Also under the umbrella of Photoquai is Entre espoir et chaos: Iran 1979-2009 at the Monnaie de Paris, Michael Kenna’s retrospective at Bibliothèque Nationale de France’s Richelieu site and at Galerie Jerome de Noirmont the American/Iranian artist Shirin Neshat is showing ‘Games of Desire’. Along with the photo portraits is a video work, two screens face each other: on one, a group of men, on the other, a group of women, all are between 60 and 80 years old. Back and forth they sing soon-to-be-forgotten traditional wedding songs to each other. With such a rich and extensive programme it is not surprising that Paris Photo is considered as the worlds leading annual event in photography.

So without further ado, Anne-Marie’s Beyond the Guide Book Parisian Reading List!

1. Down and Out in Paris and London - George Orwell

Not to be read while eating, Orwell’s all too realistic novel on being low on funds in Paris is a must read if only because you’re left overall with a sense of hope. Not only is it an important novel about Paris (and London), it also helped Orwell work on details that would later make its way into his masterpiece “1984″.

2. Notre Dame de Paris - Victor Hugo

While this isn’t in my opinion Hugo’s masterpiece (that word is reserved for 1896), Notre Dame de Paris is less about Quasimodo than the church itself and the poor who came to see the church as a possible refuge from poverty and despair. Read this book and then visit the church to see it with new eyes.

3. A Moveable Feast - Ernest Hemingway

It is possible to read this book and take a tour of the city. Whether or not the places still exist, it can be a fun way to explore the city with Papa as your guide. Hemingway is the deity of the ex-pat writer who sits in cafes drinking cheap coffees. Recently an unexpurged edition of AMF was published (Hemingway’s wife heavily edited AMF after his death) that shows even more insights into Hemingway’s Parisian life. The legends about liberating the Ritz Bar, dropping off a box of grenades to Picasso as a gift, and visiting the original Shakespeare and Co. to ask Sylvia Beach for a bar of soap are all true, but inside A Moveable Feast, you can understand why the greatest legend was Hemingway himself.

4. Gigi - Colette

I have a soft spot for Colette in general and should mention she is one of my favorite authors, but Gigi has a special place in my heart. It’s more of a long short story than a novel, but it is one of Colette’s most charming creations. The bottom line is you can’t understand bohemia and the allure of love in Paris without reading Colette. She is one of the most fascinating women to have ever lived and played in Paris, and one of my greatest inspirations as a writer.

5. The Belly of Paris - Emile Zola

Today Les Halles is known for purchasing shoes and as a major hub for the RER trains in Paris, but once upon a time the hideous 70’s architecture didn’t exist and Les Halles was the main market of Paris as planned by Baron Haussmann. If you’re looking for a window on to the differences between the classes in the 1850’s, called The Fat or The Thin, or a look into the nature of socialism in France (very applicable to today’s political climate as well), you cannot go wrong with what I consider Zola’s most underrated work. And yes, I say this after having read Germinal, La Terre, and L’Assomoir.

6. Shakespeare and Co. - Sylvia Beach

I had never heard of this book until I discovered it in a used English bookstore in Amsterdam, but those of you who are interested in Shakespeare and Co. (this is not about the bookshop owned by George near Notre Dame) and James Joyce, this isn’t a literary masterpiece but it is full of details. Read the book and pass by Sylvia Beach’s shop on rue Odeon. Just to warn you though, it might make you want to read Joyce’s Ulysses as a good part of the book discusses Beach’s involvement in publishing the novel.

7. The Goncourt Journals - Jules and Edmond de Goncourt

I found the first Goncourt Journals and couldn’t stop reading them. The Goncourt brothers are responsible for France’s prestigious Prix de Goncourt, a prize given each year to the best and most imaginative prose work of the year. Given my aspirations to win a Prix Goncourt (or at least a Prix Goncourt Premier Roman for a first novel), I thought it wise to learn more about the literary sibling duo who chronicled their lives in Paris with an approach that would be almost clinical if it weren’t so brilliantly written. Baudelaire, Flaubert, Zola, Swinburne, Wilde, Strindberg, Whistler, and even the formation of the Third Republic make an appearance.

The complete journals of the Goncourt brothers can be found in French in a various number of volumes (most commonly 3 or 8), but in English only excerpts are available. I own a copy of the Penguin edition most commonly found on Amazon in English and it’s also a great read, just keep in mind it’s not the entirety of the brothers’ journals.

7. Tropic of Cancer & Henry and June - Henry Miller & Anais Nin

Tropic of Cancer is considered by many to be the most honest book written, which might be the reason it was banned in almost every country and even changed censorship laws in the US and the UK.

The first book in Miller’s Obelisk Trilogy, which includes Tropic of Capricorn and Black Spring, Miller proves living has nothing to do with money. Miller depicts Paris as a magical place for people who come to wipe the wanderlust from their eyes.

I mention Anais Nin’s Henry and June because it’s how I first learned about Henry Miller as a writer and it’s well worth reading in its own right. Miller’s self-confessional style in Tropic of Cancer owes a lot to Anais Nin’s penchant for writing down everything and its publication owes a lot to Nin’s generous monetary contributions. Some might say Nin’s diary is supplementary reading, but I say it’s necessary. Nin’s Henry and June dispels some of the myth around Miller and Miller’s time in Paris.

8. The Red and The Black - Stendhal

I love this book and consider it one of the best coming of age novels to have ever been written and was reportedly written in three weeks! Andre Gide spoke highly of the novel, saying it was far ahead of its time, by a century.

Considered the first realist and the first psychological novel, and like most coming of age novels it tells about a character trying to find their rightful place in society. Few novels do it better.

9. The Inferno - August Strindberg

The main character divorces his wife and takes up alchemy, during a time alchemy has been forgotten and disproven while living in a Catholic commune in the 5th arrondissement. The character bases all of his research on things he “sees” on the street or during the course of his daily life while he slowly loses his mind. This book isn’t for everyone, but it does show a unique look of Paris.

10. Nausea - Jean Paul Sartre

I am reluctant to put this on my list. So reluctant in fact, I’ve put
it behind a novel written by a person far more mad than Sartre ever managed in his life. After reading this book not only will you have a better idea of Existentialism from Sartre’s point of view, but also of Paris.

Philippa Brangam writing for VINGT Paris

An ordinary night out in Paris usually consists of dinner and drinks or a trip to the cinema. There is nothing ordinary about a night out at La Clique; the Burlesque circus which has taken the world by storm since its first and continually sold-out performance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival’s, Spiegel tent , in 2004.

Roll up, roll up for a phantasmagorical performance from the truly gifted to the downright freaky. A lot can happen on a small round stage. From the eye watering stunts of the almost superhumanly strong English Gents to Captain Frodo’s contortionist tennis racket routine, La Clique is a visual feast you can’t take your eyes off. Balanced out with slap stick humor and musical interludes from the deliciously camp Mario Queen of the Circus, puppeteers Cabaret Decadanse and latex clad Miss Behave, LaClique is two hours of strictly adult entertainment. This being France, those aged twelve and over are permitted.

La clique is showing at the Theatre Bobino, 20 rue de la Gaité, 75014, Paris, www.bobino.fr

Photo taken from from Circus Review

As a fan of Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane, I’ve felt curious about a festival taking place these days in Beaubourg which is called Rosebud as in the film. I have been glad to go and listen to Tanguy Viel, a french writer whose books I admire.

It seems to be part of The new festival. On the first floor of the Centre Pompidou, a whole aerea called Espace 315 host with la Galerie Sud seven or eight artistic creation and a semi-opened place with ill-assorted seats where movies can be screened. Yesterday it has been “Le Sacrifice” by Andreï Tarkovski, entrance free.

On the basement until , you can see “video dance” an exhibition about dance with the screenings of two hundred dance films organised around Vincent Lamouroux’s Sol.07, a kind of floor sculpture people can stay on.

What I saw yesterday was all entrance free but beware : as evenrybody’s bags are checked when you enter Beaubourg, better anticipate a potential half an hour waiting outside, maybe less on a week day.

Some more pics on my Mama Gilda’s flickr

It was on thursday october the 22nd that I had the privilege to listen for the first time in a entire long set to BoXon, one of the promising young french group.

“Deux gars” a two-guys group with humourous texts and rythms made a good first part job.

We just could then forget it was quite cold outside with the good rock BoXon offered us. I’m old enough to be able to compare with mythical groups I saw when I was in my tweenties, which makes me hard to convince, but I had a feeling that with some serious work they seem ready to achieve, they’ll soon be able to incarnate more than a decent inheritance (1) … and even sing in english (2)

It is good to see that in spite of this hard economic period we are crossing in Europe right now, some new artists keep on emerging.

(1) I’m not the only one to say so. Here on “Oui FM” these days (sorry it’s in french)

(2) They’re already trying to but I guess this is kind of improvable ;-) (writes the french woman with matching accent who is glad that on VOAC words are written and not said or podcasted !)

more informations :
BoXon’s myspace
La Scène Bastille, with new events.
and 4 disappointing pics here (I’m afraid I was too busy dancing and listening to the music)
and last but not least, a Baptême du feu on You Tube

tonight, it is nearly Halloween , and i just wanted to test your vision and your ability to distinguish illusion from reality. walking the stree of paris, I went in front of this building, and i wondered what was wrong. Of course now that you know that maybe something is wrong it is easier. But will you find out what ?

So? anything wrong ?

Of course you can always ask your sorceress or pumpkins for a hint..; All i can tell you is that in fact, when you start to look at it, it is quite frequent in paris streets and some of them are really great…

Kisses to all
KN

I have to share with you one very important information, one of those insider tips that can make you cross the channel to come to Paris, but you have to do it with Eurostar !

I already presnted to you one of the most famous restaurants of paris : la Tour d’Argent. This is one of the best, and it is also know to have the most exceptional wine list in France.

King Negrito “La Tour d’Argent. Half million bottles in the cellar.”

And you know what ? Something incredible is about to happen. The restaurant will destock a big portion of it’s wine cellar because they need to modernize the place. They will do this through an auction that will take place on the 8th of december, and they will sell 18000 bottles. this is a unique occasion to get some rarities, some of these old wines that have made french wine a legend…

King Negrito “Maybe the auction will make it more affordable ?”

Now you understand why you will need to take the train: would you really put a Chateau Petrus in your luggages in a plane ? I would not do it. And what is sure ? I will be there, will you ?

Kisses to all
King Negrito

Within a very few days, I’ve experienced nice or annoying little pieces of modern parisian or french life. I guess putting them together in one post may be of some “air du temps” fun.

First of all, as I am one of these incurable bookaholics (sorry the link’s in french), I’ve been terrificly glad to discover that at last on french phones we could have subscription (1) to novels published on screens day by day. It works even with a basic phone as long as it can take a web connection.
What it great it to be able to read even in a crowded metro train.

Secondly, being from the beginning a Vélib user, I thought it was easy to renew my subscription. If you’re interested, beware : they seem to have a serious delay in registering them. It used to take less than 10 days. They’re turning now to three or four weeks.

Last but not least, as I was inquiring by the way about what we can do with our Pass Navigo (the card we can use for transports subscription all around Paris and suburbs even for Vélib), I discover we can even go by Thalys train from Paris to Brussels with simply downloading the fare on it. Old tickets are becoming useless.
I guess I may be tempted to have a try soon …

(1) For the time being I know only one provider, smartnovel, but I guess there’ll soon be other ones.

I was feeling down last wednesday : one of my dearest ones had just sent me a message warning me of some silent days and I couldn’t make up my mind whether it was a way to call for help or just and exactly to act with courtesy in front of one of these “hard day’s night” period.

One privilege to be or live in Paris is that wherever you stay Le Louvre (1) isn’t far away. As soon as I had finished with my domestic chores, I took the metro and went there.

I didn’t feel like visiting any art part of it neither exhibition. Just if possible buy some entrance tickets for later conferences by Umberto Eco. And staying around, feeling more alive among people from all over the world than alone in my kitchen sadly thinking of lost loves.

As this week means in Europe holidays for most of children and teenagers, there was an happy atmosphere, created by the youngsters, parents and kids glad to enjoy quality time together, people in a hurry, others quietly queueing, and even non-crying babies.

Feeling a little less worried, I then tried to take advantage of the smooth weather heading toward le Jardin des Tuileries.

(1) with Notre Dame one of the most centrally located place in the city

As usual a little slideshow.

I was just walking back from a delicious lunch with a dear friend, when I noticed, at my right side an open door to a small park. .

Human beings are sometimes kind of strange machines : I had walked along this way many times, as it is not far away from home and I like walking or cycling in Paris, but had never noticed it before.

I decided to take my time and enter. Something of the mother of small children I used to be keeps being alive in me as if I still needed to find some new playgrounds for them to play. If they read these words, being now 19 and 14, they might have a good laugh.

The place was nice and not exactly crowded. It seems that only people living nearby knows there’s something here where you can stay or play. The park is alongside one of the old Petite Ceinture’s railtracks, which makes it all long but narrow. It didn’t even seem to have any real name, the one I’ve found being just
“Jardin de la rue du Colonel Manhès” (1). May be it was bound to have another one but as we French people have such a gift for, the town concillors couldn’t agree about ? (2)

(1) which is perfectly true but the main entrance seemed to be rue de la Jonquière or at the opposite side rue Pouchet.
(2) if you can read french you might have an instructive look at how ot can be difficult sometimes to name some place in Paris, in this text by Pascal Boniface for Rue89 : Paris offre enfin une place et un square à Léo Ferré

On November 6th, you can take your pick of the selected items for sale during a special preview. We at VINGT Paris invite you to a private Friday night opening, between 16h-20h, before the sale opens its doors to the frenzied weekend shoppers the following day. This curated vente privée, if you will, held in a lovely Marais space, will give you the opportunity to pick out the best stuff prior before the rest — with a glass of wine to boot.

We’ll see you there! RSVP

ROOMconnection Vente Collection Privée

23, Rue des Blancs-Manteaux, 75004

Métro: Rambuteau or Hotel de Ville

Click HERE to RSVP and find out more details.

Preview: Friday Nov. 6th, 16h-20h

Public Opening: Saturday, Nov. 7th: 11h-20h / Sunday, Nov. 8th: 14h-18h

Fresh on the heels of his American/Canadian package tour Jay Reatard is set to launch a twenty-date European tour in Paris this Wednesday, 28th October, in support of his sophomore album, “Watch Me Fall” (Matador Records,2009). It’s a rare opportunity for continentals to catch the rising star of punk rock’s most prolific chameleon as he guns it full throttle deep into an overdriven indie-pop nebula.

The past few years have seen a transformation taking place for this Memphis-based former enfant terrible. Originally known for his adenoidal vocals as well as a blood, guts and booze stage persona, Reatard has been shedding both his desensitized aural assault and his rich legacy of drunken, violent antics. In just thirty years on this planet Reatard has burned through the cathartic garage chaos of The Reatards, the bleak synth noise of The Lost Sounds, and the jagged jangle of Angry Angles, among a numerous cast of lesser-known acts. Amidst the wreckage of projects past he has retained the various essences of music’s sub-genres, distilling them into a ragged but tuneful solo debut, “Blood Visions” (In the Red Records, 2007). A flurry of press attention, bolstered by appearances at two successive South By Southwests, helped to propel Reatard from the grimiest, rat-infested punk trenches into the college radio consciousness. A collection of singles released on In the Red, followed by another compilation on Matador, and supported by near ceaseless touring has coalesced into a fervent fan-base circumnavigating the globe.

Despite the occasional acoustic guitars and melodic keyboard lines there is no doubting Reatard and company will step onto the stage primed, ready to floor everyone within earshot. His nightmarish songs still have plenty of bite and bile buried beneath the gloss, and while it’s unlikely Reatard will be found smashing bottles or in a fist-fight, there’s no hope that he’s gone soft. Just ask his former band mates, who exited in the middle of his most recent U.S. tour only to be replaced by the rhythm section from Danish punks The Cola Freaks.

La Maroquinerie

23 Rue Boyer

Paris 20

8pm Cost: 19 euros

If you are in town wednesday night, please join us @ Pin Up (13 rue Tiquetonne 75002 Paris) for a electronic journey with a lot of new tunes.
You will also drink very good cocktails for a good price and in a good company.

From 7pm to 2am Wednesday october 28th

16 October 2009 to 17 January 2010

Organised with the support of Miles Davis Properties, this exhibition by the Cité de la Musique follows Miles Davis’ musical and personal journey, from his hometown, East St-Louis, to his retrospective concert at La Villette in Paris, just a few weeks before his death.

Beginning in the mid Sixties, Miles Davis began printing “Directions in Music by Miles Davis” on his albums, rather than just his name.
As a tribute to his visionary approach, visitors can discover each of these “directions” along a pathway displaying photographs taken by the biggest names in musical photography, video excerpts from his concerts, instruments he or his travel companions played, rare scores and stage costumes, documents related to the creation of his albums, original releases of his great records, as well as works of art, paintings and sculptures, testifying to an aura which vastly exceeded the sphere of music.

La Villette
by underground: line 5, direction Bobigny-Picasso, exit at Porte de Pantin,
by bus: lines 75, 151, PC2 and PC3 - Noctilien N13 - N41

10:00 am:Arrive at Uniqlo at Opera and realize it’s as packed as ever. I brave the store anyways but after an hour in the queue with no sign of it moving anywhere, abandon Uniqlo and head to Galeries Lafayette. Buy a Vivienne Westwood sweater dress instead. And a bag. And some fabulous tights.

11:30 am:Head to Book Off, the secondhand bookstore near rue Sainte-Anne (metro Quartre Septembre) and snag 1,000 pages about the conquest of Peru and Mexico by Prescott for 2,00 euros.

12:00 pm:Have a quick lunch of soba noodles with shrimp and hot green sencha tea at Sapporo on rue Sainte-Anne. 10,00 euros

12:45 pm:Find cute candy shop on rue Les Petits Champs. Buy a selection on bonbons for writing fuel.

1:15 pm:Arrive at Etienne Marcel/rue Tiquetonne and realize that while Killiwatch’s selection has gone downhill, Episode further on down the street has a much better selection. Pick up a cowboy shirt, a tweed vest, cardigan, suspenders, velvet bow tie, and a skinny leather tie for a gift. Buy myself a crazy gold gypsy shirt that looks like a curtain, vintage mustard suede ankle boots, a fur vest, and a dress. Spend less than 200,00 euros.

2:00 pm - 3:00 pmGet some writing done and people watch at a cafe on rue Montorgueil. Take note of the fashion which ranges from awe-inspiringly good to really, really bad.

3:30 pm:Arrive back at home, take the dog to the Parc Buttes Chaumont and let her run around on the grass while I read and make edits to my “manuscript”.

5:00 pm:Pick up four very thick entrecotes (steaks) from my butcher, corn on the cob (best found at ethnic markets - corn on the cob at French supermarkets is usually pretty expensive), potatoes, fresh chives (called ciboulette in French), 2 dozen oysters (tis the season) with a little bag of crushed iced which cost 5,00 euros (!), lemons, sour cream, a bottle of Pouilly-Fussy (Louis Jadot), and two bottles of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Rub steaks with Sel de Guerande. Make wasabi cocktail sauce for the oysters and a crushed lentil and olive tapenade for the little toasts. Make chocolate mousse, wishing the entire time I’d been taught to make one with an electric mixer, even though I think it tastes better when mixed with arm-tiring work and a bit of sweat.

8:00 pmMake sure the house is ready for company. Tell guests the door codes for the third time. Realize I need to shower again. This time I wash my hair with Toni & Guy’s City Detox shampoo (6,00 euros, Monoprix, worth every penny), apply light makeup, and put clothes on just in time to answer the door.

12:30 amWalk the dog and guests down the Quai de la Seine to digest the big dinner and have another drink at Cote Canal near Stalingrad. Run into friends.

1:30 amOnly move from cafe after it’s obviously closed. Kiss everyone good-bye, wander back up the canal, give the dog some water, fall exhausted into bed.