Laurel Zuckerman's Paris Weblog

Judith Starkston, author of Hand of Fire, on writing the Trojan War

I discovered Judith Starkston's wonderful historical fiction in a group of talented novelists that met in Tempe, Arizona to workshop writing. After majoring in classics, Judith put her passion for ancient civilisations into creating historical fiction and mysteries set in Troy and the Hittite empire. Her new novel, Hand of Fire is being released in paperback this month to excellent early reviews.

Interview with Judith Starkston, author of Hand of Fire,

 

Fake Microsoft Service Center calls continue in France #scam

Hello this is the Microsoft Service Center.

The accent is Indian, so I am inclined to believe the call legit. But when I ask the caller to identify himself and to give me references for the PC he claims is infected with a virus, he falters.

Paris Literary Events, Readings, New Books September 2014

This month, news from Festival America in Vincennes, Mandy Hager, Richard Nahem, Meredith Mullins, Charles Trueheart, Kate Noakes, Rod Mengham, Dylan Harris, Marc Atkin, François Busnel, Marie Houzelle, John Banville, Kate Stables, Jake Lamar, Hazel Manuel, David Scott Clegg, Marina Warner, Frédéric Beigbeder, Ruth Ryan, Andrew Miiller, Anne Berest, Caroline de Maigret, Sophie Mas, Chris Savery, Debra Wiess, Shannon Cain, The Bilingual Acting Workshop, update ongoing!!! 

NEW BOOKS

Tita by Marie Houzelle (Sep 15, 2014)

"Marie Houzelle is a master of the first-person narrative. In Tita she has created a strange, utterly original child whose deadpan certainties are a beguiling invitation to readers of all ages."- Katharine Weber, author of Triangle and True Confections;

"Like opening the door to a secret garden, TITA transports the reader straight into life in a small town in the south of France during the 1950s, as seen through the eyes of a precocious seven-year-old heroine not soon to be forgotten. Houzelle's prose is unfailingly deft and refreshing. This book is a delight!" -Anne Korkeakivi, author of An Unexpected Guest ;

"The best book I read this year.  I cannot recommend it enough!" - Janet Skeslien Charles, author of Moonlight in Odessa)

 

How Trierweiler secretly prepared her bombshell book #publishing

Mega-bestseller. A first print run of 200,000 copies released September 4 and already out of stock in many stores and being reprinted.

Valérie Trierweiler's kiss and tell off Merci pour le Moment is a publishing success.

Lying, cheating politicos beware: French women don't keep quiet.

The myth that French women don't mind if their husbands (or boyfriends) cheat on them might just be a myth after all.

 Not only did Ms Trierweiler mind - which is kind of funny if one remembers that her ill-starred love affair started with the future president betraying his own wife with her - but she minded so much that she tried to commit suicide, followed by political murder.

(That's minding)

The real mystery here is how this book got into bookstores in the first place, since France has a long and not particularly distinguished tradition of censorhip of books.

Paris Writers Needed: Contact Jen Dick

HELP WANTED : Jen K Dick launches a call for guest bloggers for her excellent literary Paris event list and for an intern (stagiaire) for the  Ivy Writers Paris bilingual reading series! 

 

Tom Reeves on How to Enjoy Dining Out in Paris

 

Tom Reeves (seated) interviews restaurant owner Jérôme Luc

The Paris restaurant scene can be intimidating. So when Francophile and longtime Paris Insider Tom Reeves announced the launch of  Dining Out in Paris - What You Need to Know Before You Come to the City of Light, people took notice. Twelve terrific Paris bloggers(see below) joined Tom and his wife Monique in a friendly new wine bar ( En Vrac, in the 18th) to celebrate his new insider guide to Paris. A delight!

David Raether on What It's Like to Fail

David Raether’s autobiographical essay  “What It’s Like to Fail” was selected by both The Atlantic and Longform as excellent journalism and one of the best essays of 2013 and has been viewed by nearly 200,000  readers online. Formerly a smash hit TV writer in Hollywood, David Raethner lost his home and his marriage and ended up homeless, a journey he recounts in his darkly comic memoir, Tell Me Something, She Said.

Fascinated by his essay, I contacted David, who kindly agreed to answer our questions about the exceptional ups and downs of his writing life.

A beautiful essay on why we love books by Leopold Stern

Booklovers fighting the onslaught of dematerialized ebooks find lots of reasons to defend the old-fashioned book - the feel of the paper, the smell of the pages, the beauty of the binding - but it was not until I read the essay "Mon Livre" written by Léopold Stern as a refugee in Rio de Janeiro in 1942 that felt I had stumbled upon the truth.

Paris book lovers: mark your calendar for Festival America Sep 11 to 14, 2014

PARIS BOOK NEWS : September 11- 14 FESTIVAL AMERICA IN VINCENNES

Every two years Vincennes hosts one of the best literary events in Europe: Festival America

It is a unique chance to listen to - and occasionally discuss with - some of the finest English language writers in the World.

The 2014 edition features, as always, absolutely wonderful writers: 

Ryad Assani-Razaki
Jami Attenberg
Margaret Atwood
Paolo Bacigalupi

De Selby Press to publish stunning new illustrated edition of Dubliners - with help from Ulule!

De Selby Press is publishing a stunning new illustrated edition of James Joyce's classic Dubliners. A crowdfunding campaign with ULULE is currently underway to help pay for the printing of this inaugural edition. 

From book buying to founding an indie press - an interview with de Selby's Linda Fallon