Despite holding a significant place in the annals of French revolutionary history, Olympe de Gouges is hardly a household name. Many will easily recognize figures […]
Olympe de Gouges, France’s First Revolutionary Feminist (Biography)
Stories & Anecdotes
Voices from Drancy, one of France’s Most Important Holocaust Memorial Sites
In March of 2020, I made a short trip from Paris that was a long time coming. I boarded a train, then a bus, to […]
The History of Bastille Day (and a Few Weird Facts)
On July 14th, Paris will once again celebrate Bastille Day, or the Fête Nationale (National Holiday) with all the pomp, circumstance and vibrancy we’ve come […]
An Elegant Paris Building– With a Dark History of Nazi Collaboration
On the Place des Petits Pères in central Paris, a sense of calm abounds these days. The Basilique Notre-Dame-des-Victoires church graces the square, and the […]
Paris, the Week Before Lockdown: Springtime Poetry & Rising Anxiety
I’m currently sitting in my kitchen and watching a jackdaw hop around in the back garden, while bees hum around a rosemary bush that’s recently […]
A Short History of Quarantines in Europe and France
The early spring of 2020 will no doubt take up some space in the history books. It marks a moment that was unprecedented in contemporary […]
Fluctuat Nec Mergitur: Why is it Paris’ Motto, and What Does it Mean?
If you follow Parisian cultural trends on a regular basis, you’ve probably seen locals reference the Latin expression “Fluctuat nec mergitur” as the city’s motto. […]
The Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris: 8 Reasons to Love It
More than a museum, it’s a cultural touchstone Few places in Paris carry the sort of sentimental weight that the Centre Georges Pompidou does for […]
Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris: Walking Paths & Famous Graves
Opened in 1824, Montparnasse Cemetery sits on a site that was once occupied by three farms, in what was then a rural, sleepy corner of […]
After the Fire: A Short History of Notre-Dame Cathedral’s Disasters & Rebirths
Like most people, I felt a lump rising in my throat when I saw images of Notre-Dame Cathedral lapped with flames and choked by smoke […]
Academie de la Grande Chaumière: The Paris Art Studio Favored by Modigliani, Miró and Lempicka
On a quiet side street in Montparnasse that seems worlds apart from the frenetic Boulevards and terraced cafes just feet away, there’s a typically Belle-Epoque […]
Paris Airport Taxis: How to Use Them (& Avoid Scams)
I still remember my first bad taxi ride from Charles de Gaulle Airport. I was returning home from a visit with family in California, lugging […]
Medieval Paris: A Self-Guided Tour of 6 Intriguing Places
During the 19th century, the Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann gutted much of what had been medieval Paris– forging the iconic skyline and enormous, grandiose boulevards we […]
Paris Out of Hand: A Review of the Surrealist Guidebook to the Capital
…& Some Thoughts on the Power of “Imaginary Cities”, in Print & in Dreams The subtitle of the handsomely bound, compact red volume should […]
Famous Alchemist Nicolas Flamel Built the Oldest House in Paris
The modest medieval house located at 51, Rue de Montmorency in Paris is off-radar for most tourists. Yet for a niche set of visitors with […]
In Review: Farine & O, One of Paris’ Best New Bakeries
In France, there’s a strongly held belief that the most talented boulangers (bread bakers) are not generally equally gifted at producing top-notch pastries. Similarly, pâtissiers (pastry makers) tend to […]
Exploring Paris’ Belleville District: A Haven for Artists, Immigrants & Revolutionaries
I’m a former resident of Belleville, that fascinating, messy, somewhat chaotic neighborhood in a corner of northeastern Paris that’s so often maligned. One that many […]
How I Became a French Citizen: Reflections On My Long Path to “La Citoyenneté”
In 2010, I became a French citizen after a long, painstaking decade of renewing visas and residency cards, struggling at times to make ends meet […]
These 5 Places in Paris Aren’t Usually Associated With African-American History. They Should Be.
“It’s a great city, Paris, a beautiful city––and––it was very good for me.”– James Baldwin, Another Country (1962) One of the most singular and important […]
The Rue Montorgueil District in Paris: What to See & Do?
At the wobbly, bright-eyed age of 22, I moved to Paris to take up a seven-month teaching assistantship at a middle school in one of […]
