ALP Presents: Lan Samantha Chang

The American Library in Paris presents Lan Samantha Chang tomorrow, 

June 25th, 2013 at 19:30. 

Chang is the author of two novels, the above All is Forgotten, Nothing is Lost

and Inheritance as well Hunger, a book of short stories. 

She is director of the Iowa Writer's Workshop and her work 

has twice been chosen for The Best American Short Stories.

She's won numerous creative writing fellowships

including from the National Endowment for the Arts. 

On ALP's blog interview with her, she says

"We receive over a thousand manuscripts each year, 

and I look at all of them. I will read dozens of manuscripts, 

then begin a short story or novel and suddenly feel the human being 

on the other end, reaching out to me from the page.

My reaction is often physical- my fingers grow cold, my scalp prickles. 

It's a wonderful feeling and I never get tired of it." 

Read more of the interview on the blog here.

**************************************************

American Library in Paris  is located at:

10, rue du General Camou

(Just off the Champs de Mars and the Eiffel Tower)

75007 Paris, France

• Tel. +33 (0)1 53 59 12 60

http://www.americanlibraryinparis.org/ 

Tues-Sat: 10h-19h, Sun: 13h-19h.

Striking Mont St. Michel

Apparently, as a French air traffic control strike took place last week,

so too another strike was raging. 

Mont St. Michel, France's top tourist attraction

bringing in about 3 million visitors a year,

also went on strike, over transport access.

After a new shuttle program began, cutting out public transport and

bringing both workers and visitors alike to the site, 

workers say their work day is now lengthened with a longer walk

as they are forced to take tourist buses and be dropped further away.

Car park costs have risen 

and the mayor is already in trouble (hit with a fine)

for shuttling visitors to a spot where they must pass his shops and restaurants.

In retaliation, workers have been allowing entrance to both

the car park and the abbey for free! 

For once, workers are not making problems for tourists

but making things easier for them. 

With the new shuttle, reports are that visitor numbers have gone down

but with entry free at the moment,

 numbers are rising. 

Workers have been asking for talks.

Oh to be in France!

Info via Guardian.co.uk

(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)  

ALP Presents~ Chris Boïcos lecture: Marc Chagall Between War and Peace

This Wednesday, June 12, (2013) at 19:30, 

the American Library in Paris presents an art lecture and slide presentation

by Art History teacher Chris Boïcos on the works of Marc Chagall currently on exhibit at 

the Musee du Luxembourg through July 21.

The exhibit itself focuses on four periods of Chagalls' life and work: 

* Russia in wartime, 

* Between the wars,

* Exile in the United States and

 * Post War Years and return to France.  

The photo above is of Chagall's works created between 1968 & 1974 

for Reims Cathedral after his return to France. 

Many of his works in later years depicted scenes from the Bible and these focus on some of the foundations of the old and new testaments. 

If you are in Paris and love Chagall,

stop in for the presentation by a long-time teacher from

 Paris Art Studies.

American Library in Paris  is located at:
10, rue du General Camou
(Just off the Champs de Mars and the Eiffel Tower)
75007 Paris, France
• Tel. +33 (0)1 53 59 12 60
http://www.americanlibraryinparis.org/ 
Tues-Sat: 10h-19h, Sun: 13h-19h.

(Photo copyright: Peter Lucas via Wikipedia) 

Treasures Uncovered~ Buddhist Thought for the Day

"Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, 

so virtue appears from good deeds,

and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind.

To walk safely through the maze of human life,

one needs the light of wisdom

and the guidance of virtue."

~Buddha

In case you have missed it,

there is still time to get in on the last few days of the very first

Hay House Summit.

Ten days of interviews with some of the biggest names in 

our contemporary healing world. 

Today is Day 6

so there are still 5 days of interviews.
Each interview can be accessed free for 24-hours.

Click above for more information.

Today's line up includes Dr. Wayne Dyer,

one of my favorites.

Uncover the treasures meant just for you.

You know them when you hear them

so take what you need from the treasure chest

and leave the lid open. 

(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Happy Birthday Norma Jean

Norma Jean Mortenson would have been 87 years old today. 

I had forgotten that she spent much of her early years in foster homes,

making her beginning, in my mind, nearly as tragic as her ending. 

I haven't yet seen Michelle Williams' version of her in My Week with Marilyn

but it's on my list.

Wish you were here, Norma Jean, 

for a party, flowers and 

to reminisce on the beauty of your life. 

(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen) 

Chateau de Chenonceau of the Loire Valley

Welcome to Anita's France Link party!

Click above and travel to her blog to see the list of those playing

and, for the next week, you can visit any site

AND their petite tranche of France. 

**********

The Loire Valley has over 300 castles amid quiet, historic villages. 

Called 'The Garden of France,' it is known for its bucolic beauty, historical castles and its wine. 

The area hosts several wine regions you may have heard of:

Muscadet, Sancerre, Pouilly Fume.

A few years ago, when we began our year off in Paris,

one of the first places we were told we must visit

was the Loire Valley.

And specifically, CHENONCEAU! 

Built along the River Cher sometime before its first documentation in the 11th century,

it is a historical storybook on French nobility. 

Once the site of an old mill,

it was designed by Philibert de l'Orme,

a French architect and master of French Renaissance.

At one time, while in royal favor, 

De l'Orme supervised the work of Fontainebleau and the Tuileries, among others. 

 Chateau de Chenonceau was bought by King Charles VIII of France in 1513,

then seized from an indebted heir by King Francis I

and upon his death, passed on to Henry II.

Henry made the chateau un cadeau to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers,

(via Wiki)

who fell in love with it, making it her own and supervising the installation 

of ample flower and vegetable gardens and an assortment of fruit trees.

She had the elegant arched bridge built, 

connecting the two sides of the river,

which became known as the Pont de Diane. 

Upon Henry II's wounding during a jousting accident in 1559,

which would eventually kill him,

his wife, Catherine de Medici, refused Diane access to the dying King,

though it is said he repeatedly called out for her.

And upon the King's death, Catherine refused to allow her to attend the funeral

and forced Diane out of her beloved Chenonceau and into the Chateau Chaumont 

where she lived only a few years.

Catherine, by the way, moved in. 

(Catherine de Medici via Wiki)

*******************

Join me for a quick peek inside Chenonceau. 

*************************

(The Gallery via Wiki) 

The Gallery, which also served as ballroom and was built by Catherine in 1576,

sits over the Pont de Diane

and was dedicated in honor of Catherine's son, Henry III.

My favorites in any chateau are always the fireplaces...

(Diane de Poitiers bedroom fireplace via Wiki)

the kitchen...

And the bedroom... for a peek into their lives. 

The above was known as the Five Queens bedroom

for Catherine de Medici's two daughters and three daughters-in-law.

(Bedroom of Diane de Poitiers via Wiki)

When we returned to visit the following May,

sharing with visiting family,

it happened to be near Mother's Day

and every room was filled with blossoms for the moms.

Beautiful arrangements for a stunning setting.

During Catherine's stay, 

it became a place of many parties

and was the site of the first-ever fireworks display in France

for her son's ascension to the throne (Francis II). 

In the 1700's, Madame Louise Dupin

(also the grandmother of George Sand),

entertained figures of The Enlightenment

including Voltaire and Rousseau~

and at least one owner came to financial ruin 

by way of too many lavish and extravagant parties. 

Today it is the most visited chateau in France (next to Versaille)

and is owned by the Menier Family famous for chocolate. 

I have to agree that Chenonceau is a France Must-See

and even though our little virtual tour has been fun, 

it doesn't do justice to this remarkable place 

filled with the rooms and halls of past voices of kings, mistresses, 

jealous wives and party revelers from history. 

Remember to visit Anita's Castles Crowns and Cottages 

to enjoy so many other blogs on France this week. 

This week, enjoy La Vie Francaise.

(Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen
unless from wiki)

The Seine et Paris Plages

The Seine, Paris' romantic waterway--and probably most widely-known river throughout the world, 

runs 482 miles from Source-Seine near Dijon 

through Paris all the way into the English Channel 

near Le Havre and Honfleur. 

The average depth runs about 9 1/2 meters 

and periodic flooding creates great concern
regarding Paris' many artworks stored underground.

It is said that Joan of Arc's ashes were thrown into the Seine from Rouen.

And every summer since 2002, the Paris Plages 

brings truckloads of sand to its banks:

instant beach fun for city dwellers.

Thirty seven bridges span the Seine in Paris alone.

Some people have their favorites in the city.

Mine happens to be whichever one I'm on.

We sometimes take a walk to our Bir Hakim Bridge 

(formerly the Pont de Passy) with friends

--at just the right time--

to share a bottle of bubbly and the hourly evening shimmering lights of the Eiffel Tower.

There is nothing like strolling the banks of the Seine

with its cobblestone walkways and docked boats often used as hotel rooms,

perusing the local book- and art- sellers like in the shot above.

This year the Paris Plages begins July 20 

and runs for four weeks. 

For more information, see the Mairie de Paris website

which also shares a panoramique of photos.

Last one in the poo.....no, skip that part! 

(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)

A single flower~Buddhist Thought for the Day

"If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly,
our whole life would change." 
~Siddhartha


I feel this sometimes like the ripple of a fish that has jumped but you missed it
and all that's left is the tiny portal through which it came and went and,
in a split moment, is gone and you wonder if it actually happened.

The beauty of our every day world gets so lost in the hustle and kerfuffle
of worries about money, jobs, lack of time
(not since I was a teenager has it been about too much time),
those 'time-saving' techno-gadgets and their constant maladies
and the physical energy for handling and maintaining all of the above.

So take a moment,
gaze at a flower.
It's that perfect season, they're everywhere.
See it for what it is...
a miracle.
Then find more of them in your world.
I promise,
you won't have to look far.
Just tap your sparkly red shoes.



(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)

City Windows...Paris

I love the many ways the French get creative

about dressing up their street-level windows.

Big city living can be a challenge

and when there's not much of a balcony for greenery, 

or a way to keep peering eyes from the street level out,

they use what they can. 

A little window box goes a long way

when the soul needs transport. 

And then, of course, there are the upper level window boxes... 

And everywhere you look, beauty upon beauty. 

So many windows, so little time! 

(Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Guest Blogging at Relyn's today

I am guest blogging over at the lovely Relyn's blog today

Come Sit by my Fire

about my passion for Paris! 

Please stop by and visit. 

Relyn, besides being a fabulous human,

is an inspiring teacher, a passionate photographer and mother

and a world class list maker! 

(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)  

Rue du Dragon

I loved this shot!

And this little beauty is found at the corner of Rue de Grenelle and Rue du Dragon

just off Rue de Sevres in the 6th. 

(Or just up Rue du Dragon from Blvd. St. Germain in case you've filled up at-- 

or taken the obligatory peek in-- Les Deux Magots or Cafe de Flore.)

One of the things I love about walking in Paris:

these little finds are everywhere! 

I'll be guest blogging later this week about my passion for Paris.

I'll let you know where and when. 

In the meantime, 

bonne journee et a tout a l'heure. 

(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Jean Paul Sartre- D. April 15, 1980

Besides being 'Tax Day', 

and now and forever the day of the Boston Marathon bombing,

it is also the anniversary of the death of Jean Paul Sartre

in 1980 at the age of 74. 

A French existentialist philosopher, writer and activist,

(born June 21st, 1905)

he is known for so many different literary, political and philosophical works,

I won't even try to name them all. 

What I did not know about him

(and one of the things I love about blogging--the learning aspect)

is that in his early years, he was a serious prankster.

And in later life, an anarchist. 

In 1927, he and some of his school friends

set up a media prank involving Charles Lindbergh's name

after his famous New York-Paris flight.

Newspapers carried the word that Lindbergh was to be awarded an honorary degree

from Sartre's Ecole Normale.

Thousands of spectators, including the media, flocked to witness history,

only to learn later they were fooled by 

a Lindbergh look-alike. 

Two years later, Sartre met the woman who would become his lifelong partner,

Simone de Beauvoir.

 Their list of lovers is a rather sordid tale

including another tidbit I didn't know: that of de Beauvoir losing her teaching license for seducing, and sharing, students with Sartre.

She turned down Sartre's proposals of marriage on more than one occasion. 

And died April 14th, 1986. 

It is here,

 at the Cimetiere de Montparnasse, 

that they lie together for eternity. 

(Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Merci, Wikipedia!

Les Francais Miserables?

Depressed? Paranoid? Suicidal?

THE FRENCH?

Ok, I knew they were whiners,

complainers about EVERYTHING. 

But how is it possible that with such INSPIRATIONAL ARCHITECTURE,

such gastronomic LUSCIOUSNESS,

such BEAUTY, 

HISTORY,

MACARONS for heaven's sake,

and LADUREE...

and of course one must also mention the 

short work weeks, universal health care, five+ weeks of vacation,

cheese, red wine, Sauterne and foie gras

and on and on and on...

How is it possible that the French are considered 

the most depressed country

in all of Europe?

A recent study has shown that, even with the best of everything,

the French are the most unhappy, distrustful, depressed people.

Apparently the highest suicide rate in Europe, 

the highest number of anti-depressants eaten like bon bons,

according to a report by Claudia Senik of the Paris School of Economics, 

  is due to a lifetime of training that begins with primary school. 

Harshly critical teachers and heavy competition early on

create an atmosphere of low self-esteem, pessimism and distrust 

that lasts throughout their lives. 

Encouragement, praise and general cheerfulness are frowned upon

leaving an entire culture with a feeling of mediocrity and insignificance.  

And all this time, 

I thought their highly vocalized distaste for every other culture on the planet

was a national feeling of superiority.

But as usual, it's not really about us.

It's about them. 

Next time you see a French person on the street,

give them a warm smile 

(and disregard the scowl.) 

Apparently, they need it. 

To read more on the subject, 

go to Sophie Pilgrim's blog.

(Photos copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Paris Pop Ups

A friend recently told me about a new Pop Up restaurant

 in Paris just near the base of the Eiffel Tower called 180,

so named because it will be open only 180 days. 

Pop Up Eateries are the newest craze in Paris

with chefs, new or seasoned, finding short-term spaces for limited-time-only meals

set in whatever works: warehouses, former restaurants, someone's apartment. 

Some chefs are looking to build their culinary career or reputation

while young chefs may want to curb the high cost of opening a traditional restaurant.

Others are simply looking to expand their creativity and innovation,

offering a gourmet yet affordable dining experience.

A few even hope to take the craze outside of Paris

with package deals which will include train tickets, accommodations 

and a Meet the Chef or Winemaker evening.

180 is located on the 10th floor of the Pullman Hotel 

with a rare restaurant view of the Eiffel Tower. 

To see some some great photos of the view, 

click HERE.

For an even more hip dining experience in Paris, try

180

Pullman Hotel, 10th Floor

22, rue Jean Rey, 15th Arrondissemtent

Nightly: 6pm-2am

Until July 7, 2013
01.44.38.57.77

(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)

Forever Love... over the Seine

As if Paris isn't romantic enough 

with its cobblestone riverside walkways and ancient glowing stone buildings,

young lovers have found another way to express their undying love for each other 

in the City of Light. 

Along the Pont des Arts 

(the pedestrian bridge which links the Institute of France with the Palais du Louvre),

lovers engrave their first initials on a padlock and attach it to the bridge,

tossing the key into the Seine

 to profess their eternal love for each other. 

The bridge itself has its own romantic uses. 

It serves as an outdoor studio for painters, 

a place for art exhibitions

and a picnic spot during the summer. 

Paris seems to inspire no end of creativity for expressing passionate affection

for our heart's desire. 

What is it about Paris that makes us swoon?

As I approach a new decade, 

I admit that the feeling of being in Paris makes me feel young and alive. 

 Each and every day in Paris fulfills my deep passion for travel

because around every corner, under every bridge, the feeling of history is so strong, 

it fills every pore like a palliative balm, sometimes sweetly scented

(think croissants and freshly baked baguette, even the unique metro aroma)

and sometimes not. 

Every crevice has a story and as a writer,

the stories call and beg, enticing the creative mind to hunt and immerse one's self,

letting it surround you like chunks of bread in a pot of melted cheese.

While Paris is known for its writers and has an undeniable history 

with those who take pen in hand, 

I've found that I cannot write there. 

For me, the urge to be out in it, experiencing it, walking it, 

letting it rain all over me,

far outweighs the urge to write about it. 

And when you're in it,

it is always pulling, like a strong wind, calling, seducing. 

For me, the writing has to come later. 

Difficult to write about seduction while in the midst of being seduced. 

I do believe my padlock would have three initials on it!

What is it about Paris for you?

Australian Heroine honored in France

The ashes of Nancy Wake, 

an Australian woman working as a British agent during WWII 

who became a courier for the French Resistance 

(and the inspiration for the film and novel Charlotte Gray, her character played by Cate Blanchett),

were recently scattered in the village of Verneix at her request. 

Known as The White Mouse by the Gestapo for her elusiveness,

Wake, in 1943, had a 5-million franc price on her head.

She lived in Marseille with her husband, wealthy businessman Henri Fiocca,

when she got word that the Gestapo were on their way to her home. 

She fled, her husband staying behind, only to learn at the end of the war

that he had been captured, tortured and killed by the Gestapo for not giving up her whereabouts. 

She trained in London with the Special Operations Executive and on April 29th, 1944,

 was parachuted into the Auvergne near Verneix.

She was known for her strength of character. 

Upon finding her dangling from a tree, 

the captain of the local resistance remarked,

"I hope that all the trees in France bear such beautiful fruit this year."

Her reply: "Don't give me that French 'merde'." (Translation, mine.)

In describing her tactics, she was quoted as saying,

"A little powder and a little drink on the way, and I'd pass their posts and wink and say,

'Do you want to search me?' God, what a flirtatious little bastard I was." 

She worked to recruit members and led a force of more than 7,500 in attacks against the German forces.

She was awarded the Croix de Guerre three times as well as the Medaille de la Resistance, 

and the US Medal of Freedom. She married a former RAF fighter pilot in 1957 

and died in London in 2011 at the age of 98.

Here's lookin' at you, Kid!

(Quotes thanks to Wiki)

(Photo copyright: Kirsten Steen)

'Hamlet's Blackberry' author at the American Library in Paris

The American Library in Paris presents William Powers, author of Hamlet's Blackberry: Building a Good Life in the Digital Age, Wednesday March 13, 2013 at 19:30 during the library's Evenings with an Author.

Powers, in his New York Times Bestselling book, goes beyond the current discussion and debate on whether new technology is harming our brains, our relationships and our lives but more to the point, how to deal with it and how we strike a balance.  Drawing on his own life and our technological advances, as well as including masterful thinkers like Shakespeare and Thoreau, Powers examines connectedness and its opposite and ways to balance to enrich our lives in the digital age.

Bob Woodward, (whom Powers once worked for) calls it "a brilliant and thoughtful handbook for the internet age." Laura Lippman, New York Times Bestselling novelist says it, "changed my life". Simon Winchester, author of The Professor and the Madman says Powers "offers in these pages an oasis of serenity and sanity."

You can read more about Powers' background at both linked sites above and buy his book here.
Another book I can't wait to read is one he mentions on his website in the News column called Race Against the Machine by Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee on the economic damage being created by the rising competence of technology in the workplace. It's promised to be a quick read (only 59 pages) so I bought mine. You can buy yours here.


American Library in Paris  is located at:
10, rue du General Camou
(Just off the Champs de Mars and the Eiffel Tower)
75007 Paris, France
• Tel. +33 (0)1 53 59 12 60
http://www.americanlibraryinparis.org/ 
Tues-Sat: 10h-19h, Sun: 13h-19h.