Reading For Fun

Now that grad school is over and I’m not required to read to prove how smart I am, I’m finding myself more interested in actually reading, like for fun. What a concept.

But shock of shocks, the two books I’m most interested in reading right now are about France. Yes, I am that predictable.

The first is The Table Comes First: Family, France, and the Meaning of Food by Adam Gopnik.

Here’s the book description from Amazon: Adam Gopnik takes us on a beguiling journey in search of that meaning as he charts America’s recent and rapid evolution from commendably aware eaters to manic, compulsive gastronomes. It is a journey that begins in eighteenth-century France—the birthplace of our modern tastes (and, by no coincidence, of the restaurant)—and carries us to the kitchens of the White House, the molecular meccas of Barcelona, and beyond. To understand why so many of us apparently live to eat, Gopnik delves into the most burning questions of our time, including: Should a Manhattanite bother to find chicken killed in the Bronx? Is a great vintage really any better than a good bottle of wine? And: Why does dessert matter so much? Throughout, he reminds us of a time-honored truth often lost amid our newfound gastronomic pieties and certitudes: What goes on the table has never mattered as much to our lives as what goes on around the table—the scene of families, friends, lovers coming together, or breaking apart; conversation across the simplest or grandest board. This, ultimately, is who we are.

Sounds good, no? Or should I say, “non”?A definite must read for any francophile, history buff, or lover of all things food. Obviously, I’m the target market and will be picking it up as soon as it is released which, if you’re curious, is October 25th.

The other book, by Jill Jonnes, is even more France focused and is called Eiffel’s Tower: The Thrilling Story Behind Paris’s Beloved Monument and the Extraordinary World’s Fair That Introduced It.

Here’s the Amazon description: A colorful cast of characters descended on Paris for the 1889 World’s Fair, and Jonnes (Conquering Gotham) offers an atmospheric overview of the celebrities who made belle époque Paris their stage during the memorable event. Annie Oakley amazed crowds with her precisely executed shots. Thomas Edison, a master at promoting both himself and modern technology, chafed at the leisurely French way of life, delighted the masses with his phonograph and chatted with Louis Pasteur at his institute. Paul Gauguin was enthralled by a troupe of Javanese temple dancers and miffed that the Americans only intended to exhibit 17 of his 27 etchings, while James McNeill Whistler, who delighted in provocations and feuds, decamped to the British, who displayed even fewer of his works. The fair’s undisputed main attraction both at the fair and in Jonnes’s account, was the controversial wrought-iron tower of unprecedented height that, Jonnes says, appeals for both its technological genius and its aerial playfulness and charm. It perfectly embodies the triumph of the modern that Jonnes so well captures in her sprightly account.

While this isn’t a new book release, it’s definitely a must read for yours truly, and just a further extension of all the material I read during my visual arts course last year.

Slowly but surely I’m trying to add more books to my new must read list but these two are currently at the top. I’ll start posting books of interest here more consistently in an effort to remind myself to read them and a book review here and there if I’m inspired. And, of course, if you have any book suggestions, please share them!

Language Learning – When in Doubt Ask a Native Speaker

Oh, France. Sometimes, you just make me laugh. Especially when I see stores with names like this:

Huh?

Seriously, what? I love my blender bookstore? How does that even make any sense? Like at all?

I peaked into the store and it was all kinds of kitchy items, books, etc, but the name is still completely ridiculous. The only thing I could figure was some kind of association with drinking and reading, which I myself am a fan (I am a student after all), but still. And then I thought well maybe because the store is full of a mix of things they thought the word blender could work to represent the variety in the store, the mix of items you can find. But if that’s the case, it doesn’t actually work. I mean really, I love my blender? As the name of a bookstore?

I’ve encountered this naming issue before. I think as English speakers we expect everything to make sense because English is everywhere, and if we don’t understand something it’s because we actually don’t speak the other language. But in other cultures and languages perhaps they’re so used to things not making sense in popular culture – song lyrics in English they don’t understand, band names that seem random even though to an English speaker they make sense – that they just assume you can say whatever and name something in the most ridiculous fashion and people will be okay with it.

But that’s not true. If it’s too confusing or weird, we make fun of it and then we ignore it. We’re lazy and mean that way.

So stop smoking the crack kids and find a native English speaker before buying or painting the sign for your business establishment.  Words are easy to look up, context is not.

A Day in the Marais

Given that it was my first official weekend here in Paris today, I decided to take my tired ass out of the apartment and stroll the wonderful little neighborhood I have at my fingertips that has not gotten sufficient attention from me thus far. The Marais, commonly known as Paris’ gay and most fabulous district is pretty amazing when it comes to places to live. In fact, if I were ever to relocate to Paris permanently it would be my ideal neighborhood to find a long term apartment.

We started out the day tasting a white wine from the Burgundy region at our local wine shop and chatting with a very pretty Frenchman. Always a good start to the day. Then we headed to the much anticipated pastry shop Popelini that serves one thing and one thing only – cream puffs. I tried the raspberry and it just may be the best cream puff I ever tasted. So good it probably caused a stretch mark and I don’t care.

After cream puffs, we wandered the neighborhood and had our obligatory mid afternoon cafe drink and “repose”. Voici my diablo fraise and Meredith’s lovely cafe creme

coffee always looks better and tastes better in France

Diablo Fraise, my personal childhood favorite from summers in France

We then proceeded to discover all the Marais has to offer. We found an amazing wine bar that is also a bookstore called La Belle Hortense.

You can order wine and read a book in the back or order wine and buy a book, or buy a book and a bottle of one of their selected wines and take them both to go. It’s quite amazing. The atmosphere is quintisential Parisian and I’m determined to get back there for an evening of drinking and literature. Always a great combination.

Given we were in the Marais, we also of course found ourselves in a few gay establishments, like the gay and lesbian bookstore.

how much is that doggie in the window...

The selection was pretty impressive and it would be an amazing place for anyone interested in gay and lesbian literature. There were surprisingly quite a few books available in English so there’s definitely something for everyone.

Then there was a visit to the obligatory sex shop (you can’t not go in) which was shockingly tame by my NYC standards, although the 165 euro vibrator was very intriguing. I have to say if I have enough money to buy a 165 euro vibrator, I’d rather just hire a man for the night. If you’re gonna pay that much, it might as well be the real deal, French accent included.

Then we of course tapped off the end of our day with a raspberry tart from the other pastry shop I was excited to try Pain du Sucre.

yummmmmm

I need to go back for these next time

The tart while delicious, had a very fancy pistachio cream at the bottom, and I have to say I’m much more of a fan of the simple cream that you generally get. A raspberry tart is perfect in its simplicity and French perfection, there’s no need to fancy it up. So now I’m on a mission to find a better one in the neighborhood. Something tells me it won’t be too difficult.

All in all, a lovely Parisian Saturday filled with food, pretty men, and a long leisurely stroll. God bless France.

A Blog a Day Keeps the Homework at Bay

I almost forgot to blog today. But here I am at t minus 20 minutes. Yay me.

Unfortunately, for anyone reading this, I’m still not interesting yet and I don’t expect to be interesting until Friday when the mountain of homework eases up a bit. So all I can say right now is I’m writing this small little post in my last, pathetic attempt to put off my homework, and no matter how interesting some of the texts I’m reading these days are, I still have the grad school version of senioritis and don’ t want to bother.

If YOU want to bother I highly recommend reading Jean Paul Sartre’s Republic of Silence (specifically pg. 498-500). It’s incredibly powerful stuff and an amazing comment on the reality of the human spirit during times of war.

And that is my contribution for this evening. Thrilling, as always.

Short Term Goals

With my spring break starting today and the shocking reality that I have managed to keep blogging every day so far this year, I have decided it is time for a few more short term goals.

As I’m already overwhelmed with school and work, my new goals are of course nothing extraordinary as far as goals go, but somehow writing things down, particularly in a public forum like said blog, makes me more determined to follow through on the little things that could so easily not get done because of daily life and general stress.

So for the week of spring break my short term goal is to write the outlines for two writing projects I can’t get out of my head. I don’t have time to begin the actual process of writing but if I can manage to get even the most bare bones outline done for both of them this coming week then I’ll be prepared to commit to writing them when I arrive in Paris in June and have access to all the fabulous French research libraries and information I need to flush out my outlines. They don’t have to be pretty, they just have to get done. And what better time than a short break from my classes, right?

So I’m doing it. I’m writing the outlines. Yay me.

My other short term goals involve reading books that are not school related but will benefit my writing projects. While I’d like to be super ambitious and say I’ll read these books on my one week break, I know I’d actually be lying. Because while I don’t have class next week I still have work, and homework, so my plate will still be full without tacking on additional reading.

But, thankfully, I do have 4 weeks between the end of my spring semester and the start of my summer courses in Paris, so my short term goal is to have the following two books read before I arrive in Paris. Both books are fictional novels that touch on subjects/eras I want to write about and will likely provide a good guide for me in how to construct my stories – even in their most basic shitty first draft form. The two books I want to read are:

The Sonderberg Case by Elie Wiesel

Atonement by Ian McEwan

Back when the movie for Atonement came out I was nursing a crush on James McAvoy (watch Becoming Jane and you will understand) and 20 minutes into the movie I had to stop watching. The writing was so good and so emotionally charged 20 minutes in that I actually couldn’t watch. I knew it would be a painful ride and I just was not in the mood. So I figure, if the movie was that intense and well constructed based on 20 minutes, the book must be brilliant and worthy of reading when looking for structural inspiration.

The Elie Wiesel book is his latest that I’ve been meaning to read just as a general fan of his work, and as I consider him a great guide for life and the craft of writing, it will definitely be worth my while. I might need to read another trial based novel before summer, but this one is my first choice.

Whew! So no rest for the weary, right? Gotta stay focused, stay motivated, and stay sane. Or at least two out of the three.