If there is any city in the world that loves books and their authors, it has to be Paris. So is it any surprise that writers respond in turn by lavishing their attentions on this city? The mountain of words is overwhelming. Where does one begin?
Hot off the Press.
I’ve just received a copy of Markets of Paris by Dixon and Ruthanne Long with photographs by Alison Harris. Publisher: The Little Book Room, New York.
$16.95. 255 pages.
Before saying anything about the contents, I’d like to mention that The Little Book Room has had the brilliant idea to publish books that might actually fit in your carry-on luggage. The Little Book measures approximately 4 ½ in. by 6 in. The feel of the cover and the pages resembles flashcard material rather than the usual flimsy paperback quality. This is the perfect book format …
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According to Marie-Laure Combes March 9th AP story,became an official French citizen last Wednesday, but retains his American citizenship. His book Les Bienveillantes - The Kindly Ones, will be published by Harper Collins in 2008. You can read some of my past entries about Jonathan Little:
Le Figaro’s Man of the Year
Les Bienveillantes
http://www.parislogue.com/travel-tips/les-bienveillantes-jonathan-littell.html
More on the Man of the Year
Apparently, meritorious actions, contributing to the ‘glory of France’ are a justified reason for granting citizenship. According to Combes, Littell had already tried two times to become a French citizen and was turned down because one …
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Here’s some of Ben Franklin’s observations on French women and their make-up in 1776:
“I speak generally , for there are some fair women in Paris, who I think are not whitened by Art. As to Rouge, they don’t pretend to imitate Nature in laying it on. There is no gradual diminution of the Color from the full Bloom in the Middle of the Cheek to the faint Tint near the sides, nor does it show itself differently in different Faces. I have not had the honour of being in any Lady’s Toylette to see how it is laid …
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When most men think about retirement, Benjamin Franklin went to Paris in 1776. Seventy-years-old was a ripe old age in the 1700s. He wrote this letter to George Washington - who didn’t get to Paris:
“Should peace arrive after another Campaign or two, and afford us a little Leisure, I should be happy to see your Excellency in Europe, and to accompany you, if my Age and Stength would permit, in visiting its ancient and most famous Kingdoms. You would, on this side of the Sea, enjoy the great Reputation you have acquir’d, pure and free from those …
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It’s interesting to see how French newspapers and English-speaking newspapers chose to report the American-born author’s decision to become a French citizen.
Littell tells French newspaper ‘Le Figaro’ that he will retain his American citizenship, but because he had lived in France for a long time, he had applied for French citizenship. He added that it would make travel to certain countries such as Pakistan - easier.
English papers dwelled on the author’s past difficulty in trying to obtain citizenship papers (before he one the prestigious Goncourt book award)
Both French and English speaking newspapers noted that Littell had twice …
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InTriumph in Paris, The Exploits of Benjamin Franklin by David Schoenbrun, Benjamin Franklin’s observations about the city, its salons, and the hallowed courts of Versailles are included. Here are some highlights:
“The Civilities we everywhere receive give us the strongest Impressions of the French Politeness . . . At the Church of Notre Dame, when we went to see a Magnificent Illumination … we found an immense Crowd who were kept out by the Guards; but the Officer being told that we were Strangers from England, he immediately admitted us. . . Why don’t …
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This week (Feb 25th) the Prete a Porter fashion shows begin. The usual crowd will be there, of course, but according to Le Monde newspaper, so will some health inspectors.
Sad to say, my chances of running the catwalk are doomed - the minimum weight is 56 kilos(at least that’s according to the health guidelines,and that’s for 175 meters height - how tall is that?). Finally,someone is showing some concern for those poor emaciated super models. Francois Chirot explains in her article who that after the great success of the superstars like Linda Evangelista in the eighties, some …
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Are you the kind of person who likes to savor your trip long before it begins by checking out every book you can find about your destination? Or do you prefer to wait until you return when you have tons of visual snapshots to which you can attach text?
Normally before a trip, I’m so stressed trying to tie up loose ends, organize, not forget anything that I’m lucky if I get on the right plane. For me the fun is returning, knowing I have a few months ahead of me to take out a few history books about …
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Answer to Friday’s Trivia Question:
Thomas Jefferson was fascinated by many aspects of the French landscape, in particular the olive tree, which he envisaged bringing back to introduce and cultivate in the US.
He was equally enamored with the nightingale, a species he had never encountered in the US.
To read more, check out Thomas Jefferson’s Journey to the South of France by Roy & Alma Moore, Stewart, Tabori & Chang.
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