Category: Culture

French-Moroccan writer Leïla Slimani wins Goncourt, France’s top literary prize – France 24

 

Moroccan-born Leila Slimani won France’s top literary prize, the Goncourt, on Thursday with a novel guaranteed to “scare the wits out of parents”. The chilling tale of a “perfect” nanny who murders the two children she is looking after, “Chanson douce” (roughly translated as “Sweet Song”) is based on the real-life story of a Dominican child-minder shortly to stand trial for the double murder of her charges in New York in 2012.The book – which begins with the words “the baby is dead” – is already a bestseller in France.

READ FULL STORY at Source: French-Moroccan writer Leïla Slimani wins Goncourt, France’s top literary prize – France 24

French women to walk out of work in protest against gender pay gap 

Women in France earn around 15.1 percent less than men, according to the latest data from the European Union’s statistics agency Eurostat, which Les Glorieuses has calculated to mean women will be essentially working for free for the rest of the year after 4:34pm on November 7.“As of 4:34pm [and 7 seconds] on November 7, women will be working ‘voluntarily’,” the organisation said in a statement on its website.

“We call on women, men, unions and feminist organisations to join the movement… and to hold events and protests in order to make income inequality a central political problem. By tackling this subject, we’re showing that the gender pay gap is not just a ‘woman’s issue’.”

Source: French women to walk out of work in protest against gender pay gap – France 24

Damien Rice: Paris sidewalk concert

Back in the summer of 2015, Irish troubadour Damien Rice gave a surprise late night concert on a Paris sidewalk. Despite Rice’s hoarse voice, and the occasional banging and clanking noise from his roadies hauling equipment, this petit concert video is quite beautiful. Listen to Damien’s french fans singing his english lyrics, as one unseen fan provides occasional excellent harmonies (was actress/singer/collaborator  Mélanie Laurent among the crowd?) Love it.

Chanson Du Jour “Les Feuilles Mortes”

Chanson Du Jour 10/30/2016 Yves Montand – Les Feuilles Mortes

Looking outside the cafe window on Blackstone Boulevard, multi-colored leaves are swirling about Lippit Park. Autumn seems fully arrived, and this beautiful melody came to mind.

“The Autumn Leaves” is a jazz standard covered by Harry James, Doris Day, Chet Baker, Bill Evans, Erroll Garner and many others.

The song originated in France in 1941 as “Les Feuilles Mortes.”  It was composed by Hungarian-French composer Joseph Kosma and lyrics by poet French Jacques Prévert.

The song and was made popular by the cool singing Yves Montand.  This clip appears to be from a film – if you know the title, please leave a comment.

Eating off the floor: Modern Paris apartment’s floor becomes the dining table 


It gives another meaning to ‘eating off the floor.’

 

We’re admittedly fond of interior spaces that attempt to bring in a bit of nature inside. While it may be a bit clichéd, the tree planted inside is one of the most oft used natural elements of this kind. This modern apartment in Paris’ twentieth arrondissment has what looks like a faux-tree, but it does have a striking design where the living room floor becomes the kitchen’s cantilevered dining table.

READ FULL STORY AT: Eating off the floor: Modern Paris apartment’s floor becomes the dining table : TreeHugger

Yann Tiersen and More in Moscow this Weekend

Moscow does not believe in tears, but apparently it believes in celebrating Halloween. Moscow Times’ Andrei Muchnik picks his gooviest Halloween events for the weekend, including a concert by Yann Tiersen, composer of the Amelie soundtrack. Da!

If you are short the 2000 rubles for the live Halloween show at Crocus City Hall, give a free listen to Tiersen’s latest from his new album”EUSA”

Halloween is almost here. This weekend almost every bar and club in Moscow will hold its version of a pre-Halloween party, but if you’re not in a mood for trick or treating, there’s plenty of awesome gigs you can go to instead. From one of the most popular British bands in Russia to a great French composer, here are our top picks.

READ FULL STORY at Source: Muchnik’s Picks: Placebo, Yann Tiersen and More Music in Moscow on the Weekend