Thursday, December 20, 2012

Ice Skating in Paris

(photo by Laurence Penne via 500px)

The Hôtel de Ville never fails to amaze me. Not only can you check out wonderful free art and learn about the history of Paris, during the summer you can go to the beach and during the winter you can go ice skating. Starting tomorrow you can take advantage of the majestic setting and free admission to practice your wintry triple axels and, if you're like me, freezing-cold tumbles onto ice. Sure, there are other places to enjoy ice skating in Paris, but this venue is the largest seasonal rink and the only FREE one (plus 5€ to rent skates). There are even free lessons for hockey and dance moves on weekend mornings 10am-noon. Gloves are required, not to mention holiday spirit (which always comes in handy).

Ice Skating at Hôtel de Ville
FREE (and 5€ skate rental)
21st December until 17th March 2013
Noon-10pm during the week, 9am-10pm weekends
Métro: M1, M11 to Hôtel de Ville

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Cheap Travel: 19€ to Nice


It's true what they say: Nice is nice. The softer, subtler neighbor of Cannes, Nice is like if Venice and France had a baby and it lived beside the ocean. The old city is full of winding, narrow streets composed of colorful buildings, and the rest of the small city boasts a modern art museum, a beautiful park that overlooks the sea, a beach caressing the Mediterranean and the best pizza I've ever had in France. And right now TGV Europe will whisk you away to Nice for just 19€.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

December Expat Blog Hop - With A Music Giveaway!

(photo of my bedroom door courtesy of Stephanie Land)

It's time for another Expat Blog Hop! I love this event as it's a great way to discover more blogs and for me it's an opportunity to get a little personal for once.

Friday, December 7, 2012

Cheap Art: 59 Rivoli

(Jazz Pas Grave at 59 Rivoli)

The artists' squat 59 Rivoli is always hoppin', always creative and always open to the public. Having just passed their 13th anniversary in a building formerly abandoned by Crédit Lynonnais, the now-legal squat is full of studios where artists work (some permanently, some in residence for 3-6 months) and display their art. Passing by the space, prominently situated on rue de Rivoli with massive windows into the gallery, you might find a new exhibition being opened (which happens every two weeks) or a free concert going on (each weekend).

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Pro Tip: Free Wi-Fi in Paris

(Why hello, monsieur. Image via Antipodes)

Sure, lots of cafés and stores have wi-fi for you to connect easily and check your email while you're munching on that pain au chocolat. But did you know there's free wi-fi (pronounced wee-fee in French, totally adorable) all over Paris? Think parks, town halls (like the Hôtel de Ville), libraries and museums. If you've ever been out and about in the city and wanted to check your email or flight status, or ever gotten into an argument about which Bill played the president in "Independence Day" (it's Pullman, not Paxton, I promise), or if you've ever been in Jardin du Luxembourg and thought, "This day sure is beautiful but I miss my computer screen," here's how to gain free access from your cellie or laptop, via Paris.fr:

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Cheap Paris Art

(Illustration by Aaron Straup Cope via 20x200)

If you can't come to Paris, keep Paris close to you. I know most of my readers are travelers or travel dreamers, not full-on expats, and Paris is one of those places that just stays with you, whether you've been there or not, whether you're planning to go or remembering the time you spent there. A professional photo or piece of art illustrating Paris is a beautiful way to keep your heart lit by the City of Light, no matter where you are geographically (not to mention it makes a great holiday gift). Here are a few of my favorites I've spotted recently:

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Pro Tip: Coffee For 1€ Or Less!


One of the greatest pleasures of Paris is sitting at a café, uninterrupted for hours, watching people go by for the price of a cup of coffee. I must admit it's my favorite Paris activity. Yet many Paris visitors balk at the price of a measly (and admittedly, often not gourmet) cuppa joe. Luckily, there's a handy map that's been making the rounds that easily and accurately pinpoints the cheapest places in Paris to get an espresso - namely for 1€ or less.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Discovering Street Art with Urbacolors


Street art is like a free gift to the world, a little something that can brighten your day, open your mind, make you laugh, or just jolt you out of the humdrum of everyday life and better notice the world around you. I'm of the opinion that there's a difference between graffiti and street art - one is a scribble that defaces a hundreds-of-years-old sculpture in a park, and the other is the expression of true creativity that adds value, beauty, humor and/or political commentary to the structures that form our cities. If you're into street art, and you have a smartphone, you've got to download the free app Urbacolors.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Pro Tip: Café Gourmand


If you have a short dessert attention span, or if you like to share, or if you can never decide on just one dessert, or if you're short on cash (all of the above describe me), then here's a Paris Pro Tip: order a café gourmand. Usually comprised of an espresso and smaller portions of 3-5 desserts (depending on which size you get), these platters give you the option of trying several sweet thangs without breaking the bank. Usually they're even cheaper than a full dessert (plus you get the coffee!). It's almost too good to be true.

The above selection, composed of a delicious dark chocolate mousse and chantilly, a caramel flan, and a decadent slice of coconut-vanilla cake drenched in chocolate sauce, plus coffee, set me back 5,50€ at a pretty touristy café in Bercy Village at which all other dishes were damn pricey (hello, 14€ croque monsieur). I think the café gourmand is the sweetest secret in Paris. Have you ever had one?

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Cheap Art: Honza Hronek's Collodion Photography

(photo by Honza Hronek)

Like many before him, photographer Honza Hronek first picked up a camera in order to explore the land in front of him, foreign yet familiar, beautiful and waiting to be truly seen. Having moved to England from the Czech Republic at the age of 21, he quickly became connected with the idyllic countryside in a whole new way.

But a move to Paris a year later was the push that Hronek needed to drive him forward in his photography.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Cheap Art: Bernard Villemot

(image via Enjoy Art)

We're constantly bombarded by ads; billboards, magazine spreads and posters are in our faces all the time. Street artist Banksy said that “the thing I hate the most about advertising is that it attracts all the bright, creative and ambitious young people." This is certainly true (I used to work in advertising, and I agree). But sometimes the art in advertising outlives the ephemera of whatever is being promoted. That's when the artist behind the image becomes immortal. Such was the case with Bernard Villemot, a French graphic designer in the '50s and '60s whose brilliantly simple designs have stood the test of time, and are now on display at Bibliotheque Forney.

Monday, October 8, 2012

3,90€ Flicks Extended!

(photo via ScreenRush)

Just in time for autumn's onslaught of rainy, chilly days, the Tuesday Movie Deal has been extended! Nearly forever. From now until December 2013, you can pay just 3,90€ for one ticket at Cinéma Gaumont or Pathé - on TUESDAYS ONLY. You must buy the ticket the same day that you're going, between 9:30am and 10:30pm. Click here to buy.

You could see Pauline Détective, Taken 2, Les Seigneurs or one of many films already out, but personally I think I'll wait until November and check out Nous York, this adorable-looking film about a bunch of Frenchies who take to the Big Apple.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

On Being A Cheapskate

(photo by Rebeca Brown)

Did you ever wonder what it takes to pull up roots and move to Paris? What kind of insanity, and how long saving your money it would take? If you want to know how I did it, my story's over at The Billfold. Hope you enjoy!

Sunday, August 26, 2012

The Other Bookstore: The Abbey Bookshop

(note: this post also appears on Paris Cheapskate's partner site, Untapped Paris)


You know I’m obsessed with Shakespeare and Company, the English bookstore situated across the Seine from Notre Dame. But did you know there’s another, tinier, equally charming English-language bookstore just a couple of blocks away? I recently stumbled upon The Abbey Bookshop and was delighted to stock up on some new reads while trying to avoid making every book around me tumble onto the floor.


Monday, August 20, 2012

Cheap Drinks: Café Des Anges


I popped into this lovely little café the other day while walking around just North of the Bastille and discovered the neighborhood gem that is Café des Anges. 

Far from a tourist hangout, you'll usually find the tables occupied by newspaper-reading locals. I haven't tried their food yet, but you can bet I'll be going back: This 25cl of rosé only set me back 5€.


Café Des Anges
66 Rue Roquette, 75011 Paris
Métro: M1, M5, M8 to Bastille

Monday, August 6, 2012

Cheap Shopping: Interloque Junk Shops


Maybe it's my fervent garage-saling background, but I love junk shops: those cluttered, disorganized places guaranteed to make you sneeze from dust and hopefully give you a kitschy knick-knack to go home with for a couple of bucks. New York is full of them, but I never thought I'd find a junk store in Paris. Imagine my delight when I stumbled upon Interloque Ressourcerie.

Monday, July 30, 2012

5 Under 5€ : Kate Neary


My friend Kate Neary runs the lovely fashion-etc. blog Thrill of the Chaise and has been spending the last month in a dream-state here in Paris. This week we're doing a guest-post exchange! Check out her post below and look for mine on Thrill of the Chaise

Paris is a place to escape to and explore. And though it is also a place where spending money can be as easy as walking out the door, this city offers people like you and me (a fully grown fashion student embarking on a complete career change) so much to do, see, eat and buy at pretty reasonable prices if you keep your eyes out for it. So if you're up for a bit of an adventure, I've done some of the groundwork for you. Here are my five things to do under 5 euros in Paris:

Monday, July 23, 2012

Do It Right: The Perfect Picnic


It's finally, officially here: proper picnic season. With the emergence of the sun and glitteringly warm, long days, now is the perfect time to get yourself to a patch of grass with some good eats, good drinks and good friends. But before you grab a sandwich at a boulangerie and head to any old park nearby, take a moment to think about it. Because, like everything else in Paris, there is an art to le pique-nique. Luckily, I have way too much experience and have become an expert in how to achieve the Perfect Picnic.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Cheap Thrill: Paris Plage

(photo via Flickr)

How amazing is this? For all the city dwellers who can't make it out of town to spend their summer on a beach, or for the travelers who got a hot deal on a Paris vacation only to find the town mostly deserted during the month of August, our fair city has created an annual tradition to help beat the heat (should it ever arrive): Paris Plages.

Starting tomorrow through August 19, along the north side of Seine near Hôtel de Ville and at La Villette Basin, the typically paved or cobblestone Paris streets will be taken over by an enormous amount of sand and, in conjuction, fun. Throughout the month there will be tons of free events, such as the FNAC Live music festival, tai chi classes, a massive screen to watch the London Olympics, and, of course, maxin' and relaxin'. The only thing I can't comprehend is from where and how do they get all that sand in?

Paris Plage
FREE
July 20-August 19, every day 8am to midnight
Voie Georges Pompidou (along the Seine near Hôtel de Ville), and La Villette Bassin

Monday, July 9, 2012

Sponsored Post: French Phones Made Easy (With A Giveaway!)

 (illustration via One Day In May)

When you’re coming to Paris, whether you’re a visitor or student, you dream of all the lovely things you’ll be doing in the city: eating croissants, seeing great art, making eyes at the handsome locals. What you never dream of are the little logistics that make life in the city possible, like, using your phone. Should you pay exorbitant roaming fees? Attempt to navigate the local phone companies (which can be tricky and are always completely in French)? So many people just stick to texting because they’re afraid of the crazy fees associated with calling from their regular cell phone. Luckily, the folks at Paris Hospitality (a great resource for short-term Paris rentals) have come up with a solution that takes the guesswork out of using your phone in France.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Free Music - Your Soundtrack to Riding Trains


I love cinematic music - tunes that swell with your heart and make you feel as though you have your own personal soundtrack. Maybe that's why I also love making mix CDs, to create those moments for myself. For a recent trip to the south of France, I made myself this little mix to listen to while riding the train, and it is so swoony I had to share the list with you! It's perfect for road trips, train trips, or any kind of traveling that involves watching the world pass by your very eyes as the landscape changes and telephone poles go whipping past in rhythm to the beat in your ears.

* Note: I'm giving away copies of this collection to anyone who asks! Just email me at parischeapskate (at) gmail! 

1. Zebra - Beach House
2. Excuses - The Morning Benders
3. Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second (Strategy Remix) - Starf**ker
4. True Loves - Hooray For Earth
5. California Sunrise - Dirty Gold
6. Vocal Chords - Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
7. Yeah! Oh Yeah! - The Magnetic Fields
8. Cold War - The Morning Benders
9. Om Nashi Me - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
10. Hands - Alpine
11. Random Firl - Late of the Pier
12. Don't Look Away - The Helio Sequence
13. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) - George Harrison
14. In the Aeroplane Over The Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel
15. Postcards From Italy - Beirut
16. Mahgeeta - My Morning Jacket
17. Do You Realize? - The Flaming Lips
18. California - Delta Spirit

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Free Art: Portes Ouvertes


If you love art, love discovering new artists, and dig the "gallery walk" experience, step it up a notch and take advantage of Paris' periodic "portes ouvertes," where you can wander a neighborhood checking out artists' ateliers and newest wares. Read all about it over at Girls' Guide to Paris.

PS - the artist squat 59 Rivoli have their portes ouvertes Tuesday through Sunday all year!

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Fête de la Musique

(illustration via A Nous Magazine)

June 21st, the Summer Solstice. The longest day of the year, when the sun stays out longer than we thought possible back in January. Paris makes great use of this "midsummer night" by celebrating music all day and all night with their annual Fête de la Musique, with free performances all over the city. It's dizzying to think of all the great acts that will be playing, but I'm sure we can find something for everyone. For example:

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Extremely Short Story Contest WINNER!

Thanks to everyone who submitted funny and touching mini-stories into the contest! It was a tough decision, but the winner is... Tonja C. from California! Her story:

"My beloved husband and children were delayed, leaving me alone in that big house on Mother's Day. I will admit, quietly, that it was not a nightmare."

Congratulations, Tonja, and thanks to EVERYONE who entered.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Cheap Art - Rafael Alterio & Henriette H. Jansen

 
("Rio" by Rafael Alterio)

Artist Rafael Alterio spent the afternoons of his boyhood running around the atelier of his friend's mother, ceramic artist Henriette H. Jansen. Now, a decade or two later, they've joined forces to create an art exhibition of ceramic sculpture, paintings, and engravings which echo each other. I got the chance to preview some of the work before its opening this week, and was delighted to find that Alterio and Jansen have managed to create a collection of stunning quality while evading an aspect that turns me away from many modern artists: pretension.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Extremely Short Story Contest - WITH A PRIZE


Hello Cheapskaters! Here's a fun challenge for you: write a 2-sentence story. In fact, I'll give you the last line:

"I will admit, quietly, that it was not a nightmare."

What do you think should go before that? It could be devastating, hilarious, poignant, tragic, silly. It doesn't have to be Paris-related. It doesn't even have to be SFW. The above photo is what inspired me, but you could take this in any direction your imagination takes you.

The winner will receive a postcard from Paris for each week of July from yours truly. If you live in Paris, I will take you out for a drink to the next bar I feature for the Paris Cheapskate Happy Hour. Email your stories to parischeapskate (at) gmail (dot) com by Friday at midnight. Winner announced Saturday. Good luck!

Monday, June 4, 2012

Happy Hour: Le Hideout


Le Hideout has a few locations around Paris - near Bastille, rue Mouffetard, and Châtelet, but I visited the one just down the street from Gare du Nord. An Irish pub that features rugby and tennis on the telly and a bustling terrasse, Le Hideout is a fab place to chill outside, watch the people go by and have a cheap cocktail.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Pro Tip: How To Survive A Free Museum Sunday

 (1/25th of the line at Musée d'Orsay)

Paris' Free First Sundays at some of its biggest museums is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, you have to deal with shoulder-pushing crowds of people and lines so long they eventually become hilarious. On the other hand, dude, it's free. This weekend boasts one of those Sundays. Here's how to survive the former in order to enjoy the latter.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Hexagon Accessories

 (Straw/rattan clutch, $35, via Etsy)

Fiesty and energetic Laurie Pike of The Paris Blog has done what thousands dream of doing: she quit her career after 25 years to follow her passion in making handmade accessories. With a background in fashion and a pied-à-terre in Montmartre, she travels to Paris to scour the flea markets, pick up vintage pieces and integrate them into her beautiful, wearable collages.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Best Paris Stories

(Ernest Hemingway at his writing desk, via Melawend)

How to write about Paris? After hundreds of years, what is there left to say about the City of Lights? As it turns out, a whole lot (just look at the blogosphere). That's why Laurel Zuckerman has created and edited Best Paris Stories, a collection of short stories about the city which celebrates its launch tomorrow at the American Library of Paris.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Pro Tip: The Seine as 5th Avenue

(Paris map via Plan de Paris)

When I lived in New York, I took much comfort in the grid system, a concept Paris streets laugh heartily at. Also in New York, I knew that 5th Avenue was as close to a Main Street as we got, since all parallel addresses increased in number the further away from 5th that you went. Luckily, I've learned a little tip about Paris that is equally useful:

Consider the Seine to be your Fifth Avenue. All addresses leading away from the Seine increase in number. (So, right bank: increase northward, left bank: increase southward). Also, addresses running from east/west increase with the flow of the Seine (westward). So if you ever get disoriented or are unsure which direction you're walking when you come out of the Métro, take note of the surrounding addresses and it will (hopefully) help you feel a bit more centered in the City of Lights.

Monday, May 21, 2012

Cheap Drinks: Jeanne & Marcelle

(photo via Facebook)

One of my favorite neighborhood spots is the wine bar Jeanne & Marcelle. Occupying a nook on a sloped street in the 18th arrondissement, Jeanne & Marcelle has a cozy wooden terrace that overlooks the nearby steps and street of rue Diard. It's a lovely place to have a coffee on the terrace, watching the neighbors go by, or to sample some of Guillaume's daily wine specials.

Friday, May 18, 2012

Free Music: Jazz in St. Germain

(photo of Ndidi O via Flickr)

Lovers of jazz, soul and blues are in for a treat as Saint-Germain-des-Pres hosts its twelfth edition of Festival Jazz À Saint Germain from this Sunday, May 20th-June 3rd. Though some of the concerts cost a nominal fee, many of the events are absolutely free!

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Dreaming of Zerzura

("Oléron1" by Fred Jagueneau)

For many years at the beginning of his career, Fred Jagueneau was a photographer's assistant to several huge names in fashion photography, including Mario Testino and Annie Leibovitz. In 1994, however, he set off to travel the world alone, to capture the lives and landscapes of the planet's "most remote places and peoples." A marvelous exhibit of some of those photographs is on display now at Galerie Nikki Diana Marquardt.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Entendu: Great French Radio


Obviously, I love music. With online French radio, I can kill two birds with one stone: improving my French and keeping up with the best new tunes. Here are a few of my favorite internet stations to listen to:

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Cheap Drinks - Zelda


Zelda is one of those neighborhood haunts that always feels like you just stumbled upon it. On a street just north of the Canal St. Martin that seems continually deserted, Zelda (inspired by Zelda Fitzgerald, an art deco poster of whom graces the main space) occupies a cozy space and offers a selection of both traditional and creative cocktails. (They also sometimes have Yamazaki, my favorite Japanese whiskey, so naturally they're on my list of loves). My friend had this gin fizz-meets-jalepeño creation for 8€, while my wine was 3€:

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Pro Tip: The Student I.D.



This might be the biggest Cheapskate move I've ever pulled, aside from putting water in the shampoo bottle to make it last. It has been... quite awhile since I was a college student. But I still have my student I.D., and luckily 1) it doesn't have an expiration date and 2) I still (somehow) look enough like my photo to still use it. A lot of people make the mistake of ditching their I.D. after graduation in a flurry of scholastic freedom, but I've been surprised at how long mine has lasted and continues to serve me! I get reduced prices for almost every museum in Paris (but be prepared to face the occasional request for proof of your birthdate).

I know it might not be the most completely ethical move on my part, but if you still have your student I.D., I would definitely recommend keeping it, and using it! After all, aren't we always simply students of life?

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Cheap Art: Red, Yellow and Blue


(Jason Rhoades, Untitled) 

May is the last month to check out "Who’s Afraid of Red, Yellow and Blue?", the gorgeous neon exhibit going on at La Maison Rouge. This thoroughly modern exhibition collects neon works from artists all over the world and shows how spectacularly evocative, funny, and poignant trapped, glowing gas can be. 

Monday, April 30, 2012

Debunking The Myth Of Paris Romance


Have you ever heard of Paris Syndrome? It's a Japanese psychological disorder wherein Japanese tourists visiting Paris are shocked and depressed that their idealized image of the city does not live up to their romantic expectations. Symptoms include dizziness, tachycardia, sweating, acute delusional states, hallucinations, feelings of persecution and anxiety.

Well, I've never experienced those symptoms but I do admit that Paris, while ever-beautiful and dreamy, is not the accordion-laced dreamworld that many people imagine it to be. For example, not everybody falls in love here. Read more about my thoughts on Paris romance here.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Debussy at Musée L'Orangerie

("The Golden Isles", by Henri-Edmond Cross, via Musée d'Orsay)

I haven't read much on the blogs about "Debussy, La Musique et Les Arts," the fantastic exhibit going on now at Musée de l'Orangerie. This stunning show, illuminating the connection between Claude Debussy and the artists of his time who inspired him, has found the perfect home at Musée l'Orangerie, the Impressionist arm of Musée d'Orsay and home to a multitude of Monets, nestled just across the Seine in the Jardin des Tuileries.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Cheap Eats: Muniyandi Vilas


So perfectly located in the La Chapelle neighborhood that it's actually steps away from the La Chapelle Métro station, Muniyandi Vilas is one of those local haunts that you can tell is gonna be good because of its lack of tourists and the smiles on the faces of its customers leaving the place.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Expat Blog Hop (With A Prize For You!)


I'm proud to be participating in this year's Expat Blog Hop, sponsored by Blog In France! For this event we're encouraged to write something about the experience of being an expat. So what's it like? Take a look after the jump, and also enter to win my super-amazing Paris Cheapskate prize!

UPDATE: Congratulations to Sabrina and Barbara (from Austin, TX), who each won a personalized postcard from me (and Paris). If you're one of those ladies please be sure to send your address to parischeapskate - at! - gmail.com so I can send you some Paris love!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Disquaire Day 2012

(photo via The Other Side)

There's nothing quite like the old romance of a record. The physical, soft whisper of dust noise, the ritual of turning over the disc after the needle begins repeating that shh-shh sound signaling the end of Side A. Over the last several years, the third Saturday in April has become one of my favorite days of the year. This is Record Store Day - a celebration of all things vinyl, and a worldwide event for which record stores all over the globe invite musicians and DJs into their stores for free concerts and sell special-edition vinyls just for the occasion. I've been to several in NYC over the years, and I'm super-excited to tell you that Paris, not to be outdone, is participating in full force as well! Here are some of the events I'm most looking forward to checking out:

Monday, April 16, 2012

Happy Hour: Le Fumoir


This weekend I checked out Le Fumoir, a lovely café/brunch spot/martini bar near the Louvre, and discovered a cozy, old-fashioned and non-touristy nook that's perfect for a pause when you've had enough roving of central Paris.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Cheap Eats - Chartier


One day in February, some British friends staying in Paris told me about a cheap but very Parisian restaurant they'd been to: Chartier. They said the food was decent and, above all, incredibly inexpensive. Shortly thereafter, I saw a post on Girls' Guide to Paris about Chartier as well. A few weeks later, when I began this very blog and asked my cheap-o Frenchie friends for suggestions, I got more than one recommend for, whattaya know, Chartier. "Hmm," I thought, "I'd better check this place out."

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Brocantes and Vide Greniers


It's officially spring, officially April, and that can only mean one thing: antique/brocante/vide grenier season in Paris! These flea market, swap meet and garage sale-style events are the perfect way to snap up unique souvenirs and gifts for yourself or for loved ones back home. Check out my complete Do's and Don'ts guide to brocantes and vide greniers over at Girls' Guide to Paris.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Voyage Voyage at Maison de L'Amérique Latine


There's a marvelous exhibit going on now at Maison de L'Amérique Latine called "Voyage Voyage" - it's all about the experience of being a traveler, from the perspective of Latin artists around the world, traveling the world.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Mark Seliger


Photographer and music video director Mark Seliger fell in love with the camera when he won a bet with his brother playing baseball. His brother had to give him his Diana camera, and it's all history from there.

Since then, Seliger went on to become a photographer for Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, Italian Vogue and GQ, and also a familiar video or two from the '90s. From now until April 14th, some of Seliger's stunning black and white work will be on display at A Galerie.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Poet Mark Strand


Poet Laureate Mark Strand's short pieces surprise me - they're often not metered nor rhymed, often not confined to the fractional line-by-line style of poetry, and they're often quite dreamy until you reach their sock-you-in-the-stomach ending words. His liberation from structure inspires me (though one structured poem of his that is incredible is Keeping Things Whole). He spends most of his days professing at Columbia University, but tomorrow Paris has her hooks in him and we're not letting him go until he reads from his new book, Almost Invisible. Even better, his translator will be there to submerge into French sentences like this:

"All this in the vague, yellowing light that lowers itself in the hour before dark; none of it of value except for the pleasure it gives, enlarging an instant and finally making it seem as if it were true."
(from Clarities of the Nonexistent)

Humina.

Mark Strand Poetry Reading with French Translation
FREE
Wednesday, April 4th - 6pm
American University of Paris - Grand Salon
6 rue du Colonel Combes, Room C12
Métro: M8 or M13 to Invalides

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Lenny Kravitz Likes It: L'As Du Fallafel


L'As Du Fallafel is no secret, but it's really as good as they say it is. From Lonely Planet correspondents to even my most cheapskate-y Parisian friends, people the world over seem to agree that this is the absolute best place to get falafel in Paris, and certainly one of the best cheap eats in town.

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