I Prefer Paris

Interview With Janet Skeslien Charles, Author of The Paris Library

I am happy to publish my interview with Janet Skeslien Charles, author of the bestselling book, The Paris Library, which was the selection for my Eye Prefer Paris Book of the Month for February 2021. If you haven’t read the book yet, I highly recommend it, it’s an inspiring story that will rewake you to the importance of books. 

CLICK HERE to order your copy of The Paris Library.

How did you come up with the idea to write The Paris Library? 

I’m interested in journeys. Growing up in rural Montana, I was fascinated by my neighbor, a war bride from Normandy. Even as a child, I knew she was incredibly brave to leave behind her friends and family for a new life with a G.I. My first novel, Moonlight in Odessa is about an email-bride. I’m an American in France, and before that I worked in Ukraine. I wanted to write about starting over, and about the way place shape us. I wrote about my own struggles to learn new languages and customs. I want readers to know that they are not alone.

When I got a job at the American Library in Paris, I became intrigued when my colleagues talked about the incredible staff members who kept the Library open during World War II. I researched the Directress Dorothy Reeder and found her 15-page report marked ‘Confidential.’ Reading it gave me chills. I knew I wanted to write about the Directress. You can read her impressions about life in Paris during the Occupation. I hope you’ll find it as fascinating as I did.https://www.jskesliencharles.com/behind-the-book

How long did it take you to finish the book? 

The book took ten years to write. For several drafts, the book was called The War Bride, and the focus was more on the main character’s life after World War II. I was on a do-it-yourself writing retreat with Anne Marsella when I realized that I needed to cut thirty pages and focus more on the Library.

What were the surprises, insights, and disappointments, if any, you found doing your research? 

Even after I finished the book, I had a hard time letting go of the real-life characters. I kept researching and learned that the Directress Dorothy Reeder, who defied the Nazis in order to hand-deliver books to Jewish readers, later worked at the national library in Bogotá, Colombia, where she trained librarians. She also raised money for the Red Cross in Florida. Dorothy Reeder worked on three continents in the 1940s. How amazing!

Was there anything shocking or upsetting you found out during your research? 

I spent a decade researching World War II, reading about and watching footage of one of man’s most brutal eras. Reading the “crow letters” in the Holocaust Museum in Paris was very painful. It was hard to see such hatred. In the book, a character was attacked in a very specific way, and I watched a documentary of French women who were also punished in this way. The women are still so ashamed about it that they refused to face the camera as they answered the questions. How heartbreaking to see that their shame has not dissipated decades and decades later.

Were all the characters based on real life people who worked in the library? 

There are several real-life characters in the book, from the Directress of the Library to the Head Librarian to the Nazi “Library Protector.” I felt very lucky to be able to spend time with descendants of the librarians. 

I know you are originally from Montana. What was impetus to write a parallel story based in Montana? Is the character Lily partly self-autobiographical and is the town in Montana based on where you grew up? 

I started thinking about this novel when I was ten years old. Because of my French neighbor, I longed to visit France. I came here as a teaching assistant (assistante de langue vivante) and later got a job at the Library. The two story lines came together.

The part of Lily that is auto-biographical is her longing to leave her small town. She thinks that bigger is better and wants to live in a city. When we are young like Lily, we don’t always know how lucky we are.

To me, the whole point of The Paris Library is the transmission of stories, through books but also through listening to other people. In this way, we keep loved ones alive. Lily, a teen in Montana, has taken in all of the stories of the people at the American Library. Without Lily's story, my book has absolutely no point. The joy of life is sharing our stories and listening to others.

The book has been a remarkable success so far, with five printings so far in the U.S., and it’s been translated in over 30 languages. The reviews from critics and readers have been excellent. Which reviews/comments resonated most for you and if there was any negative reviews/comments, was there any you thought that were unjustified? 

Everyone has the right to their opinion. The novel resonates with some people and doesn’t resonate with others. I would disagree with only one review. It stated that the Parisian librarians who were dealing with the Nazis and Gestapo could have done more. This criticism is easy to make from an armchair in 2021. These librarians walked a fine line to keep the American Library in Paris open. Because of their courage against all odds during the war, the Library remains open today. 

You worked at the American Library in Paris. Can you tell us what your job was and what the experience was like? Did working there plant the seeds for you to write the book? 

I was the programs manager and had the privilege of inviting speakers – novelists, journalists, art historians – to speak every Wednesday. At each event, it was inspiring to hear writers speak, but nerve-wracking, too, because we never knew if 20 or 200 people would attend.

The members make the Library special. What is fascinating about the place is the cross-section of readers – students, writers, folks on a budget, millionaires, conservatives, liberals. People whose paths would normally never cross find communion at Evenings with Author events. Sixty nationalities are represented in the membership. 

I arrived in Paris in 1998. Though I was a member as well as a volunteer, I did not hear about the story of the courageous librarians who carried books to Jewish readers until I worked at the Library in 2012. 

What actors would you envision if they adapted The Paris Library into a film or TV series? 

The director Audrey Chapuis, is glamorous, dedicated, and insightful. She would make a wonderful Dorothy Reeder. (I include a photo of her and Miss Reeder side by side.)

CLICK HERE to order your copy of The Paris Library.

Marvelous Marais Tour

Please join me for my live Marvelous Marais Tour 

April 7- 4PM-Paris Time, 10AM-East Coast, 9AM Mid-West. and 7AM California/West Coast time 

CLICK HERE to reserve your place – You don’t need a Facebook account to watch it 

I look forward to seeing you there. 

Interview with Linda Hervieux, Author of Forgotten: The Untold Story of D’ Days Black Heroes

 

I am proud to interview Linda Hervieux, author of the remarkable book FORGOTTEN: The Untold Story of D-Day’s Black Heroes, At Home and At War.

When and why did you move to Paris?
I moved to Paris in October 2004 from New York after my husband, who is also a journalist, was transferred by his press agency. I was a metro desk editor at the New York Daily News and was very reluctant to give up a job that I loved, in a city I love, to become a freelance writer, which is an extremely tough way to make a living. It worked out well for me in the end because thanks to a story I wrote for the Daily News for the 65th anniversary of D-Day in June 2009, I discovered the forgotten African-American battalion that is the subject of my book.

How did you come up with the idea to write Forgotten?
The origin of the story was the French government’s decision to present the country’s highest award, the Legion of Honor, to an American veteran for the 65th anniversary celebration of D-Day. I wrote about the man who was honored, William Dabney. http://www.lindahervieux.com/the-320th-blog/2015/9/10/william-garfield-dabney
from Roanoke, Virginia, who was a member of the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion. It seemed a shame to do only one newspaper story on these men – D-Day’s only black combat unit, who were written out of the story of D-Day. Movies do not show them and most books do not mention them. But they were there, landing on Omaha and Utah beaches in the early waves of the Allied landings. They flew barrage balloons, which formed a sort of aerial curtain over the beaches. A German plane that hit the wires tethering the bombs to the ground risked being blown to bits by small bombs anchored to the balloons. One man in the unit would be nominated for the Medal of Honor, America’s highest award for valor. His name is Waverly Woodson and he was a premed student when he signed up to serve his country. He saved lives on Omaha Beach for 30 hours before he collapsed from his own injuries. There is a campaign underway to secure this honor for him posthumously, led by his family and a Maryland congressman.
http://www.lindahervieux.com/the-320th-blog/2015/9/3/waverly-b-woodson-jr
I found the story fascinating, and I wanted to know more.  So I hired a researcher and began looking for other veterans from this unit who might still be alive.

How long did your research take and how did you go about it?
My researcher and I eventually found 12 men from the battalion, and the families of many others. It was my great privilege to interview these men over the years – from 2010 to 2014 -- in person and over the phone. In all, I worked on the book for nearly six years.  I traveled to Army archives in several US states, plus various libraries and sources. I traveled to Wales and to the British archives outside London. This battalion was stationed in the United Kingdom for nearly seven months and the story of the tens of thousands of African Americans who experienced true freedom in the UK for the first time in their lives was truly fascinating to me. I had never learned the story of African Americans who found freedom from Jim Crow America – segregated, racist America – abroad, in Europe and Asia, where they were welcomed as Americans, as heroes.  These experiences laid the seeds of the civil rights movement that would rock the country in the coming decades.

What were the most surprising things you learned?
The most surprising thing I learned was how we, as Americans, are not taught the history of our own country.  The African-American experience is the story of America, and based on the scores of emails and letters I have received, and comments shared with me during an extended book tour, these experiences are largely unknown, lost to history.  

What shocked you?
The treatment of African Americans in the southern United States, decades after the end of slavery, was truly shocking to learn. We have all heard the stories of Rosa Parks and people of color relegated to the back of buses, banned from lunch counters. But it was so much worse than that. Men and women – even soldiers in uniform – had to step off sidewalks and avoid eye contact with whites. They could be arrested under Jim Crow laws for “pretending to be a white man.” A soldier in uniform risked a beating and worse. Lynchings, even of men returning from serving their country, were  a constant threat for people of color. It was a form of terror that is, as I’ve said, largely lost to history. I can’t tell you how many people have told me, including southerners who grew up just after the war, that they also have never heard these stories. “I can’t believe how bad it was,” so many of them told me.

Is there a particular story or incident that moved you the most?
There are many -- too numerous to tick off here. My book is largely the sum of them – of the journey these men embarked upon through a thicket of racism in America to unexpected freedom in Britain and, finally, to war. From Atlantic City, New Jersey, to the Jim Crow Deep South, the stories of racism and segregation – even in the North – were shocking to learn.

War ends the book, but this is largely a story of America. Along the way, I recount story after story of how horribly these men were treated by their own fellow Americans. There were many times along the way that I was moved immensely – and enraged -- hearing their stories. And so were their children, some of whom were hearing these stories for the first time.

You recently did a book tour in the U.S. How did people respond to the book and what were some of the questions they asked?
The response and reviews have been incredible: enthusiastic, passionate, generous, and for that I am so grateful. From Boston to Los Angeles, the reception was so very welcoming to this book and particularly for two surviving veterans of the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion who appeared with me along the way, in Washington D.C. and Roanoke, Virginia.

When black soldiers were sent to England, they were warmly welcomed and without prejudice or racism. Why do you think they were accepted there and treated so badly in the U.S. ?
They were accepted because the British people, who had never seen people of color until the Americans arrived, did not have preconceived notions of how and what they were as people. Their impressions were not poisoned by two centuries of racism. They treated the black soldiers as Americans first. In the video trailer on my website https://youtu.be/e73e26_qcQ8 -- you can hear George Hamilton of North Carolina, say exactly that.  “We were like kings in this part of the world,” says Albert Wood from Baltimore. “It was a spark of light,” says Arthur Guest from South Carolina. Like their white counterparts, African-American soldiers were treated like the prized Allies that they were. They were welcomed as guests in a country that was quite happy to have them, finally, after three years of suffering. Chapter Seven of my book, which tells their story in Britain, was a revelation for me. I had never heard an inkling of this story, of the joy and freedoms experienced by so many African American men – and women too. And from the responses I received, I am not alone.

After the book was completed and you were on your book tour, did you learn new things and did people tell you stories you haven’t heard before?
Since the book was published in October 2015, I’ve received many emails from people wishing to tell me their stories, and the stories of their relatives. It seems that FORGOTTEN has tapped a well of emotion about other stories lost to history and I have been happy to hear these stories. I hope to continue to share them on my website, http://www.lindahervieux.com/ which is a tribute to the men of this lost battalion and a complement to the book.

What’s next for you? Are you working on a new book?
I am very happy that FORGOTTEN: The Untold Story of D-Day’s Black Heroes, At Home and At War will be published in Britain in November. The U.S. paperback edition comes out in November. I have received some invitations already to speak in the fall, ahead of Veterans Day, including in Washington D.C. at the soon-to-open Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture. I’m very excited about that invitation.

As for me, I am still recovering from this project! During the writing stage, in order to meet my deadline, it required seven days of work for 14 months straight. I think I took four days off. Since the release last October, I have been working on promoting it and traveling almost non-stop. In a while, after a breather, I’ll figure out what comes next for me.   

FORGOTTEN is available at local book stores in the US or online:

https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062313799/forgotten

Eye Prefer Paris Postcards

I am thrilled to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Postcards, a 3, 6 or 12-month subscription service where the subscriber receives three physical postcards of my iconic Paris photos every month. Each month will have a specific theme, from architectural street scenes to romantic outdoor cafes to beautiful gardens to unique shots of iconic monuments. Each mailing will include two postcards in color and one in black & white or sepia, beautifully packaged in a special French Blue postcard holder with a custom designed seal.

Each 6” X 4.25” traditional size postcard is printed on thick matte coated card stock, similar to traditional vintage postcard stock that enhances the vibrancy of every image.

Only $30 for a 3-month subscription plus shipping or

Only $60 for a 6 month subscription (plus shipping)or

$110 for a 12-month subscription (plus shipping)

Click here to order a 12-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 6-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 3-month subscription from my Etsy store

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 euros for each additional person. 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 

  Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
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, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). 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: 195 euros per person (about $210)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

Interview with Debi Lilly of A Perfect Event

Debi Lilly is a creative force of nature: She is the name behind a mini empire which includes A Perfect Event, the top event planning company in Chicago, a spokesperson and product designer for a line of home decor products for Safeway/Albertsons, author of the book A Perfect Event, owner of a design and home shop, and editor in chief of the quarterly online magazine A Perfect Event.(I have contributed articles to the magazine in the past). Debi was recently named Best Wedding Planner 2015 in the US by Martha Stewart Weddings, Top Event Innovator 2014 by Biz Bash, Top Pinterest Expert 2015 by Refinery 29 and worked for more than ten years on the Oprah Winfrey show as her favorite pro in addition to planning many of her events.

Debi comes to Paris every summer for a month to soak up inspiration and ideas for her business. I sat down with Debi for an interview at her new favorite design shop and cafe,  L’etre Ange (which I introduced her to)while she indulged in their sinful hot chocolate. Enjoy!

When was the first time you came to Paris and what were your impressions?
I spent a semester abroad in college, at Richmond College, London.  We came over to Paris for a great, big beautiful Bastille Day holiday weekend and I feel so madly, deeply in love.  Paris is so beautiful in every way – magnificent architecture, history at every single turn, art and music everywhere we look.  The French value history, and so do I. Every single hotel or 17th Century home on Ile St Louis has a plaque stating when it was built, artists and composers who lived there and when…I just love it.

You have come to Paris every summer for a month for the last eleven years. What is it about Paris that makes you return every year?
The inspiration found in Paris truly feeds my creative spirit for my daily design projects.  France invented Haute Cuisine – so menu ideas, food and cocktail trends here are unlike any other I’ve seen in travels.  Paris is the apex of fashion, style – so floral, color and pattern trends are gleaned from window shopping along the fabric and textile streets of rue de Mail, Place Furstemberg in St Germain, and of course chic St Honore or Marais boutiques.

Maison et Objet is the gold standard design show each January/September, and is truly one of the most beautiful few days I have each year.  Your head could explode there is so much incredible color, style and creativity in every building.   And then, when you leave the show, the romantic streets of Paris Design Week, an overlapping textile expo, literally explodes happy out onto the streets of design houses and shops with live music, cocktails, editors, designers, and more.

Plus, even more beautiful is the deep culture France has around celebrating meals together at the table.  We spend evenings together with friends, and with the children, sit at the table talking, laughing, sipping, tasting for 3+ hours.  Time spent together at the table here is sacred, enjoyed, and the essence of family and friends.  I try very hard to carry this tradition back to the states with me each trip.

What inspiration have you found in Paris this summer so far?
I’m currently designing a new Fall Winter collection for Debi Lilly Design – our floral and home décor collection for Safeway Alberstons Grocery in the US/Canada – and always fall in love with new flower, color, design trends here – like tiny nano bouquets inside Happy, a florist on rue Montorgeuil, or the beautiful bouquets in Dani Roses on rue St Honore.  Dani’s mixing muted, antique hued pastels in coordinating metal containers – like a soft, dusty lavender rose with a burnished, antique silver vase.

What are some of the French trends and styles you adapted into your events in the last few years?
I could talk endlessly about menu and cocktail inspirations I use daily in our events.  Candlearia, in the Marais, “spanks” (or slaps) their herbs on the wrist to release the natural oils and scents before placing them into cocktails.  We don’t throw a party without spanking Candlearia style at the bar.  With all credit given to the origin – of course!

Verrines (tastes layered in a glass) is another huge trend we brought back – you don’t see these in the states – from savory to sweet, starters to desserts – it’s one of my favorite party trends.

What are your favorite home and design shops in Paris?
Tresorerie in Place Republique for housewares, Gien on rue Jacob for new tabletop/china trends, Merci for trend ideas, BHV for the mecca housewares floor, The Conran Shop on rue de Bac for incredible new product designs, Le Bon Marche for gourmet everything, Laduree for patisserie and product display inspiration…plus the gorgeous history of products at Marche Vanves, Marche St Ouen…
 
Who are some of your French style idols?
Christian Dior, now Raf Simons (Did you see Dior and I? Obsessed!) Philippe Starck (I always stay in his hotels, eat in his restaurants) Louis Vuitton, Karl Lagerfeld, Coco Chanel, Carla Bruni, Ines de la Fressange, to name but a few.

You recently opened DL Loft, a Parisian style event space. Can you tell us about the space?
Oh, this space makes me so happy.  It’s our own little bit of Paris brought to Chicago.  We’ve created a space to replicate the famous Salons of Paris in the 17th Century – where like minded friends, artists, hosts, gather to share inspiration, to create, to celebrate.

It’s a fully styled Parisian Loft for anyone to rent – to gather friends, throw a party, style a photo shoot, rent for the weekend and live there.

We spend as much time there as we can – it’s just so beautiful.

If you could create an event for anyone in history, living or dead, who would it be and what kind of event would you plan?
Oh – that’s easy – who doesn’t want to throw a Champagne and cakes party for Marie Antoinette in the gorgeous gardens of Versailles?

http://www.debililly.com/ 

Photo credits- Anthony Tahlier, Carasco Photo, Simply by Suzy, Amy Boyle Photography First photo Richard Nahem

Debi and family

 

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 euros for each additional person. 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 

  Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
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, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). 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: 195 euros per person (about $210)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here </a

Parisian of the Month: Sylvia Whitman of Shakespeare and Company

I am thrilled to have Sylvia Whitman from the legendary Shakespeare and Company bookshop as my Parisian of the Month. Enjoy!

Where were you born and where did you grow up?
I was born opposite Shakespeare and Company in the Hôtel de Ville hospital. I grew up in Paris, Norfolk and Scotland.

You spent your formative years in England and moved back to Paris to be with your father. How were those gap years in England and what was it like coming back to your father grown up?
School was school and returning to live and work in Paris was a real discovery and exploration of books and characters.

It must have been an enormous task to take over the bookshop after your father passed away. What were some of the difficulties?
I had to install a phone to start with (in 2003)! The book industry has undergone drastic changes over the recent years. Adapting to online competition and the use of e-readers was one aspect to consider, the other was how to modernize this bookshop without altering the atmosphere. That balance has been both my aspiration and challenge.

Obviously you had big shoes to fill regarding your father’s legacy. What were the expectations from other people?
No idea! I’ve never tried to replace George because he is irreplaceable. I try and focus on what is needed for the bookshop and am constantly inspired by the writers I meet, the booksellers and the unique space.

How do you balance maintaining a modern day bookshop so steeped in the past?
There are too many books to read and too many shelves to repair to think about anything else! Seriously I love the combination of the 17th century building, the old books and the new titles that arrive every day. It’s incredibly stimulating.

What are some of the myths about Shakespeare and Company you would like to publicly dispel?
A lot of people who visit the store often ask where James Joyce slept or where Hemingway used to sit and borrow books and sometimes it is hard to break it to them that they are in the wrong place. We are the second incarnation Shakespeare and Company. Here, at 37 Rue de la Bûcherie, we were home to the beat generation, not the lost generation, though their impact is very much a part of the bookshop and it’s chameleon like history.

You are expanding the bookshop soon. Please tell us about the expansion and what to expect ?
A café, a website… there are lots of others on my list but I might be dreaming: a bookshop farm, a shop around the corner dedicated to poetry, more space for children and their noise and songs.

There was a major spread about you, your father, and Shakespeare and Company in Vanity Fair magazine recently. What was the reaction and what benefits did it reap?
Bookstores are becoming more and more of a rarity nowadays and so any opportunity to remind people that we are here, next to the bells of the Notre Dame, carrying on a tradition of selling good literature can only be a good thing.

Who are some of your favorite writers that have spoken at the shop?
I was born after Allen Ginsberg and Richard Wright were here but I would have loved to have seen and heard them. For me, Lawrence Durrell was an incredible person to see reading from his quartet when I was just a child. We carry on the tradition and keep getting incredible writers over here from Martin Amis to Carol Ann Duffy and recently we even had the rock legend Jimmy Page!

What are your best selling books?
I would say our biggest sellers are Hemingway’s “A Moveable Feast”, Saint-Exupéry’s “The Little Prince” and not surprisingly, given where the bookshop is located; Hugo’s “A Hunchback of Notre Dame”

If you could invite one author to lunch, living or dead, who would it be and where would you have lunch?
I think it would be really fun to share a Madeleine with Proust or sip at a Tomato Juice with Bram Stoker. We would have to meet at the shop, it is where I am most comfortable and I could get them to sign some first editions for our bookshelves.

What do you prefer about Paris?
Everything. The architecture, the smell of fresh bread everywhere in the morning, the smiles on peoples faces as they enter the shop. It is the most beautiful city in the world. Francois I summed it up best way back when: “Paris isn’t a city, it’s a world”

Shakespeare and Company
37 Rue de la Bûcherie, 75005
Metro: Saint Michel
Open daily 10AMto 11PM
http://shakespeareandcompany.com

 

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
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, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). 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: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 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.

Tours cost 210 euros for up to 3 people, and 70 euros for each additional person. 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 

Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

 

 

 

How to Get Parisian Chic Street Style with Fashion Expert Sharon Haver

 I have been friends with Sharon Haver since I was 20 years old and she has always been obsessed with Parisian chic. Sharon, a former celebrity fashion stylist, is editor in chief of the popular site www.focusonstyle.com, where she dispenses fashion tips and advice so the everyday woman can adapt celebrity style on their own terms. I interviewed Sharon about her take on Parisian chic, so you could use her tips and create your own French style. Don’t forget to join Sharon’s free stylist newsletter and receive a free copy of Passport to French Chic.

I know your readers on FocusOnStyle.com are obsessed with achieving French Chic. How do you define Parisian style?

French Chic style is all about looking as effortless as possible, yet just so. It’s knowing what works on you  and never second guessing it. It’s confidence, even a bit of haughtiness, but never overdone. There’s a certain ease and elán about the ladies of Paris; particularly when they “dress up” for fashion shows that they are able to maintain a very natural elegance that is never forced or drab.

The French understand that a good part of being chic is knowing when to say no.

Americans, particularly fashionistas, are more trendy and the French incorporate a few trends with their classic pieces that makes the styling more timeless and elegant.

But, what I think is the greater differentiator is the way the French where makeup that doesn’t wear them. Their look is much more natural and celebrate’s their uniqueness rather than hiding behind the mask of odd-colored spray tans, heavy makeup, fluorescent white veneers, bleached yellow hair and ridiculously long hair extensions. So many American’s get trapped in this fake glamour and end up looking alike. Whilst the French opt for a more no-makeup makeup look of a smokey eye and defined natural or matte red lip that spotlights rather than camouflages their features. And, yes, there are plenty of natural brunettes.

Who are some French style icons you think exemplify French chic?

I prefer the much more off-handed easy styled ladies than more bourgeois styling, so Ines de La Fressange for classic style, of course. Marion Cotillard always looks so beautiful and natural in her choices. Emanuelle Alt  for the eternal rocker chic look. So many French actresses have that “it” without overdoing it that I wish Americans would learn on the red carpet. Sophie Marceau comes to mind for that.

What are some of the essential wardrobe pieces a woman should have to attain Parisian style?

The best assortment of classic pieces that can become the glue to her every styling mood- the perfect coat, jacket, heels, flats, and bag. After those pieces are in place, everything becomes so much easier to mix around.

What are the key differences between the way French women dress and American women?

The French understand that a good part of being chic is knowing when to say no.

Americans, particularly fashionistas, are more trendy and the French incorporate a few trends with their classic pieces that makes the styling more timeless and elegant.

But, what I think is the greater differentiator is the way the French where makeup that doesn’t wear them. Their look is much more natural and celebrate’s their uniqueness rather than hiding behind the mask of odd-colored spray tans, heavy makeup, fluorescent white veneers, bleached yellow hair and ridiculously long hair extensions. So many American’s get trapped in this fake glamour and end up looking alike. Whilst the French opt for a more no-makeup makeup look of a smokey eye and defined natural or matte red lip that spotlights rather than camouflages their features. And, yes, there are plenty of natural brunettes.

 What are some of the important looks from the Paris runway this season?

Ah, glad you asked. I think that as the media now publishes fashion show looks as they are shown on the runways that the directional idea of the trend itself becomes more important than the actual piece that may not be in stores for months. Therefore, we curated the best looks to try now from the Spring 2014 Paris Runways on FocusOn Style 

Dries Van Noten, Rochas, Nina Ricci, and Christian Dior made a strong case for metallic finishes are are more subtle like a silver or gold leaf rather than shiny and cheap.

There is also a rethinking of pleats in general. They are not the stiff school uniform or 80s business professional look but softer, and even asymmetrical, for a fluidity in movement.

Which runway accessories are a must?

Gold statement jewelry is looking fresh & see in all its glory at  Balmain, Valentino, Alexander McQueen.

There is lot’s of fringe details, a lot reminds me of a vintage YSL bag that I own. It’s more an elegant take on texture than hippie looking. Valentino, Alexander McQueen, Celine, and Junya Watanabe were strong on it for Spring 14.

 Who are your current favorite French designers?

Alber Elbaz for Lanvin, Celine, Alaia, and Maison Martin Margiela (I wear a lot). I have to admit as a fan of vintage Yves Saint Laurent, at first I wasn’t too crazy about Hedi Slimane heading the new Saint Laurent direction. Heritage aside, there are some very nice modern classic there.

As far as French labels to wear for everyday chic, I like the usual suspects like Zadig & Voltaire, Gerard Darel, Jerome Dryfuss, Isabel Marant, Antik Batik, A.P.C.,  Barbara Bui, Comptoir de Cotonniers.

 What is your favorite fashion item you bought in Paris?

Honestly, as much as I wear French clothing & LOVE French chic style, I don’t really buy that much in Paris. Living in New York makes almost any designer brand accessible, plus as a fashion insider, you know about sample sales. Of course, anything in that “orange box” is just a wee bit more special when it was purchased in Paris.

What I do buy abroad are home style pieces & objects that I can’t find stateside- either antique or small home style designers. They become luxury “souvenirs” from my travels. One of my favorite Parisian items is a very large silver glass vase and accompanying bowl that I constantly replace in my home as it fits perfectly everywhere! I found in an interior design store near the Pompidou Center that I don’t believe is there any longer.  I discovered some super unusual vintage corkscrews and bar objects for my husband when we went to Clignancourt flea market together, that I just adore. And, a large square gold leather tray in a small shop in the Marais that I keep my bracelets on.


If money were no object and you could buy either one piece of French clothing or accessory, what would it be?

I don’t really pine for clothing that way.  If money were no object, I’d want a Paris pied a terre with huge windows that overlooks a garden. Yes, I’d have to decorate it- that’s where the budget can get tricky.

I am thinking about a vintage Hermes Trim bag a lot but haven’t been moved to buy one just yet. Almost everything in Cartier gets my heart rate going, so a little Panther here or there, would be lovely.

Keep up with Sharon Haver & FocusOnStyle by downloading “Passport to French Chic” as her gift for joining her free newsletter, here

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.

Tours cost 210 euros for up to 3 people, and 70 euros for each additional person. 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 

Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
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, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). 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: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

Parisian of the Month: Madeleine Czigler

To kickoff my coverage of Spring 2014 Fashion Week, I have interviewed Madeleine Czigler, who started and developed Fashion File one of the first television shows covering fashion.

Where were you born and where did you grow up?
I was born in Budapest, Hungary.......  fled the Revolution as a small child.... so grew up in Toronto Canada.....

When and why did you move to Paris?
I moved to Paris thirty years ago because of my husband.... he had a really good job offer we could not resist, and since I already spent two years in Paris as a student, I was very happy to get back.

How did you transition from journalism to the fashion business?
When we moved here I was already a news and current affairs TV journalist and producer...working for CBC in Toronto and Montreal. As I had two very small children at the time, I took on freelance missions, which were flexible, and not full time. These were projects that dealt with every aspect of French life: from politics to lifestyle.

When the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation developed a 24-hour news service: CBC Newsworld, they were hungry for content so thought it a good idea to develop e fashion news show to run in the afternoons and weekends.

How did you come up with the idea for the Fashion File TV show and what was the premise?

When Fashion File started in 1989, we had next to no competition in TV.... it was started with fashion journalist Tim Blanks, one producer in New York and one in Paris which was myself.  I had very little knowledge of the fashion industry at the time, and actually developed a resistance to it as my father was in the business, and understood the huge amount of work behind the glamour.

The first show I covered was John Galliano's debut in Paris at the Louvre.

This was an era of transition from the old style designers such as Hubert de Givenchy, Pierre Cardin, Jean Louis Scherrer, and the heyday of bad boy designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Thierry Mugler and Claude Montana.... great contrasts in style between genteel salon courtesy and frenzied street style excitement
which persists to this day.

You did an interview with Audrey Hepburn. Please tell us about that experience.
At this time M. de Givenchy had a retrospective in the Palais Galliera. We were covering the event and were allowed early access to shoot quietly.
All of a sudden, I had a premonition and asked my crew to come to the backdoor and wait. As we stood there, in walked Audrey Hepburn who was a Givenchy client of long standing. I went up, asked to talk to her and she graciously agreed. As she was talking, I could feel my eyes filling with tears. A very touching presence full of elegance and tenderness....

What were some of the other highlights working on the show?
The most exciting time was the era of the supermodels in the early and mid nineties, when the likes of Linda, Naomi, Christy, Claudia and the gang ruled the runways. They had individual beauty and quirky personalities.... much more homogenous now...

Who is the one person you never got to meet that you would still like to interview?
I am very grateful that I have had great satisfaction in covering all the modern greats of the fashion business...it is the past designers such as Chanel and Dior, Lanvin and Balenciaga I would have liked to talk to!!!!

After leaving Fashion file in 2010 you started teaching at American University of Paris. What courses do you teach and what are some of the key lessons you teach about surviving the tough nature of the fashion business?
Since the show left the airwaves, I am freelancing again and teach part time at the American University of Paris and direct the Fashion Track in the Masters of Art in Global Communications program. I teach fashion journalism and fashion theory.... the great speed in which technology is altering fashion coverage is very exciting.... I try to teach students the realities of the business and the necessity to keep a level head and not get carried away by the glitz and glamour...that is the fun side, which makes all the hard work palatable... and of course that this is not a business for sissies!

Who are some of your favorite designers working today?
Today, my favorite designers are Alber Elbaz at Lanvin, Rei Kawakubo at Comme des Garcons, Haider Ackermann, and Martin Grant.

What do you prefer about Paris?
I now live between Paris and Toronto, and love the contrast in energies...Toronto is raw, new and multiethnic, Paris with its incredible beauty, lifestyle and history will always be close to my heart...

Madeleine with Christian LaCroix

My Apartment for Rent
I am renting my fabulous one -bedroom apartment from November 1- November 16 in the heart of the Marais near St. Paul. For more info email me at [email protected]

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.

Tours cost 210 euros for up to 3 people, and 70 euros for each additional person. 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 

Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
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, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). 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: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.
 

New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

 

Interview with Andrea Blum

Andrea Blum is a New York based sculptor and artist and her work has been shown internationally. She currently has an exhibit in Paris along with designing sets for the current production of the Donizetti’s opera La Favorite.

 Please tell us about your latest exhibitions and commissions.

My work at Insitu/Fabienne LeClerc, is about how things can change meaning when given a different context. There are 2 objects in the exhibition, one is made of concrete, the other of cork (liege) they can be looked at as 2 abstract objects or used as a desk and table, I am interested in creating a seamlessness between life and art. Included in this equation is the interjection of 2 different kinds of landscape material, one forest one cactus which are used to project the viewer into an alternative environment .

The exhibition also includes designs for Houses and a series of computer generated images. The entire exhibition can be  thought of as how an object can become macroscopic and microscopic simultaneously .

Concurrently I have an exhibition at La Conservera, Centro d’arte Contemporaneo in Murcia Spain until the end of March, of a 11x6x12 meter Birdhouse that invites the audience to enter a cage within a cage surrounded by dozens of birds in a manufactured landscape. 

You recently designed your first set for the Donizetti opera La Favorite in Paris. What was the process like and how did it differ from other projects you have worked on?

I worked on the designs for the opera sets for 2 years using architecture, color and light to function as a metaphoric device to tell a story. Commonplace objects are added to give the audience a familiar reference, and virtual images are employed to guide the viewer from the literal to the abstract. I am used to making my own work or having someone fabricate my work with my specifications. I spent 2 years living in my own aesthetic of how the opera should be played out” which in some cases was different than the vision of my colleagues.

You have worked on a number of projects in Paris and in France. Can you tell us about them and where they are?

The built projects are:

Drink/Sleep a 2-part project for Le Jardin des Deux Rives commissioned by City of Strasbourg;

GreenHouse a-mobile library,accueil and video space for Centre des Livres D’Artistes Saint-Yrieux La Perche;

Living Spaces for Institut des Jeunes Sourds et Aveugles de Marseille (IRSAM) Marseille; En Route a social space for students at theUniversity of Paris 8; Nomadic House, a mobile living space for an artist residency program commissioned by ART3, Valence; Adolescent Playground -a social space for College Daubigny D'Auvers-sur-Oise; Mobile Display Unit for the display of information for French Institute of Architects commissioned bycaisse des depots; Biblioteque Mobile -traveling  library produced by l'Observatoire Marseille FR/Fabrique Sensible,Arles; Camouflage -a Metrobus station for SIVOM Rouen

I have also designed proposals that have not been built for Place D’Italie Paris; Police Station for Bobigny; SMAT-Metro Toulouse ; University of Toulon; University of Rennes

What are some of the challenges designing for public spaces?

Finding a way to insert an intervention into a public space that makes sense for the context of the community and also for myself.

What differences do you see between the U.S. and Europe in how they each perceive artists and how they are treated?

Artists in the US are generally supportive of each other, therefore one feels as if they are a part of a community. I have a sense that, generally speaking, that is not the case for artists in Europe who might be more competitive with each other.

What other artists working today do you like?

I like different people’s work for different reasons…which does not necessarily mean that they are my favorite artists..

What would be your dream project that you haven’t done yet?

Build a House. 3 of which are currently on exhibit at the galerie.

La Favorite is playing on February 14, 17, and 19 at the Theatre des Champs Elysees,15 Ave. Montaigne, 75008 http://www.theatrechampselysees.fr/opera/opera-mis-en-scene/la-favorite

Andrea Blum/Still-Life exhbition is being shown till February 16 at Insitu/Fabienne LeClerc, 6 rue de Lodi, 75006 http://www.insituparis.fr/expositions.html

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.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. 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

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
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, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). 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: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.
 

New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

The Angels of Paris: Interview with Rosemary Flannery

I am thrilled to announce the launch of the book The Angels of Paris: An Architectural Tour through the History of Paris by Rosemary Flannery. Today is an interview with Rosemary about this must-have book for anyone who loves the architecture and history of Paris along with ravishing photos.

How did you come up with the idea for The Angels of Paris?
I used to go jogging in the Parc Montsouris and would see this giant angel on top of a column, just at the entrance to the park.  It seemed so welcoming and protective, I loved the way it seemed to greet me each morning.  Later, I began to notice angels all over Paris, adorning not just churches but on sundials, atop theatres, over doorways and in all sorts of unexpected and unusual places.  I originally thought of doing a series of cards illustrated with photos of angels but became curious about the history behind each angel, and who created them, and why they were there. The way that the angels reflect the various art movements from the Gothic, through the Renaisssance, baroque and rococo periods up to Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles is also quite fascinating.

On what basis did you select the angels?
I selected them in particular if they were beautiful or curious or unusual, or if they had an interesting story to tell.  I also wanted to have an angel – at least one – for each arrondissement. The older districts such as the Marais, and the 5th and 6th have the most angels, but the later arrondissments often have only one or two. I was determined to find at least one for each area.

Which was the most surprising?
It’s hard to say, so many of them are amazing. I guess it would be the angel of the rue de Turbigo - he’s immense, a giant angel spanning three floors of the façade of a residential building. The head of the Nagasaki angel, a vestige of a church bombed in 1945, was later offered as a gift to the UNESCO Peace Garden. It is very poignant and surprising because it survived and is now in Paris.

Angel of rue de Turbigo


Nagasaki angel

How many angels did you start with originally and how did you choose the ones that made it into the book?
I started with about 30 angels, which quickly grew to about 90 or so. The book has 70 angels; I chose the most interesting ones with the most intriguing stories.
 

You wrote and took all the photos, which is quite an accomplishment. Did the writing inform or influence the photographs or vice versa?
The photos serve to illustrate the writing. I tried to take pictures which would best tell the particular story or show the idiosyncrasy – the personality! - of each angel.

What was the most rewarding part and the most frustrating part of your research?
Doing research is like going on a treasure hunt or being a detective.  It’s fascinating; even if you don’t always find what you’re looking for, you inevitably find something else along the way.  The most rewarding was finding a copy of a 1665 engraving, which showed angel carvings over the side door of the St. Nicolas du Chardonnet Church in the 5th. These angels originally held a cross and a crosier, which zealous Revolutionaries replaced with pikes in 1792!  They were recruited into the revolutionary army. . . The most frustrating part was seeing a gorgeous little angel carved in wood, above a doorway on the avenue de l’Opera, and not being able to write about it, because absolutely no information exists about the construction of the building, or who the architect or sculptor were.

I would think that each angel is like one of your children and you love them the same but is there an angel or two that is close to your heart or resonated with you in a deep way?
The medieval angels from Notre Dame and from the house of Nicolas Flamel. There is such variety, humor, pathos and fine design in each of them. They are beautifully sculpted with such intricate details, and they seem very humanistic.

If you could invite one angel over for dinner, who would it be, what would you make, and what would the conversation be?
The angel playing the mandolin from the 1407 house of Nicolas Flamel. The conversation would be all about the Marais during the Middle Ages, and whether or not Flamel – reputed to be an alchemist – really was.  The angel could tell me about the characters who frequented the house, which had – and still has – an auberge on the ground floor. Flamel was a great entrepreneur; he was a jurist and a copyist, he illuminated manuscripts, had a bookstore, and taught the art of the illuminated manuscripts at his school.  It’s believed he designed his own tombstone, and most likely made the drawings for the four angel musicians engraved in stone, flanking the entrance to the house. 

This particular angel looks like he has a great sense of humor, so I think the dinner would really be a lot of fun. Maybe he’d play us a few melodies?  Not sure that angels eat and drink, but if so I’d probably serve him my famous soufflé au fromage with some mead wine.  Table would be dressed with roses from the rue des Rosiers, and for dessert, maybe some macarons to bring him into the 21st century!

Nicolas Flamel Angel with Mandolin
Parc Montsouris angel

Revolutionary angel, St Nicolas du Chardonnet Church

The Angels of Paris goes on sale tomorrow but you can pre-order it today on Amazon.
Click here to order.

Rosemary will be will doing book signings and personal appearances in Paris and the East coast of the U.S.later tis month and in December. Below is a list of her dates and venues, so please support Rosemary and attend her events if you can.

Wednesday November 28th @ 7:30PM  American Library in Paris, 10 rue du General Camou, 75007  Evenings with an Author: Rosemary Flannery, Angels of Paris

Saturday December 1, 2012 3:00 - 4:30PM-Rizzoli Bookstore, 31 West 57th Street, NYC.  Reception and book signing on the mezzanine

December 8, 2012 2PM - 3:30PM Philadelphia Center for Architecture / AIA, 1218 Arch Street, Philadelphia PA. A 45-minute lecture followed by a book signing

Friday December 14, 2012 Barnes & Noble Bookstore, Route 17, Paramus, NJ: Book signing 7PM - 9PM

 

Parisian of the Month: Adrian Moore

Photo by Carrie Solomon

Adrian Moore is assistant head concierge at the new Mandarin Oriental Hotel Paris and also writes about the Paris restaurant scene on his blog and for other luxury and travel publications.

Where were you born and where did you grow up?

Born in Toronto, Canada, raised variously in Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire (but mostly the latter two).

When did you move Paris and why did you move here?

Moved to Paris in 1992 to open the Disneyland Paris (then EuroDisney park), stayed for love.

How did you become a hotel concierge and what was your first job?

I sort of fell into the concierge job after having been a general dogsbody in hotels over the years. After my travels around the world, I ended up penniless in England, by turns working in a watercress processing factory, running a youth hostel, and working at a seaside hotel in Brighton. At which point I embarked for Paris.

What was the most important lesson you learned in becoming a successful concierge?

We learn new lessons every day. But the golden rule of the guest always being right still holds strong. One must always listen to the client, understand what they want (even when sometimes they don’t know themselves!) and strive to provide exceptional service above and beyond what is initially asked. My guests travel a great deal, frequent the world’s best establishments and expect even more from us.

You write a food blog. How and why did you start that? You also write for other publications about food, so please tell us how you started doing that and some of the other publications and guidebooks you write for.

My sadly neglected food blog was started in 2005 back in the day before every Tom, Dick and Harry was constantly real time twitting everything they put in their mouth. I’m quite enthusiastic about discovering new restaurants so blogging was a way of sparing friends my incessant blathering about this or that new hot place or delicious dish. I’ve always been a writer for pleasure, and coming to Paris exposed me to the fabulous world of gastronomy which gave me an exciting subject to motivate me in written expression. My first gig was through a guest who asked me to write for a lifestyle magazine he owned in Dubai, and using these clips I pitched other more prestigious publications. It snowballed from there and I’m still hoodwinking as many high end glossy publications as is possible. I choose and write about hot new tables for Condé Nast Traveler US (I’ve been choosing and writing their Hot List/Hot Tables list for the last couple years), Travel and Leisure (chose my favourite sandwich in Paris a few weeks ago , in the glorious company of people like Anthony Bourdain, Mario Batali and Martha Stewart) , a host of inflight magazines and my new favourite publication, the Barbara Fairchild run, iPad only, REAL EATS. Apart from that I’ve written hundreds of restaurants reviews for any and every type of publication on the planet and have been published in French, English, Dutch and Arabic.

What are some of the perks of your job? What is Les Clefs d’Or and what are some of the perks of it?

The best perk is completely and totally satisfying a guest. That and making friendly connection with extraordinarily interesting and influential people. Les Clefs d’Or is the ultimate mark of the professional concierge . It is a brotherhood (and sisterhood), an old boys network, a prestigious association. A sort of family of likeminded brethren who like to get together, eat drink and be merry and talk shop.

What are some the more unusual requests you have received from hotel guests?

No request is too unusual or impossible unless illegal or immoral. Doing the impossible is sometimes a challenge though. Getting 10,000 roses on a few hours notice was a small challenge.

I know discretion is a key part of your job, but if you can, please tell us some of the celebrities you have worked with?

Everybody and anybody worth knowing about, talking about on all levels of entertainment, business, politics, religion, etc etc. Let your imagination wonder.

You presently work at the Mandarin Oriental Paris. How is it different from your last job at the George V Hotel and since the Mandarin Oriental Group is from the east, is there a different philosophy in treatment of guests?

I think at the very top end of the food chain, the bleeding edge of top flight service becomes similar across diverse brands. But I wouldn’t be here unless I believed Mandarin Oriental, Paris had a vast potential to be the best hotel of its kind in both Paris and one of the best in the world. We’re just starting out, and I think that with the management and the concierge team and all the talent we have here, we’re going to push the envelope on what a luxury hotel can be in the City of Light. Our hotel is completely unique, anchored in the best design talent (Jean Michel Wilmotte, Jouin/Manku, Sybille de Margerie), Thierry Marx in the kitchen and Philippe Leboeuf one of the best GM’s on the planet.

What are your five favorite Paris restaurants right now?

I love Septime because of Bertrand Grébaut’s delicious market cuisine and Théo’s service
 
Le Dauphin is one of my locals for Franck’s warm welcome, the funky vibe, tasty small plates and (egads!) natural wine.
 
The cocktail club boy’s Beef Club is fun, the meat’s great, decor cool, but I’d go just for the downstairs speakeasy and Sylvain, Paris’ coolest doorman.
 
The Cork and Cavan is one of my locals (I know, I know, an Irish bar in Paris??) , but it is the best Guinness in town, Kevin the owner is a great pal and the regular barflies are the coolest in town.
 
It’s no secret that I’m a great fan and very good friend with the boys behind the two star Michelin Passage 53. It’s not brand new, but this unique, iconoclastic East meets West gourmet is consistently perfect and totally satisfying.  

What do you prefer about Paris?

It’s difficult to say what I prefer about Paris. I could definitely mention the food, the wine, pretty girls and dozens of other things. But when it comes down to it, I just feel at home here like nowhere else in the world.

Adrian's blog: http://www.adrianmoore.blogspot.fr/

Twitter: @majormoore

Adrian will be coming out with a new, cutting edge website soon, I will keep you posted.

New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
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, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). 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: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 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.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. 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

Artist Daniel Arango and his Holy K Movement

I met Daniel Arango, a young, Colombian born artist, last week through my partner Vincent. Daniel is working on a art project that I thought was so intriguing, I had to write about it.

When Daniel lived in New York, he practically lived in Whole Foods, believing that everything they sold was healthy and good for you until he had severe food poisoning that left him in the hospital for nearly a week. With his myth shattered about Whole Foods, Daniel struck back at his beloved food shop.

Special K Cereal is advertised as a healthy cereal choice to keep fit but its nutrition facts read differently. Instead the cereal is filled with many artificial ingredients. Daniel found out that its inventor Dr. John Harvey Kellogg was one of the founders of the Adventist church health work, where he taught the churchgoers the importance of being vegetarian and eating wholeness food. But soon after Kellogg’s was introduced to the market, the ingredients were altered for financial gain. Daniel was fascinated by this concept of corrupted pureness for profit and how it resembled religious institutes.

The contradiction inspired Daniel to create a monochromatic object stripped of all synthetic colors, hence the Holy. The Holy K cereal box became a minimalistic black and white cardboard box packed with organic cereal prepared by Daniel.

Soon after Daniel made his first Holy K cereal box he began what he called  his cereal box interventions. For a two-year period, Daniel entered various Whole Foods supermarkets, anonymously placing five Holy K cereal boxes on their cereal shelves.These interventions were a way to subtly disrupt the organic and conventional consumer market. The boxes had barcodes from other cereal brands and could be purchased. In one occasion, three hours after an intervention, Daniel returned to the supermarket and two Holy K cereal boxes were left. Daniel bought his first Holy K cereal! This strange experience of purchasing his own art soon lead to the Holy K Cereal box portraits.

Last year Daniel, who was living in New York, sold his apartment and all of his worldly possessions so that he could travel the globe to spread the word about the Holy K movement. Letting faith navigate his path, he is moving from city to city with his portable studio (Holy K Grail cereal box, MacBook Pro and iPhone) in his backpack. Once Daniel arrives in a city, he spends his days walking each city, connecting and meeting people, to fulfill at least one commissioned Holy K cereal box portrait for a selected individual (Disciple) living there. He must connect with the Disciple on a personal level, and if it's meant to be, he will create the piece and then move on to the next city. There is no specific duration for his World Tour and it can continue for months or years.

To date, Daniel has visited Bangkok, Oslo, Moscow, Melbourne, and Hong Kong, where he has had some success in finding Disciples. Daniel is currently in Paris looking for a Disciple, so if you are interested in possibly becoming the Paris Holy K Disciple, you can email [email protected]

The top photo I took of Daniel last week at a Paris cafe.

http://www.HolyKmovement.com/Holy_K/disciples.html

 

In addition to my Eye Prefer Paris Tours, we now offer Eye Prefer New York Tours, 3-hour walking tours of New York's best neighborhoods including Soho, Meatpacking/West Village & Tribeca. Tours cost $195 for up to 3 people and $65 for each additional person.Come take a bit of the Big Apple on an Eye Prefer New York Tour!

Come experience my blog ìliveî with my Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I lead. 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.Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris. www.eyepreferparistours.com
 

 

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
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, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotteís 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: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

Interview with Vicki Archer of French Essence

Vicki Archer is the face and voice behind the popular lifestyle blog French Essence. I am delighted to have the personal scoop from the French style guru.

How did your blog French Essence come about?

I started blogging about three and a half years ago after my first book, MY FRENCH LIFE, was published. It was a way to be in touch with my readers and to connect with people who have a love of all things French like me.

You have published two successful lifestyle/travel books. Where and how did you come up with the idea for the books?

MY FRENCH LIFE is a celebration of my love for France… in a way it was a thank you to a country that had so graciously opened her doors and welcomed me in. FRENCH ESSENCE is a more intimate look at life in Provence where the focus is on ambience, style and beauty, the qualities that I feel distinguish life in France. I worked closely with photographer, Carla Coulson, on both books and she has an incredible ability to translate my heartfelt thoughts about Provence and France in general, into photographs. Her images reflect so beautifully the joy I feel about living in Provence… I think that they say in pictures what I could never express in words.

Please tell us about your home in Provence.

I live on an olive farm about five minutes from the village of St Rémy de Provence, which is about one hour from Marseille. This rural area is called the Alpilles, because a mountain range of the same name dominates the landscape. Our property was an abandoned fruit farm and over the last twelve years we have established an olive grove, resuscitated many of the fruit orchards and completely renovated the farmhouse. Our home is simple, made of limestone walls and with a traditional terracotta roof; shutters protect the windows from the heat in summer and the cold of winter. The interior of the farmhouse is quiet and I have leaned towards the soft taupes, creams and whites… these neutral shades seem to work well in southern France.

Which French women today do you think exemplify French style?

I think it is the women that you see everyday on the streets of Paris that exemplify French style. There are many famous female French icons of all ages… who are utterly gorgeous and superbly stylish… but for me… I have always found that the greatest inspiration is to be found people watching from the cafés of Paris. A wander around Le Bon Marché in the 7^th arrondissement, a browse through Colette on the Rue du Faubourg St Honoré or a little lunch at Merci in the 3^rd will have your style barometer through the roof…

What are the essential things a Parisian apartment must have?

If I had one… (How I would love one… is there anyone who wouldn’t?...) I think my wish list would include a parquetry floor and paneled ‘boiserie’ walls in that heavenly French pale grey color… with a faded patina that really only works with time… contemporary furniture from Christian Liagre … and… as this is dreamtime talk… a view of the Eiffel Tower … That would all be pretty fabulous…

Are you working on a new book?

Not at the moment… I have decided to concentrate all my efforts into my blog French Essence. I love the day-to-day involvement with my readers and I enjoy that it is written in real time… almost like a diary. I find that blogging is a way to share ideas, to be creative and to make connections with like-minded Francophiles. My readers inspire me every day… to write more, to take photographs, to make a record of my year and to observe French life as it happens….

You have collaborated with photographer Carla Coulson on both books. Please tell us what that experience was like and how you worked together in fulfilling your vision.

Carla and I are very in tune when it comes to working together. I am not sure how it works or why it works but it just does. We understand each other, we are both perfectionists and we don’t stop working until we have found what we want. Although we are very different personalities and we have our own individual styles I think we really resonate together. She has not only a wonderful eye as a photographer but also she is technically superb… She has been able to capture my dream of living in Provence and her images show the emotion I feel for my home. This year we will be working together once more, creating images for a photo library… I style the set ups and Carla takes the photographs. It always surprises me how many different images we can produce together… it’s as if our ideas never run dry… I hope they never do. The most important element about working together is that we laugh and we have great fun…    

If you could invite one person, living or dead for dinner at your house in Provence, who would it be?

I know that I should be inviting someone hugely famous or gorgeous or sexy or naughty or even infamous… and that this is my opportunity to dine with the good and the great… but I am going to tell you the first person that came into my mind when I read this question…my daughter… Why? Because she has moved to Kenya for her work indefinitely and I miss her more than I could ever would have imagined… So if I could click my fingers, clap my hands or rub a magic bottle and conjure her up for just a second I would… and plus… she is the funniest dinner companion I kno w...

You also live in London. What are some key lifestyle differences between London and Paris?

Five words… The English and the French…
Seriously though, it is a little hard for me to comment because I have never lived in Paris… I have spent a great deal of time there but it’s not the same and it is certainly not the same as living in St Remy de Provence… Think ‘country mouse’ versus ‘town mouse’…
As for London… I love it. It has taken some time because I have always been much more of a Francophile than an Anglophile but London has crept up on me and I have become very fond of her funny old-fashioned ways. Actually that’s what I like most about London… the old world nature of the city, the way that politeness and manners still count. As green and glorious as London is nothing can compare to Paris in terms of architectural beauty. Paris is a city of grandeur and glamour… and that is not a view I would ever tire of…

Please describe a perfect day in Paris from morning till dinner.

There are many ways to spend a perfect day in Paris and the one thing I know about my visits to Paris is that I can’t do everything I would like to do in one day. I usually take the train from London or Avignon, depending on where I am and I decide before I arrive what area of Paris I will spend my day. If I am working with Carla I will head straight to Le Marais and parts of the 3rd… shop, have lunch, take a few snaps… enjoy the people watching… If I am in Paris on a weekend I will head to the marché aux puces at Cligancort… spend the day and see what fabulous finds I can come home with…On a Sunday if I want to take it easy I might spend the morning in the Jardin du Luxembourg… and the afternoon in a museum… My favourites are Musée Rodin and Musée Jacquemart- André…
There is no one perfect day in Paris…

All photos by Vicki Archer

http://frenchessence.blogspot.com

Vicki's Amazon shop and link to buy her books:  http://astore.amazon.com/wwwvickiarche-20?_encoding=UTF8&node=2

New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

 

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
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, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). 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: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 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.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. 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