No anything? Say it ain’t so, Joe

By Michael Stevenson

Trump just said if Joe Biden is elected president, there will be “no anything.” Well, that sure doesn’t sound like fun! Should I still vote Biden? Hell … now I’m not so sure!

I do not want “no anything” because then there would be no dark roast coffee, no scotch, no Celtics basketball, no Turner Classic Movies, no chameleons, no music festivals, no used record shops, no Zaz, no mom, no New Orleans, no great new Keen™ sandals that I just got, no friends in Paris, no October ocean swims, no Everly Bothers, Coen Brothers, Dardenne Brothers, Avett Brothers, soul brothers, no Brother Can You Spare a Dime? No sisters, no Sister Barbara, R.S.M.

No angels

No angels, no devils, no pesto, no Châteauneuf-du-Pape, no oysters, no imitating Aunt Mary’s dialect, no Provence, no NPR, no Tanglewood, no biking, hiking, swimming or orgasmic hayfever sneezing.

No finding money. No new friends. No old friends. No Julie Harris as “Abra” in East of Eden, no saying “No!”, no saying “I don’t know”, no dogs, no Wooly Mammoths who may be cloned, no Spring crocus, no bird’s nest, no grilled NY sirloin, no New York, no Vonnegut, no poetry, no Ireland, no windy days, rainy days, no Rainy Days And Mondays Always Get Me Down, no Cheerios, no cheer, no Terry Gross, no milk coming out of laughing children’s noses, no St. Patrick’s Day, no corned beef, no Francis Cabrel, no saying “Oui!”
But I can’t vote Trump. Must convince Biden this NO ANYTHING agenda will not work. I’ve got work to do.

“The book is a refuge”: in bookstores, the surge in sales and the solidarity of customers

After two catastrophic months, the book economy experienced an unexpected rebound with deconfinement. But faced with the uncertainties to come, publishers could bet everything on safe values

Like a Christmas in the middle of summer! Here is the image which returns in the mouth of the booksellers. After two catastrophic months (according to the Bookstore Observatory, between mid-March and mid-May, sales fell by 95% compared to 2019), the book economy experienced an unexpected rebound with deconfinement: + 19.6% from May 11 to July 19 compared to 2019. “An excellent surprise”, rejoices Xavier Moni, president of the Syndicate of the French bookstore. Continue reading ““The book is a refuge”: in bookstores, the surge in sales and the solidarity of customers” →

The myth and reality of the Parisian woman

The actor Arletty, seen here in the film Hôtel du Nord, was one of many working-class French stars of the era (Credit: Alamy)

There is now a whole literary genre devoted to her mysterious allure. So what is the true essence of the Parisienne – asks Paris born-and-bred Agnès Poirier – and how did she evolve?

By Agnes Poirier

French women – Parisiennes in particular – have no idea of the fascination they inspire in foreigners – until the day they discover in a bookshop abroad the vast amount of literature dedicated to scrutinising their every move and mood. Sometimes written by Parisian women living abroad, or by foreigners living in Paris, this literary genre and lucrative niche market aims at educating its readers in Parisianisme and its many secrets.

Among them, in just the last few years: How to be a Parisian, Wherever You Are by Caroline de Maigret, Sophie Mas, Audrey Diwan and Anne Berest; Dress Like a Parisian by Aloïs Guinut; Parisian Chic by Inès de la Fressange and Sophie Gachet; and the recently published The New Parisienne by Lindsey Tramuta.

Tramuta’s interesting hybrid work – part coffee-table book with beautiful pictures and illustrations, part political pamphlet, and part guide book with addresses and tips – makes for an alluring proposal. The author wants to “lift the veil on the mythologised Parisian woman – white, lithe, ever fashionable, and recast the women of Paris as they truly are”. To do this she profiles forty Parisiennes who “don’t fit the mould”, from Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo to cookie maker Moko Hirayama, translator Poonam Chawla and many others – including political figures, entrepreneurs, influencers, designers, artists, writers and athletes.

Continue reading “The myth and reality of the Parisian woman” →

Wine not? New canned rosé breaks French drinking taboo

Cans of beer are 10 a penny, and you can buy cider and even G&T in ring-pulls, but a wine giant has broken a taboo by selling canned rosé.

The 25cl Moncigale Méd­iter­ranée Rosé cans, aimed initially at young UK and US buyers, will also be sold in supermarkets and festival bars here. Moncigale sales director Franck Bourguignon told Connexion: “It is exactly the same rosé IGP Méditerranée wine, loaded with fruit, which you buy in a bottle. We decided to aim at a quality product, using the best of modern technology to profit from advances made in making cans which can hold wine.” [ . . . ]

More at CONNEXIONNE: Wine not? New canned rosé breaks French drinking taboo