Venise sous Paris
Dressing UpIs the Best Revenge At Venise sous Paris. All photos on this page by Audrey O’Reilly. It was billed as the “party of the century”: a Venetian Carnival ball to be held at the end of January in a … Read More
Tales of la Ville
Boulevard Macdonald
Urban Mutation in Paris: Birth of a Shiny New Quarter A lone banker on his cellphone in the glass bridge between buildings. Anyone who remembers Boulevard Macdonald as it was a few years ago might want to pay a visit now … Read More
Overheard in Paris
Book Lovers in Paris Overheard at the Lydia Davis reading at Shakespeare & Company on Monday evening: Young American woman: “I wish I liked Bukowski’s writing better than I do, because I love his name.” Older American man: “I’ve read … Read More
What Parisians Are Talking About This Week, June 18, 2014
Strikes, the Baccalaureate, Actors’ Livelihoods Train strike Today is the eighth day of a strike by some 14 percent of French railway workers, the longest action since 2010. They are protesting a proposal to open the SNCF, the French railway … Read More
What Parisians Are Talking About This Week, June 11, 2014
Anti-Semitism, Love Locks, Museum Scandal, Clinton Love locks. Photo by David Jaggard. Bald anti-Semitism The latest anti-Semitic remark by Jean-Marie Le Pen, honorary president of the far-right-wing National Front party, has led to a public spat between him and his … Read More
Golf Drouot
Rocking to aNostalgic Beat Henri Leproux, founder of the Golf Drouot, with Johnny Hallyday and Eddy Mitchell. © Jean-Louis Rancurel Last week, a little-known (outside of France) clan gathered in the City Hall of Paris’s ninth arrondissement to celebrate its … Read More
Please, Don’t Come In
Just because books are old doesn’t mean they are worth thousands of euros. Photo: Nick Hammond In an age where so many independent businesses, even in Paris, are being overtaken by chain stores, I recently visited a small bookshop in … Read More
On Theft, Revolution and the Value of a Sofa
Is the widespread pickpocketing in Paris a sign of a larger social malaise? Photo: Olivier Reis Just before midnight last week, I heard screams through my window. “Stop him! Stop him! My bag! My bag!” Looking out, I saw a … Read More
Bandes Dessinées
The bande dessinée section in any Paris bookshop is bound to be packed. Photo: J. Gascoigne Walk into any large bookshop in Paris, and you are sure to find one section full of people with their noses buried in books, … Read More
Wine Bottle Blues
High expectations for French wine are not always met. It’s hard to believe, but taking visitors out for dinner and drinks in Paris has become something of a potential embarrassment. It isn’t to do with the cost – though I … Read More