As the US deals with increasing infection rates, I thought it might be helpful and perhaps a little comforting to offer a little perspective from Paris. To recap quickly, the pandemic spread to France from northern Italy and Switzerland in January and February of this year. On March 17, 2019, the country was locked down, … More A Brief Update from Paris
One of the more pleasant aspects of being a resident of Paris is the exposure to people whose lives and accomplishments seem to sit on an island, divorced and distanced from their egos. By this I mean that I’ve encountered a number of Parisians who know exactly who they are and what they are. This … More Divorcing Your Ego
My apologies for the delay in replying to comments recently, and if I by chance missed a comment, please forgive me. Ironically, after an initial lull in the action, the workload here has intensified. I have been squeezed for time and responding to everyone’s contributions in a timely manner has been difficult. I hope to … More An Update from Paris
Not too long ago, I was very fortunate to have lunch with Anders Fogelstrom, President of the Swedish Club in Paris, and his lovely wife, Marianne Strom. (A world-renowned photographer, she was kind enough to provide the photos for this post. Merci beaucoup, Marianne.) Our conversation bounced from current events to French culture to literature … More The Swedish Club – Paris
I’ve hesitated to write about the coronavirus situation in general and here in Paris specifically. It is everywhere in the newspapers, on television, and online, as it should be. We haven’t faced a more serious crisis in a very long time. I just didn’t think I could add anything to the global conversation, and I … More Coronavirus and Life in Paris
I recently found myself out of place, i.e., at an art exhibition. My default strategy: grab a plastic flute of the free champagne, find a neutral corner, decline the hors d’oeuvres, ignore the art, watch the people. I was soon joined by a kindred spirit. The Brit was clad in the standard issue ‘English country … More How To Fill A Hole
First, I need to apologize for not being as responsive as I’d like to be with recent blog comments. The workload has been heavy recently. While I do read all comments when they arrive in my inbox, I have not been able to reply to each one as is my practice. Comments made by longtime … More A Note About Blog Comments
I recently read a short, interesting book by Yanis Varoufakis. He is a former finance minister of Greece and was an all-round thorn in the EU’s side during Greece’s financial collapse a few years ago. The book, Talking to My Daughter About the Economy – A Brief History of Capitalism, is worthwhile. The history behind … More The Greek, The French, and Me
I was waiting at the Batobus* station recently, and struck up a conversation with a gentleman from Cleveland. He and his wife were visiting London, Paris, and Rome over a month. Art and culture were the focus of the trip (not their first here), and the conversation eventually turned to what I was doing in … More The Irony of It All
When you arrive in a new city, especially one as unique and international as Paris, you become hypersensitive to your surroundings. At least I have. Paris is ‘foreign’ to me, in the sense that the natives do not speak English as their first language, and some of their customs and habits are unique. Unique not … More Paris…For Parisians