photo courtesy of Simo Neri
Thad Carhart wrote one of my favorite recent books about Paris, The Piano Shop on the Left Bank. It's a charming and inspirational story about how Thad discovered a piano shop in his neighborhood and got in touch with his love of playing the piano again after having a traumatic experience as a child that put him off from playing for many years. Thad's new book Across the Endless River, an historical novel about Jean-Baptiste Charbonneau the son of Sacagawea and his time spent in 1820s Europe was just published. V
Where were you born and where did you grow up?
Since my father was an Air Force officer, we lived all over the place. I was born in Alabama, but only lived there for six months (I’ve had a lot of explaining to do over the years about the “lieu de naissance” entry on French forms…) We lived in Fontainebleau when I was a boy, and also in Washington, DC, Minneapolis, Tokyo, and Amherst, Massachusetts.
When did you move to Paris and how long have you been living here?
I moved to Paris in 1989 and have lived here ever since. When I was a boy we used to come to Paris every weekend when we lived in Fontainebleau, and something about the place imprinted itself in my imagination.
You told me a writers dream come true story about how your first book The Piano Shop on the Left Bank was published. Can you tell the story again for my readers?
It really has to do with the generosity of a fine writer, Alberto Manguel, as well as good luck and fortuitous timing. Alberto encouraged me to develop a book proposal from an idea we had discussed; I had imagined writing a series of articles about acquiring a used piano in Paris. A month later he had shown forty pages or so of the material to his agent in Toronto, and the next thing I knew, his agent was calling me to say he had sold the book to Little, Brown Canada!
Once I recovered my breath, I stammered that I was delighted – and then tried to figure out how I was going to actually write the whole story and make it work. There were a number of twists in the road early on – Little, Brown Canada went out of business before the book was published there; my U.S. editor left Viking Penguin and so the book was orphaned for a while. But things worked out eventually, and it was first published in the UK by Chatto & Windus.
Are you still playing the piano?
Yes, but rather badly, I’m afraid. My teacher left Paris, and I’m someone who doesn’t improve without the regular stimulus of a lesson and an attentive ear. My resolution after I return from the book tour for ACROSS THE ENDLESS RIVER, my new book, is to spend more time at the piano keyboard, and a bit less at the computer keyboard.
Your newest book Across the Endless River is coming out on September 1. It’s your first historical novel. Why did you choose to write an historical novel and can you tell me what the book is about?
In THE PIANO SHOP ON THE LEFT BANK, I was interested in examining the porous membrane of relationships that exists between outsiders and locals in our Paris neighborhood. I told the story of how buying a used piano in France revealed a place not found on any map. This same interest in those who live where disparate languages and customs overlap sparked my enthusiasm for the story of Jean-Baptiste Charbonneau / Pompy.
I have always read a lot of history, and the American frontier holds a special fascination. When I first learned that Sacagawea’s son had spent five years in Europe as a young man, I was both astounded and intrigued. I then found that very little was known about his time there, and I began to imagine telling his story in a historical novel. That Idea came to fruition as my new book, ACROSS THE ENDLESS RIVER.
My principal interest is in how Baptiste saw Europe in the mid-1820’s—a world as different from that of the frontier as another planet might be from our own—and how he then fashioned his own path, his own choices. That is something we all have to do to some extent, but the nature of the cultural dissonance that Baptiste faced is phenomenal, and his way of making sense of it compelling. This terrain, at the intersection of dissimilar ways of life, continues to inform my writing, both fiction and nonfiction.
In ACROSS THE ENDLESS RIVER, we see a young person of mixed race who, through the accident of his birth, has access to privilege and power. He comes from the New World and gets to know the Old World. His challenge is to learn what he can from all that he is exposed to, and then to fashion his own path forward. As William Clark says to him at one point, “Lie low, and watch those around you.
"If there’s a lesson in this story that we can draw upon today, I suppose this is it. Life at the edges of two cultures can be tough, but it can also be an enormously fertile and rich place to be. It involves that skill that has come to be thought of as essentially American: re-inventing yourself. I hope that it will resonate strongly with those who today find themselves at the intersection of cultures, languages, and customs.
What are some of your favorite books about Paris and who are your favorite French authors?
I like books about Paris that tell me things I don’t know about the city, and that remind me of what a remarkable cultural landscape we live in. Leonard Pitt’s “Paris Disparu” (Parigramme) gives readers a fascinating look at how Paris has changed in the last century and a half; it uses text, photos, maps, and architectural drawings to great effect. I’m also a fan of Nigel Simeone’s “Paris: A Musical Gazeteer” (Yale), which has intriguing and improbable information about the rich musical life of Paris over the centuries.
As for French writers, I have always loved Marguerite Yourcenar’s voice. When I first read “Mémoires d’Hadrien” it made me feel as if the past were vivid, necessary, and compelling; her craft always impresses without intruding. Recently I’ve been on a Fernand Braudel kick: reading “La Méditerranée” is like setting off on a long and complex sea voyage in the hands of a captain whom you know you can trust absolutely. His voice, too, is distinctive, convincing, and pleasurable to read.
Who is the one writer living or dead you would most want to have dinner with?
Marguerite Youcenar.
What Paris book shops do you like the best?
The English-language bookstores, Village Voice and The Red Wheelbarrow, are both favorites. Each bears the stamp of its owner when you look at the books selected, as well as the feel of its neighborhood. Going to Galignani is a bit like going to the Ritz, but then their English-language section is remarkably deep in many areas, and the staff knowledgeable. For a small French bookstore in the quartier, I like “L’Arbre à Lettres.”
What do you prefer about Paris?
I appreciate daily the combination of a big, cosmopolitan city and a real “vie de quartier”. There truly is a human dimension to most Paris neighborhoods, and that’s a precious commodity these days. I also savor the fact that Paris is deeply international. Beyond the diplomatic and business circles (which is to be expected), there are people here from all over the world, and it makes a difference in the feel of the city. Finally, all the things one tends to take for granted – street markets and terrific bakeries, beautifully maintained parks and monuments, dependable public transportation, a widespread interest in books and cultural events, political discussions and the importance of ideas – are in fact things that are rareties elsewhere. I’m always happy to return to Paris, no matter where I’ve been.
Thad will be doing a reading and book signing on Wednesday, September 16 at 7:30PM
The American Library in Paris
10 rue du General Camou, 7th arr.
Also checkout Thad's website for more info about the book and hit U. S. schedule of bookstore readings.
http://www.thadcarhart.com
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook. First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte’s professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.
Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 3 students, maximum 6 students.
Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.
I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.
I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com
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