Author: staff

Since 1997 John Lichfield, The Independent’s correspondent in France, has been sending dispatches back to the newspaper in London. More than transient news stories, the popular Our Man in Paris’ series consists of essays on all things French. Sometimes serious, at other times light-hearted, they offer varied vignettes of life in the hexagone and trace the author’s evolving relationship with his adopted country. Continue reading “John Lichfield, Our Man in Paris”

Visitors to Paris on returning home will want to remember the city’s monuments, museums, neighborhoods, streets, squares, parks and gardens with this excellent new book of color photos (Jacques Lebar) accompanied by short descriptive texts in English (Marc Lemonier and David Cox) depicting the charms of the city of light. Published by Parigramme, which specializes in books about Paris, this book is a bargain at only 8,90 Euros. http://www.parigramme.com

What is the best way to get under the skin of a city such as Paris?  Heather Reyes, editor  of a new anthology of writing on the city, says it is through reading what people have had to say about it.Paris is one of the most written about cities of the world. “There’s enough good writing for at least six anthologies,” says Reyes,..”I hope readers will find plenty to fall in love with in our word-portrait of this most alluring and complex of cities.” Continue reading “A few words about Paris…”

‘These poems are like polaroid pictures depicting my favorite Paris neighborhood, Saint-Germain-des-Pres,” says the young French author Nicholas Grenier describing his new book of Tanka-style poetry titled “Quant à Saint-Germain-des-Pres, trente et un tanka sur la main d’apres.” Grenier’s approach to Tanka poetry both honors Japanese tradition and takes it in some new directions. While employing the classic 31 syllable 5-7-5-7-7 Tanka structure he departs from tradition by using urban images instead of pastoral ones creating colorful impressions of the Left Bank district. “When I am out walking around Paris my feet take me to Saint-Germain-des-Pres,” says  Grenier, “It’s my Paris reference point. I write about things I observe there from the Café de Flore to Monoprix. It’s a new, modern kind of Tanka.” Continue reading “Poetic Saint-Germain-des-Pres”

No-one knows a city like the people who live there – so who better to relate the history of Paris than its inhabitants through the ages? Taking us from 1750 to the new millennium, Parisians introduces us to some of those inhabitants: we meet spies, soldiers, scientists and alchemists; police commissioners, photographers and philosophers; adulterers, murderers, prisoners and prostitutes. We encounter political and sexual intrigues, witness real and would-be revolutions, assassination attempts and several all too successful executions; we visit underground caverns and catacombs, enjoy the view from the top of the Eiffel Tower, are there for the opening of the Metro, accompany Hitler on a flying visit to the French capital – and much more besides. Continue reading “Parisians, An Adventure History of Paris”

A new affordable book (6 Euros) from Parigramme by Catherine Jarrige with tips on where to feast in Paris without spending a fortune! This is the insider’s guide to dining in Paris: genuine neighborhood bistros, casual “no-frills”gourmet restaurants, delis and wine bars which source products carefully and prepare them artfully. This guide will help you avoid tourist traps and make your Parisian stay a succession of savory marvels… at reasonable prices. Great Meals! Great Deals!

Just in time for springtime and for those who dream of a “romantic rendezvous in the City of Light” here is an updated “tongue in cheek” guide by Thierry Soufflard (Parigramme) which romps through all the clichés of romantic Paris while giving advice on such topics as how and where to kiss at museums (and keep out of sight of the attendants!)… Or, how to imitate Doisneau’s famous smooch shot “The Kiss at the Hotel de Ville.”

A new book from Debra Oliver the author of the popular book ” Entre Nous: A Woman’s Guide to Finding Her Inner French Girl.” Here Ollivier goes beyond familiar ooh-la-la stereotypes about French women, challenging cherished notions about sex, love, dating, marriage, motherhood, seduction and flirtation. Less a how-to and more a how-not-to, Peppered with anecdotes from its Franco-American author and filled with provocative ideas from French sexperts, mistresses and maidens alike, it debunks longstanding myths while talking about life-affirming alternatives from the land that knows how to love.

One of the things that makes this book of recipes special is the life story that comes with it. “It is a collection of recipes” says author Eleanor Garvin “that I have cooked for clients and friends during the 25 years that my husband, Denis, and I have lived in France.” Her husband Denis Sherman, a wine specialist, provided photos and wine notes for the book. Continue reading “At Home in Burgundy…”

One of the things that makes Paris exceptional is that in the more poetic neighborhoods such as the Latin Quarter the streets sometimes seem haunted by ghosts of the people who have lived there. Continue reading “Paris and Her Remarkable Women”

This sumptuous artistic tribute to the city of lights-sure to please Francophiles on your gift list- brings Paris to life in paintings that range from medieval to modern. With such classics as Manet’s “Bar at the Folies-Bergère, ” Watteau’s “Enseigne de Gersaint” and even Robert Doisneau’s legendary photograph  “Baiser Hotel de Ville” the book’s editors (Georges Duby and Guy Lobrichon) provide a  visual journey through the city’s picturesque life. With 350 full-color illustrations the book presents Paris from its earliest days as a city on the Ile de la Cité, through the tumultuous times of the French Revolution, to the city’s “Haussmannization” to contemporary views depicting it as a multi-faced modern capital.