own imagination, while others he takes from friends and life around him.

“I have a friend from Paris who spoke about her fond memories of blue popsicles during her time in the United States,” Beaupre said. “So that became a story. My inspirations came from everywhere.”

Some of the stories harken back to his childhood, such as “The Summer of Clam Digging in the Back Bay.” Others are silly little tales, like the one about a boy who ate pumpkin seeds and grows pumpkins in his stomach.

“These stories started as an exercise for writing my new books, where if I can’t find inspiration, I’ll just start out writing about anything and then see where it takes me,” Beaupre said. “Then I realized I could write a lot of these little stories, and hopefully other people will find inspiration in them too. They could read a tale a day for 25 days”

As the reliance on technology grows worldwide, Beaupre worries about the effect it will have on our collective imaginations.

“We need to continue to use our creative minds,” Beaupre said. “We need more focus on the humanities. We need books and plays and theater and arts. We need creativity.”

Beaupre resides in Biddeford with his wife of 60 years, Lucille. The couple has one daughter, Diane, who also lives in Biddeford.

When asked about what comes next for his many travels, Beaupre said he plans to soon be in Florida.

“I need some sun,” Beaupre says with a smile. “It’s too cold for me right now.”

Beaupre’s books can be purchased on Amazon or through Beaupre himself. Those who wish to learn more about his many publications can visit his website at www.nrbeaupre.com.

“Readers, be child-like,” ends Beaupre’s dedication. “Live fully and creatively.”

—Abigail Worthing can be contacted at news@inthecourier.com.