According to Le Monde, protests targeted lycée reforms, changes in teacher training and the non-replacement of some retirees.
Entre 8 000 et 10 000 personnes ont défilé samedi pour protester contre les suppressions de postes et la réforme de la formation...
via www.lemonde.fr
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How to integrate foreigners? Sweden starts early, with compulsary preschool for all. From 12-18 months old, foreign children are strongly encouraged to join their Swedish-born brethren in snowsuits and collective Swedish games--while mothers are gently but firmly pushed into the work force.
See this fascininating article from The Economist for more details.
Meanwhile, young Qataris are infuriating their elders by "cross dressing"--that is, dressing in shorts and shirts like American girls. According to The Economist, "manly women" (as these girls are called) are being condemned as part of a "foreign trend" brought into the Gulf by the evils of Globalisation. When asked on a Qatari talk show, how to deal with these girls, some members of the studio audience called for the DEATH SENTENCE.
On a related topic in the eternal women's fashion debate, see remarkably superficial NYT Editorial The Tabliban Would Applaud on France's efforts to respond to the challenge of the burqa. The NYT blithely states "People must be free to make these decisions for themselves" while forgetting how much pressure -- and violence--is applied to young girls and women who have no choice whatsoever.
I personally would rather listen to Fadela Amara, who's been on the front lines in France's immigrant ghettos fighting for women's freedom for years.
About the burqa Fadela Amara says,: "Je suis pour l'interdiction de ce cercueil qui tue les libertés fondamentales" et qui est "l'expression visible et physique des fondamentalistes et des intégristes dans notre pays."...
For earlier blog post: Islam in France
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Could France be right about regulating powerful American internet companies?
In a stunning show of muscle, Amazon removed all of MacMillan's books from its store.
A major US publisher, MacMillan wanted to set the price of its books at around 15 dollars, 50% more than Amazon's standard Kindle price of 9.99 dollars.
Amazon responded by pulling all of MacMillan's books from the world's largest electronic bookstore.
How will this play out? Will Apple's new IPAD reader change the game ?
Who has the right to set book prices? The publisher? The distributor? The market? The state? How will this affect authors? It's a whole new world...
See NYT article here.
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PR professions abstain!
Here's a facebook sensation: young and cool clip of UMP old people singing and dancing as if they'd never danced before!
Alerted by my daughter (Awe, Maman,I thought you followed these things!) I watched the "We are the World"-genre music video with rising disbelief.
This can't be real, can it?
But then, there they are: my heroes: Xavier Darcos, Valérie Pécresse, the elegant and brilliant CHRISTINE LAGARDE, shamelessly lip synching and jumping about as if their remarkable brains had been sold to the lowest bidder.
Dati, Rade, RAFARIN! It's a PR massacre! As for the handicapped person left on the train platform, the less said the better.
Facebook is of course having a field day. Check out the groups dedicated to mocking the clip.
Oh, Sarkozy, Sarkozy ? Why didn't Carla tell you?
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In an unusual role reversal, French parents revolted yesterday, demonsrating at the Ministry of Education.
The rallying cry? "Replace teachers who are absent!"
In France, students currently lose ONE YEAR of school due to absent teachers who are not replaced.
National Education's chronic inability to perform this basic task of administration has poisoned relations between schools and parents for years. And caused inestimable harm to children whose parents can't afford private tutors.
And yet, every possible solution has been shot down by teacher's unions. Xavier Darcos floated some innovative ideas--including a kind of separate agency for managing substitutes, but they were disavowed and he's gone.
Luc Chatel, the current Minister of Education, is giving it another try. His solutions?
1) report absences immediately (instead of waiting 14 days as is the current practice)
2.) More flexibility in assigning substitutes geographically (the current system is rigid and impractical)
3) Let each school identify potential substitute teachers including calling up retired teachers and university students.
None of these ideas are particularly radical. All could help ease the situation. (One astute observer called them a "heaping helping of DUH")
Other countries manage to get substitute teachers into the classroom. Why not France?
For more on the parents' revolt against absent teachers, see:
Le Figaro: Absentéisme des profs, les pistes de Luc Chatel
Elle: Le ras-le-bol des parents contre les profs absents
Le Parisien from January 19 (double page feature)
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Five million were invited.
But by midday, only three guys and a dog had shown up.*
Not a great score. Though, to be fair, it was the dead of winter.
Strikes in France can be boisterous, happy affairs. Rather like massive block parties with celebrants bussed in from the provinces to enjoy a holiday with the camarades decked out in matching caps and blowing whistles.
But cold and rain along with a general lassitude spoiled the fête.
French unions had expected better. They wanted to protest reductions in the numbers of civil servants (by retirement, not firing) and express their displeasure with the various reforms.
To make matters worse, yesterday, parents organized their own protest AGAINST absent teachers who are not replaced (read more on the parents' revolt) .
It's the world upside down!!
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*not technically true. The real figures (according to France 24) are 12.2 % for state civil servants, 3% for local authorities, and 2% for hospital personnel. In Education, only 14% of staff mobilized.
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Writers submit your work!
Many publications seek excellent stories, poems or essays. Check them out!
This well-known Paris literary review is now gathering material for Issue 12! We seek both poetry and prose, and are open to more innovative forms such as flash fiction and prose poems. Standalone excerpts from longer works of fiction are also considered. For more detailed submission guidelines, refer to our web page a twww.wice-paris.org (click on the Free Events button on the WICE Home Page).Please feel free to send any queries and submissions directly to [email protected] Barbara Beck, editor Upstairs at Duroc
POETS AND WRITERS MAGAZINE TOOLS FOR WRITERS
Looking for accurate information? Our staff carefully sifts through piles of claims, statements, and announcements to compile resources with real value to writers.
Where can you publish your work? What are magazines looking for? How do you reach them? Find answers in our database of literary magazines. And get practical advice from their editors.
Writing contests listed by submission deadlines
Connect your poems, stories, essays, and reviews to the right audiences by researching hundreds of literary magazines in our database. Here, you'll find editorial policies, submission guidelines, contact information—everything you need to direct your work to the publications most amenable to your vision.
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Happy New Year !
This month, news from
Flash: Heather Hartley at Shakespeare and Co !Join us to celebrate the launch of Heather Hartley’s brilliant new book of poetry, Knock Knock, published by Carnegie Mellon University Press. ‘Heather Hartley writes the kind of poetry many of us are starved for, a poetry without borders, passionate about what we savor the most on our tongues—languages, foods, lovers.’ This event will also feature music, wine and general festivities. FEB 1
New Paris Writer Interviews !
Thoughts on the creative process with Christopher Vanier (Caribbean Chemistry) and Berna Huebner (the Alzheimer’s film documentary, I REMEMBER BETTER WHEN I PAINT.
Upcoming interviews with Margo Berdeshevsky, Constance Borde, Sheila Malovany-Chevallier, and Ann Mah…
For all interviews, click here.
Many wonderful activities this month. Here is a small selection. For a complete listing, see Jen Dick's excellent list.
12 Jan at
13 January 19h30 Evenings with an Author: Suzy Gershman, of the ‘Born to Shop’ travel book series, offers shopping tips and discusses her memoir, ‘C’est la Vie.’ The American Library in
24th.January at Carrs : Philippe Jourde : "Blanche, Clichy, Pigalle" (en français) MOVING PARTS
Coming up : 14th.February : Nina Karacosta : four sketches on "Relationships" (inEnglish) 7th.March : Gwyneth Hughes : "See How They Run" (in English) 21st.March : Alexis Niki : "Momma's Office Boy" (screenplay in English)
14 Jan at
21 Jan at
25 Jan at Berdeshevsky at Shakespeare and Co !!
26 January 19h30 : IVY Writers Celebrates 5 years of bilingual readings
with Joe Ross, Colin Mahar & Guest French author
28 Jan 7 PM. UPSTAIRS AT DUROC, the Paris-based literary journal launches Issue 11.. Come hear exciting new work by four of our contributors: Jérome Mauche, Jennifer K. Dick, Richard Touvey and Bonny Finberg.
28 Jan at
Michaels.
WORKSHOPS
If you are organizing or looking for a writing group, you can leave your comment here.
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By Jove! The discovery is nothing short of astounding! These Americans! Why they're not just crazy gun maniacs--they're, they're...
FRIENDLY, HOSPITABLE and POLITE!
From the pen of distiguished British author, Geoff Dyer, flows, not vicious witticisms and spite but praise. Praise so unexpected and smoothly written that the New York Times published it online and in print.
An except from Mr. Dyer to cheer your New Year:
Like many Europeans, I always feel good about myself in America; I feel appreciated, liked. It took a while to realize that this had nothing to do with me. It was about the people who made me feel this way: it was about charm. Yes, this is the bright secret of life in the United States: Americans are not just friendly and polite — they are also charming.
CHARMING!
Why, that's four things! What, I think, is this man after? (He's a writer. Writers can be sneaky.)
And then I remember my own trip to Arizona, just two weeks ago. I took my daughter to the Department of Motor Vehicles and the formidable-looking fonctionnaire woman behind the gigantic counter handed us a form to fill out. We messed it up, and, trembling, returned to ask for another.
"Eve," she said to my daughter, "That's a pretty name."
We nodded mutely.
"You know," she said, "There's a song with 'Eve' in it."
And before we could say "It's not our fault!" (c'est pas de ma faute) she burst into song.
"Eeeevee!" she warbled, "Eeeevee."
We stood, feeling remarkably French, amazed.
"You have a good day now," she winked.
"Maman," my daughter whispered to me as we left, 15 minutes later desired learner's permit in hand, "no official in France would sing to me like that!"
And I thought: how wonderful, this small and seemingly silly kindness to put a nervous girl at ease.
So yes, Mr. Dyer, I agree. Americans are friendly, hospitable, polite AND charming. Thank you for reminding us of this happy and easily forgotten truth.
Click here to read the complete article: My American Friends by Geoff Dyer.
To all my readers: Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year !
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