The New Paris Podcast: Recent Episodes
NewParisPodcast
In a country like France, where tradition reigns supreme, even a suggestion of change or newness has long been met with scepticism by locals. This is no longer the case, offers writer and adopted Parisian Lindsey Tramuta in The New Paris podcast, a side dish to her bestselling books “The New Paris” and “The New Parisienne”. Here, with an assortment of other local experts, she takes a closer look at the people, places and ideas that are changing the fabric of the storied French capital.
After enduring nearly a year of pandemic-related isolation and a punishing lack of human touch, author Glynnis MacNicol boarded a plane for Paris in August, 2021 to sublet a friend’s apartment for the month. She was 47 years old and on a mission—100% enjoyment. An exploration of pleasure. Close contact. Her memoir about this time, called I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself, came out a few months ago and I was delighted to interview her in Paris last week at The Red Wheelbarrow bookstore. This episode is a recording of that conversation.
Mentioned in this episode:
Glynnic MacNicol
Order "I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself"
Glynnis's New York Times Op-ed
Glynnis on CBS Morning
It’s the end of summer holidays, the city is slowly filling up again and that means, novelty is upon us. I associate this time with new restaurant openings, events, and even pop-ups that will carry us to the end of the year. It’s a return to life. One person who is full of life, with plenty of creative ideas to usher in a new season, is Fanny Boucher. She’s the creator of the jewelry brand Bangla Begum and she joins the show to talk about moving to Paris after high school, becoming an entrepreneur, and developing her personal style while living in Jaipur for nearly a decade.
Mentioned in this episode:
Fanny Boucher
Bangla Begum
Visit the atelier
Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan
Music by Little Glass Men
After years of planning and a solid 7 months of Parisian complaining, the Olympics are here! Over their history, they have put some tourist destinations on the map, attempted to build unity, and accelerated social and infrastructural change in host cities. Of course, not everyone benefits, and the legacy of the Olympics, including the impact on tourism, is fraught. To discuss both Paris 2024 and the broader issue of tourism, the good, the bad, and the complicated, I'm joined by Paige Mclanahan, a fellow travel journalist and the author of the new book The New Tourist: Waking Up to the Power and Perils of Travel.
Mentioned in this episode:
Paige McClanahan's work
Paige on Instagram
The Better Travel Podcast
Buy Paige's Book
The Case Against Travel essay
Copenhagen Rewards Tourists for Good Behavior
Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan
Music by Little Glass Men
In the last episode, you heard me talk to Katy Lee about the snap elections in France. Why they happened, what they mean, and what party was predicted to perform well in the first round. Now, the day before the second round and not only has everything we discussed come to pass, but the stakes are even higher now. Let's go through the results of the first round, what they mean, and why the far right really does present the same danger it always has for democracy in France.
Mentioned in this episode:
Episode 133 with Katy Lee
Rym Momtaz on CNN
Eric Fassin on France 24
1930s Germany
French scientist op-ed in Le Monde
Lauren Collins' newsletter
Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan
Music by Little Glass Men
(This episode was recorded on June 14)
There's a lot to unpack following President Macron’s decision to dissolve the lower house of parliament and call snap elections for the end of June and there is no one better to dive in with me than journalist and podcaster Katy Lee. We discuss the role of these elections, what Macron’s move means for the country, and the political alliances that have formed in record-breaking time. Is there reason to remain hopeful? Have a listen and find out.
Mentioned in this episode:
Katy Lee of The Europeans podcast
Katy Lee's Twitter (X) thread
The Europeans episode on the European Elections
Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan
Music by Little Glass Men
There’s something about leaving Paris, even briefly, and returning that makes all of its idiosyncrasies and charms all the more compelling and obvious. And sometimes, it takes talking with someone who is a particularly keen observer of daily life to highlight these elements even further. Seb Emina, today’s guest, is one such example. The writer and former editor of The Happy Reader joins the show to talk about moving from London to Paris, the essence of the Parisian experience, and how he feels about the city hosting the Olympic Games.
Mentioned in this episode:
Seb Emina
Seb’s Substack: Read Me
The Happy Reader
The Gentlewoman
Le Musée des Arts Forains
Five Radio Stations
Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan
Music by Little Glass Men
As much as the Paris food scene has grown increasingly international and casual, fine dining establishments continue to soar. They’ve had to modernize their menus and their approaches to service to stay relevant, but the tastingmenu and Michelin-starred experience continues to thrive. However, the way to do that while also opening up the experience to more people who can’t necessarily afford a Michelin meal is by expanding the offering in new ways. Few have done that better than La Tour d’Argent. Find out why and how!
Mentioned in this episode:
La Tour d'Argent
Ratatouille restaurant
Thierry Boeuf on La Tour
Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan
Music by Little Glass Men
When it comes to artistic endeavors, Paris shines bright as a historically welcome place to pursue them. The city that gave us the Louvre and some of the finest galleries in the world is full of creative talent or, at the very least, creative inspiration. But how it feels living and working as an artist in Paris is an altogether different story. Today’s guest trained as an architect but has been working as an illustrator and painter for several years and has a unique viewpoint on the arts. Guillaume Sardin has exhibited his work in Southeast Asia, South Africa, and throughout Europe, created works for French icons like Ruinart and Le Bristol, and talks today about how cultural preservation needs to be a bipartisan ambition.
Mentioned in this episode:
Guillaume Sardin (website and Instagram)
Nantes School of Architecture
Créolization & Edouard Glissant
French ministry of culture history
Pierre Paulin room at the Elysée Palace
Aya Nakamura and the Olympics
Rachida Dati as Cultural Minister
Stendhal's Syndrome
Château d'Écouen- Renaissance Museum
Château de Maisons
Villa Savoye
Château Rosa Bonheur
Malmaison & Josephine
Palais de la Porte Dorée
History of Immigration Museum
André and Ivana Lemaître
Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan
Music by Little Glass Men
Running a business in Paris is a dream for some, a hardship for others. But for today’s guest, Jane Bertch, it has been a variety of things including life changing. 15 years ago she confounded La Cuisine Paris, a French cooking school that is still going strong. She talks about the journey to Paris and running a cooking school in her book: The French Ingredient: Making a Life in Paris One Lesson at a Time which hits shelves April 9. Our conversation covers the Jane from Chicago to the Jane of Paris, starting and running a business, lessons from locals, and writing a memoir.
Mentioned in this episode:
Episode 9 with Jane Bertch
Jane's book: The French Ingredient
La Cuisine Paris cooking classes
La Cuisine Paris on Instagram
Jane Bertch on Instagram
There’s nothing like leaving Paris for a short time to reset perspectives. I’ve recently returned from 10 days in New York and the Philadelphia region and I was struck by how worn and behind both destinations felt. Part of that is lingering socio-economic impact of the pandemic, and part of it may be insufficient funds devoted to much-needed improvements to public services and transportation. It only served to amplify how good we have it in Paris where major infrastructural investment and urban rehabilitation policies have shaped the city. To talk about this, I'm joined by my friend Brent Longley, an urbanist who moved to Paris a year ago with fervent support for Mayor Hidalgo and her transformative policies. We discuss Paris as a global leader in urban transformation, the opposition that still exists to some of the changes underway, and where the Olympics fits into the equation of a sustainable metropolis.
Mentioned in this episode:
Brent Longley, urbanist
The Tryphena Project, Brent's newsletter
Infill architecture
Paris 2024 Olympic Games
Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan
Music by Little Glass Men
Paris has always been a refuge for foreigners. For a lifetime for some, for a chapter of their lives for others. One of my very best friends in Paris was drawn to many of the qualities that I’ve described on the show over the years (and in The New Paris book) and falls into one of those categories. Like me, she’s been an avid storyteller and reporter covering the many ways that old meets new in the city and how it’s changed over the years. But now, she’s gearing up to leave which is exciting for her and sad for those who love her here. It seemed like the right time to have her on the show to talk about that particular Paris experience, and all of the things she’s seen change in the almost decade that she's lived here. And we made it nearly to the end without tears!
Mentioned in this episode:
Sara Lieberman
Sara's newsletter Overthinking It
Sara on Instagram
Sara's GQ story on Mayor Hidalgo's swimmer son
Hire Sara!
Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan
Music by Little Glass Men
Welcome to the end of 2023! Let's take a look back at the challenging, protest-heavy, crisis-generating year in Paris and beyond, with a few thoughts for 2024. Bonnes fêtes et bonne année! Season 8 will begin in the second half of January.
Buy my book: The New Paris
Buy my book: The New Parisienne
Follow me on social: @LindseyTramuta
Follow the show: @TheNewParisPodcast
Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan
Music by Little Glass Men
Paris has a long legacy not merely as a world capital of culture but as a literary capital. Some of the world’s greatest writers and thinkers have created some of their best work in or about Paris and found homes for it in bookstores, to be sure, but also libraries. Two years ago I interviewed the bestselling author Janet Skeslien Charles on this show about her novel The Paris Library (Episode 74) but today I’m excited to be joined by the executive director of The American Library in Paris Audrey Chapuis, someone I’ve had the great pleasure of collaborating with over the years as I’ve spoken at the library about my own work and moderated discussions for other authors. This fall, we were among the inaugural speakers at the Angers English language Literary Festival and Audrey spoke at length. In this conversation, we talk about her library path, bookish culture in Paris, the role that libraries play in the world and the role that this library has played since 1920, and much more.
Mentioned in this episode:
Audrey Chapuis
The American Library in Paris
Become a member
Make a donation
Proust and the Squid
Sara Georgini
Viet Thanh Nguyen
Hala Alyan
Kirstin Chen and Grace Ly in conversation
On the Road events
The BNF
Galignani Bookstore
Joan by Katherine Chen
The Curse of the Marquis de Sade by Joel Warner
Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan
Music by Little Glass Men
It’s the week of thanksgiving and that seems like an appropriate time to bring back an American friend. Amanda Bankert is a previous guest of this show (episode 8!) and the owner and pastry chef behind Boneshaker, the only donut shop in Paris worth your time, money, and sweet tooth. She’s also just released her first book in English called Voilà Vegan. We talk about how she got into baking, becoming vegan, how easy it is to find veggie or vegan food in Paris these days, and why all of this fits into evolving tastes in the food capital.
Mentioned in this episode:
Boneshaker Donuts & Coffee
Boneshaker on Instagram
Buy Voila Vegan
Jah Jah
Faubourg Daimant
Plan D
VG Pâtisserie
Land & Monkeys
Tekés
Le Petit Monstre, Brooklyn
The Southern V, Nashville
Chambelland (gluten-free bakery)
Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan
Music by Little Glass Men
I have been waiting to talk about the new book by today’s guest for years. Actually, since I met him some 7 years ago when he was already hard at work researching it. Jon Bonné has worked as a journalist for three decades and currently serves as the managing editor at RESY. He is, particularly for wine lovers, best known for his wine reporting and two essential wine books :The New California Wine and The New Wine Rules, which has sold more than 50,000 copies and has been adapted into numerous languages. But his latest, The New French Wine, which came out earlier this year, is his most deeply researched, chef d’oeuvre that tells the groundbreaking tale of the world's greatest wine culture at a moment of profound change.
What follows was recorded several weeks ago when I had the great honor of leading a discussion with Jon about this immense project at The American Library in Paris.
Mentioned in this episode:
The New French Wine
Jon Bonné (On Instagram)
Resy
New York Times/Eric Asimov review of the book
*Watch my conversation with Jon on YouTube
Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan
Music by Little Glass Men
If you spend any amount of time on social media, chances are good you’ve come across the very viral videos of today’s guest. Cécilia Jourdan is a language teacher, content creator and entrepreneur who started Hello French in 2020 with an Instagram account that has since become a full blown business. She joins me today to talk about her trajectory from Paris to New York and in between, building a linguistic career, and what words and ideas seem to cut through the noise most on social media.
Mentioned in this episode:
Hello French NYC
Hello French on Instagram & TikTok
The most viral video (on parenting) on Hello French
Cécilia Jourdan in Le Monde
In the previous episode, you heard from four incredibly smart people invested in both raising awareness and pushing for change when it comes to the fashion industry as a whole. But what practical steps are needed? In this episode, I'm joined again by Aja Barber, Khémäis Ben Lakhdar, and Esha Chhabra to talk about accountability, transparency, decolonization, brands that are doing things right, and slowing down our own consumption as a means to extract ourselves from the performative cycle of fashion.
Guests
Aja Barber, activist, consultant and author of Consumed
Khémaïs Ben Lakhdar, fashion historian, lecturer, & PhD candidate at Paris-1 La Sorbonne
Esha Chhabra, journalist and author of Working to Restore
Mentioned in this episode
Vogue Business Story on Post-Purchase Technology
The Ugly History of Beautiful Things book
Decolonizing Fashion
Veja
Nisolo
Terra Thread
Grace Wales Bonner
Jamini
Habile
Nona Source
About a Worker
Special thanks to Matthew Jordan for producing and editing this episode.
(Special two-part episode!) Every season, all eyes are on the Parisian runways as onlookers try to get a peak at what big and disruptive trends await for the following year. But few know about the history of how this industry came to be, the role of colonialism in its development, and how the industry upholds many of the same ideas and practices today. As you will discover, the legacy of colonialism lives on within the fashion industry, and not only in France. You’re going to hear from a fashion historian, environmental journalists, and activists over the course of the next two episodes who will help me unpack the darker side to la mode, why it’s crucial to amend old ways and correct for generations of unethical labor and overproduction, and what the idea of decolonizing fashion really means.
GUESTS
Aja Barber, activist and author of Consumed
Khémaïs Ben Lakhdar, fashion historian, lecturer, & PhD candidate at Paris-1 La Sorbonne
Esha Chhabra, journalist and author of Working to Restore
Catherine Dauriac, President of Fashion REvolution France
SOURCES
The King of Couture: The Atlantic
The Empire of Fashion and the Rise of Capitalism in 18th century France (William H. Sewell)
Colonialism's Clothing (Victoria L. Rovine)
Aja on Al Jazeera
Tiffanie Darke's Substack "It's Not Sustainable"
Clothing landfills in Ghana's textile market
Waste Colonialism
Special thanks to Matthew Jordan for producing and editing this episode.
It’s la rentrée! I’m back to my usual home studio and routine which means I’m ready to kick off the fall, and the end of season 7, with some fresh conversations. Let’s kick off September with a friend, entrepreneur and previous guest of this show, Jay Swanson. We’re going to talk about his new project, Paris in My Pocket, Paris news, and what you really need to know if you’re coming to the city this fall.
Mentioned in this episode:
Jay Swanson on YouTube
Jay Swanson on Instagram
Paris in My Pocket
Ajiri Aki episode
Rugby World Cup
The end of e-scooters
Chulita (tortas)
Of all the cuisines that have had a presence in Paris but always deserved to be more prominent, Lebanese cooking ranks high among them. France is home to the largest Lebanese diaspora in Europe so it’s no surprise that key dishes and ingredients are familiar to many diners. But most establishments hew to classics— that is until the opening of Kubri on the rue Amelot at the end of last year that has lent a creative, contemporary twist. That’s thanks to today’s guest and tremendously talented chef, Rita Higgins. We talk about her foray into food, how she updates Lebanese cooking for Paris, and why she thinks it’s been such a hit with Parisian diners.
Mentioned in this episode:
Kubri Restaurant
Chef Rita Higgins
Le Monde profile of Rita
Baron restaurant Beirut
We are quickly approaching three years since my second book The New Parisienne was released. The year 2020, as you may remember, was not an ideal time to release art into the world. Later that year, we would see that the best thing you could have offered people sheltering at home was food and cookbooks, home decor books, or any kind of guide to DIY-ing your existence. A book about women, including women of colour, should have resonated strongly given its release in the middle of a period of racial reckoning that reverberated globally. But my book still had Paris in the title, and in the minds of many editors and thought leaders, it was associated with travel which was, more or less, at a standstill. Even with an inauspicious start, the book has had a great life thus far, largely thanks to many of you who listen to this show and follow my work! And the conversations that have emerged from its pages and continue on this show haven't stopped inspiring me. So in honor of the third anniversary of the book, I'd like to give away a signed copy to one listener, wherever you may be.
TO ENTER: All you have to do is leave a written review of this podcast on Apple or Spotify and then fill out this quick form before July 7 so that I know how to reach you when I select a winner. And if you'd like the copy in French, I can arrange that, too.
Thanks, as always, for supporting this show, my work, and the stories that really need to be told.
Aside from the last episode of last season, which was more about the President than the World Cup, I’ve almost never talked about sports on this show. And that’s strange given the role it plays in local culture. When I learned about the work of today’s guest, I knew it was time to record a special episode. Lindsay Krasnoff is a historian and sports diplomacy expert who teaches at NYU and wrote a book called Basketball Empire: France and the Making of a Global NBA and WNBA that will be released in September. She’s a regular global sports commentator for CNN, France 24, ESPN and many other outlets and has a new project that puts the spotlight on French and American sports voices through the prism of sports diplomacy. We’re going to talk all about that, about the big NBA draft this month that has the sports media going mad for Victor Wembanyama, and what the forthcoming Olympics in Paris can tell us about Franco-American diplomatic relationship.
Mentioned in this episode:
Lindsay Krasnoff
FranceAndUs
Victor Wembanyama and the NBA draft lottery
Paris Université Club
Rudy Gobert
Sports Diplomacy
Paris Olympics
Of all the cooking essentials we buy and consume, few are as taken for granted or even misrepresented as extra virgin olive oil. Imagine you’re in France scanning the shelves in your local market for a new bottle. The labels might lead you to believe the oil is 100% French, Italian or Greek but inspect the fine print and a fuller picture emerges: Pressed in Italy, Produced Outside of the European Union. And that’s if the bottles specify that distinction at all. But if I learned anything from reporting a story for Afar Magazine about today’s guest, it’s just how much of the olive oil that’s exported in the world is from another country and another region entirely. Tunisia is the world’s 3rd largest exporter and the 1st outside of the E.U. and yet most people would be surprised to know this. Sarah Ben Romdane, the French-Tunisian founder of the brand Kaïa who splits her time between Paris and Tunisian city of Medhia, joins me today to go into context of the olive oil business, the role French colonialism plays in Tunisia’s erasure from the olive oil story, and how having a foot in Paris can help change the narrative.
Mentioned in this episode:
My Afar Magazine story
Kaïa
The brand on Instagram
Taste of Paris
Chanceux
La Grande Epicerie
Sabah NYC
Thanks to Matthew Jordan for technical production and editing on this episode!
If you like art or are even mildly interested in art, Paris has both an abundant and intimidating level of choice. The exact number of museums varies according to how you might define a museum but it’s been estimated that there are over 130 museums in Paris, including marquee destinations and smaller museums that showcase a wide range of art, history, science, and culture. And if you like or are curious about contemporary art, there are countless galleries and private foundations. Navigating it all can be slightly overwhelming which is why I wanted to bring on Alex Weinress, an art industry professional who offers bespoke art experiences through her company The Seen Paris. In our chat, she speaks to the city’s art scene, how she approaches viewing and understanding art, the best smaller institutions to visit, and what she thinks about immersive exhibitions.
Mentioned in this episode:
The Seen Paris
Alex on Instagram
David Zwirner gallery in Paris
Emmanuel Perrotin gallery
Galerie Templon
Jeanne Vicérial
Almine Rech Gallery
Hiba Schahbaz, Pakistani artist
Fondation Louis Vuitton
Pinault Collection
The Broad, Los Angeles
Atelier des Lumières
Carrière des Lumières
Galerie Mennour
Germaine Richier
Antoine Bourdelle / Bourdelle Museum
La Grande Brasserie
Musée Gustave Moreau
Musée de Montmartre
The New Paris Dispatch newsletter
Thanks to Matthew Jordan for technical production and editing on this episode!
The work to live vs live to work ideology was among the earliest characteristics of French life that appealed to me as a student. I didn’t know the extent to which that would bear out until I had lived in Paris for a number of years and discovered it firsthand. For Ajiri Aki, the Nigerian-American founder of the online linens and antiques brand Madame de la Maison, her decade in Paris has similarly crystallised a number of life lessons which she has now put on paper in her new book: Joie, a Parisian’s Guide to Celebrating the Good Life. Ajiri was one of the women I was fortunate enough to profile in The New Parisienne and is also a dear friend so I’m excited to get to have her on the show to dig into this beautiful, inspiring project.
Mentioned in this episode:
Madame de la Maison
Ajiri Aki on Instagram
Joie (order the book!)
OECD report on French productivity
Paula Sutton, Hill House Vintage
Marché aux Puces de Saint Ouen
Marché Vernaison
Victoria Antiques
Foire de Chatou
Much like fashion, Paris is a global reference for design. There are the iconic interiors one might imagine when thinking of Paris but then there are the more sceney or concepty places that seem to have big design firms and big investors behind them. In the last 8 or so years, it feels like every new spot has a resident interior designer or architect or a theme that they’re going for. In some ways, it feels more like London with its developed restaurant groups and their sharp designs. What might explain the proliferation of more global less local styles in restaurants and hotels in Paris? Who have been some of the tastemakers over the years and what defines the kind of look and feel we’re seeing now? To get to the bottom of it, I chat with Tala Gahragozlou, an interior architect who trained with and worked for Frank Gehry, has worked for Soho House, India Mahdavi, The Hoxton, and with her design collective Atelier Ramo, designed Bleu Bao and Bao Express, two restaurants from the group Bao Family.
Mentioned in this episode:
Atelier Ramo
India Mahdavi
Hotel Costes
Jacques Garcia
Thierry Costes
Buddha Bar
Christian Liaigre
Joseph Dirand
Paris Society spots (Monsieur Bleu, Girafe..)
Stéphane Jego’s L’Ami Jean
Septime
Frenchie / Gregory Marchand
Big Mamma Group
Touriste Hotels / Adrien Glouagen
Café des Deux Gares
Soho House
The Hoxton
La Samaritaine
Cheval Blanc
Maxime Frédéric pastry chef
The music you’ve just been listening to was performed by today’s guest, Bonnie Brown, a concert pianist and piano instructor who works out of her home in Paris. She joins me to talk about her connection to France, working as a musician, and the places she loves most to listen to music in Paris.
PS. If you’re a fan of the show, please share it with a friend and leave a review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you stream your podcasts! It helps ensure the show gets discovered by new listeners. And if you’d like to support my work and storytelling, you can also find me on Substack where I run a newsletter with additional content for paid subscribers. That’s called The New Paris Dispatch (bonjour.lindseytramuta.com). Thanks for listening!
Mentioned in this episode:
Bonnie Brown
The Australian National Academy of Music
Ross Edwards, Australian composer
La Philharmonie de Paris
Salle Pleyel
Théâtre du Châtelet
If you were to walk the streets of Paris today, you’d see about 7,000 tons of garbage piling up on sidewalks. The stench after a week of no garbage collection is, you might say, ungodly. Some residents have seen an uptick in rat socialising. And according to reports, this could go on until at least next Monday March 20th. This trash assault is the result of strikes in response to the Macron government’s pension reform plans which lawmakers are debating and voting on this very week. In this short episode, I provide some context for the reforms, how the population at large perceives the proposed changes, and what the strikes have meant for residents (naturally, my opinion is thrown into the mix!). Links below for further reading:
City of ... Garbage? Paris, amid strikes, is drowning in trash.
Macron's Pension Reform Passes the Senate. Now what?
Video of the scene from my friend Jay Swanson
The New Paris Dispatch newsletter
If I think about some of the women that have defined Parisian and French history, I instantly think of Marie Antoinette. The long maligned figure of French royalty and one of many unfortunate symbols of the French Revolution, the former queen has rarely been painted in a positive light. But what if that is an incomplete story? What if new scholarship points to a more nuanced picture of Marie Antoinette and the empresses that followed in her footsteps? That’s part of what today’s guest uncovered in her new book "Marie Antoinette’s Legacy: The Politics of French Garden Patronage and Picturesque Design". Dr. Susan Taylor Leduc, an art historian, previous guest, fellow guide who runs Picturesque Voyages, joins me today to talk about the world’s obsession with Marie Antoinette, her role within the royal court, what pop culture has gotten wrong about her, and the parallels with depictions of Parisian women today.
Mentioned in this episode:
Susan Taylor Leduc and Picturesque Voyages
Susan's book "Marie Antoinette's Legacy"
Episode 83, a previous conversation with Susan Taylor Leduc
Sofia Coppola's film "Marie Antoinette"
The BBC series Marie Antoinette reviewed by The Guardian
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If you were to scan a Parisian city block, you’ll land on at least one caviste or wine seller. But while there are a lot of them, they’re not all created equal. Alison Eastaway, an Australian who has lived in Paris for 12 years and today’s guest, saw an opportunity to offer something different. She left her last career in tech to start Cavewoman Wines, a wine store and tasting room in the 11th arrondissement which opened last July. On today’s show, We talk about nonlinear career paths, the impetus for opening Cavewoman wines and some of her favorite producers.
Mentioned in this episode:
Cavewoman Wines La French Tech **Domaine Bel Avenir: Cécile and Laura Dardenelli in Beaujolais
Aurélie Tailless "La Fille des Vignes" in Côtes du Rhône
Vins et Volailles and Justine Vigne (wine name is Self Love)**
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I wasn’t going to publish another episode this year but then the World Cup Final happened, and President Macron went cringe and inspired a whole new conversation I simply had to have before the new year. There’s no better person to discuss Macron with than Rym Momtaz, the former France Correspondent for Politico who spent years reporting on the Macron administration and currently a consulting research fellow on European Foreign Policy and Security with the IISS. We dig into what happened, whether sports are necessarily political, and what challenges lays ahead for the French president in the coming year.
Mentioned in this Episode:
Rym Momtaz
Macron's Cringe Behavior at the World Cup Final
Rym’s work for Politico
IISS organization
--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thenewparis/support
Of all the incredible foods in Paris, which do you think gets consumed the most? If your instincts led you to say pizza you’d be correct. By some estimates, the French as a whole are the world’s second biggest consumers of pizza after the United States. As the capital, Paris is understandably swarming with pizza joints, some enjoyable and well done, but most of them forgettable. That is, until Dan Pearson, an American sourdough baker, came along and showed pizza lovers how good it really can be. Since the fall, he’s been leading the temporary pizza restaurant at Le Rigmarole, owned by the chefs Robert Compagnon and Jessica Yang, and becoming something of the culinary talk of the town. He joins me for this final episode of 2022 to talk about his journey into baking, what makes sourdough the perfect match for pizza, and how he feels about inspiring a new obsession among the most discerning diners in Paris.
Mentioned in this episode:
Le Rigmarole
Dan Pearson
Mark Bittman's sourdough bread recipe and video
Panic bakery Madrid
Ten Belles Bread
Population wheat
--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thenewparis/support
It started with gâteau and continues with, well, more cake. And pastry, and Chocolate. For part two of my focus on sweets, I’m joined once again but an old friend of the show whose first book, Sweet Paris, was released earlier this year. My conversation with Frank Adrian Barron took place in my apartment so you’ll have to excuse any wood-floor echos and cat meows.
Mentioned in this episode:
Cakeboy Paris Instagram
Cakeboy Paris website
"Sweet Paris" the book
Maxime Frédéric at Cheval Blanc Paris
Mori Yoshida
Cédric Grolet
Pierre Hermé
Alain Ducasse chocolate
Magnolia Bakery
The Hood Paris (for Kaya and Pandan cake)
--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thenewparis/support
t’s that time of year: gift giving, baking, holiday planning. Which means it couldn’t hurt to draw your attention to France for some inspiration. This will be a two-part episode all about sweets featuring two authors whose books you absolutely should be picking up for yourself or offering as gifts. To start, I’m joined today by Aleksandra Crapanzano a James Beard–winning writer and longtime dessert columnist for The Wall Street Journal and most recently the author of Gâteau, The Surprising Simplicity of French Cakes. The book includes more than 100 recipes of classic and regional cakes fit for the home baker. Our discussion tackles her enduring connection to France, the baked goods she tried in Paris most recently, and why there’s no reason to feel intimidated when baking the French way.
Mentioned in this episode:
Gâteau: buy the book!
Aleksandra's WSJ dessert column
Christophe Michalak pastry
Ritz Paris Le Comptoir // François Perret
Cédric Grolet pastry
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thenewparis/support
Turn on the nightly news, listen to the radio, or speak with most Europeans these days and the topic on heavy rotation is the energy crisis. This is partly an outcome of the Russia-Ukraine war as Moscow has suspended natural gas supplies in response to economic sanctions imposed by the West. As reported by Fortune magazine recently, the invasion of Ukraine started just after European nations decided to rapidly shift to clean energy and shutter nuclear power plants, which left them vulnerable to an inflationary shock when Russia cut off gas supplies this year. European governments are trying to diversify supplies and introduce measures to reduce demand and save energy. In France, we’ve experienced fuel shortages and high gas prices across France since September and have been told by government leaders to do what we can to reduce our own energy consumption. To go deeper on the crisis, how the EU is handling the situation and what needs to happen to prevent further trouble for citizens, I am joined by Laurent Schmitt. Laurent is the head of utilities and European Developments for Dcbel, a renewable energy technology company and has also spent years working for the association of European Transmission System Operators and on grid innovation.
Mentioned in this story:Decibel Laurent SchmittA winter of pain ahead for Europe France sends Germany gas for first time amid Russia energy crisis Turtle necks are the solution, says France France threw money at its energy crisis, but people are still angry
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One of the incredible aspects of living in Europe is the access to rich bread and baking traditions. They may vary between France, Poland, Germany, and Portugal, let’s say, but what they share is the ongoing movement to protect them. It’s also the theme of the new cookbook by my fellow American friend based in Berlin, Laurel Krotochvila, owner of Fine Bagels. The book, New European Baking, was the subject of our conversation that took place at The Red Wheelbarrow bookstore on October 6th. This episode is therefore the recording of that interview. It also features a discussion with Xavier Netry, the head bread baker at the beloved Parisian bakery Utopie, who is profiled in Laurel’s book. That conversation was in French but I summarize the message at the end of the episode. Enjoy!
Thank you to Jay Swanson for facilitating the recording of this episode.
Mentioned in this episode:
Buy the book
Fine Bagels
Shakespeare & Sons (not & Co!) bookstore
Le Balto Bar
Utopie Paris
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thenewparis/support
2022 will be forever be etched in my mind as the year travel and tourism rebounded from the pandemic in a massive way. Essentially, since June 1 or whenever the remaining travel restrictions lifted, visitors haven’t stopped trickling into the city. I also know this from experiencing a major uptick in requests for my own tour. Now that we’re into the fall and peak travel season is behind us, I wanted to sit down with someone who has spent the last decade of his career in tourism and has built something new during the pandemic. A year ago, Simon Burke launched Txango Tours, a business that takes visitors through Paris and beyond on a sidecar. I’m all for seeing the city in unique and unexpected ways so let’s hear from Simon!
Mentioned in this episode:
Txango Tours
Fat Tire Bike Tours
Video of Txango Tours in action
Americans flocking to Europe
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thenewparis/support
Since the last episode of this show, I can report two positive things: First, I did indeed spend less time doom scrolling and therefore alleviate much of the anxiety and stress I had been feeling for months. And second, I finished a number of excellent books, many of which you can find on my Bookshop.org page which I’ve listed in the show notes, and also returned to review a few other books I’ve enjoyed in the past few years, including the excellent work by today’s guest. Jess McHugh is an American journalist in Paris and the author of Americanon: An Unexpected U.S. History in Thirteen Bestselling Books. With smart storytelling anchored in unbelievably detailed reporting, the book explores the history of thirteen bestselling books and also how these ubiquitous titles have informed, influenced, and updated American ideals at crucial moments in history.
I brought her on the show today to talk about the book but also how that history might have been influenced by the French, how American figures left their mark on France, and some of her favourite books on the France-U.S. experience.
Mentioned in this episode:
My Bookshop.org selection
Americanon: An Unexpected U.S. History in Thirteen Bestselling Books
Jess McHugh on Twitter
Jess’s story on bison
Merriam-Webster on Twitter
Read an excerpt from Americanon
Democracy in America by de Toqueville
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thenewparis/support
There’s no guest for today’s episode. Instead, I wanted to talk about a topic I was recently asked to write about for Elle magazine in France. And that’s the subject of tipping and tip culture. Given that tourism across France is back in a big way and the French themselves are back to traveling beyond their borders, the question of if and how much to tip has resurfaced. Because my story was in French, I had some requests to discuss the theme in English. So here we go! I hope it helps as you travel.
Mentioned in this episode / Sources:
The history of tipping
The racist history behind America's tipping culture
Faut-il laisser un pourboire? Combien?
Danny Meyer ends his no-tipping policy
Minimum wage in France
The French tip only 5% when they travel
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thenewparis/support
I was reared on stand up comedians. Growing up, I was exposed to the greats: George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Robin Williams, Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock. My near religious weeknight ritual with my father was watching the Daily Show with Jon Stewart and being permitted to watch The Chapelle Show even though the subject matter was Arguably a bit inappropriate for a young teen. But when I first moved to Paris, I all but lost that connection. The bonding power of comedy. The most beloved french comics just didn’t hit the same way. It wasn’t until years later, when an English comic named Paul Taylor came up for his What the Fuck France series, that I started to seek out more of that world. And fortunately, there’s now a robust English language comedy scene in Paris that feels on the cusp of international recognition. One of the leading voices of that movement is todays guest, the very very funny American comic Sarah Donnelly.
Mentioned in this episode:Sarah Donnelly
Mike Birbiglia
Paul Taylor
God Save My English series on Audible
Sarah on TikTok
Picard take on TikTok
The Only American in Paris show (tickets)
Shirley Souagnon
Drôle on Netflix (Standing Up)
Barbès Comedy Club
Gad Elmaleh
Paname Comedy Club
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thenewparis/support
I’m back after a little break to visit family in the states and return to Paris just in time to get knocked out with covid for a week. I’m sounding more like myself and ready to record new interviews for the remainder of season 5! So thanks for your patience. To kick things back off, I’m joined today by someone with a mission to fill in the gaps where French authorities fall alarmingly short. Kryssandra Heslop is the co-founder of the non-profit called Soul Food, an organization she launched in 2018 to expose migrant youth to cultural events and artistic environments, meals, and language activities, in an effort to provide intellectual and cultural stimulation, facilitate positive integration experiences and encourage novel levels of autonomy in their new home country. On top of that, they also create opportunities for cultural exchange between migrant youth and local French teenagers. Kryssandra joins me today to talk about building this mission, who she and her co-founder are helping, and the challenges specific to carrying out this project in France.
Mentioned in this episode:
Soul Food
Support Soul FoodRefettorio in Paris au Foyer de la Madeleine
Soul Food MERCH Soul Food on Instagram
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thenewparis/support
This episode was recorded April 25, the day after the conclusion of the 2022 French presidential election. That means, the first day of knowing Macron will continue to govern France after his first term officially ends on May 13. To some, this feels like a bandaid on a gaping wound. To others, a sign that reason has won. Whatever your perspective, there’s a lot to discuss about this experience and what Macron means for us moving forward. I’m joined today by someone I’ve wanted to invite on the show for a long time — Chris O’Brien, an American journalist in the Paris region who has reported about technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship for more than 20 years. He previously covered Silicon Valley for the LA Times and brings a deep understanding of start-up culture and technology to the French landscape. We talk about the way the global media has helped normalise extremists, Macron’s highs and lows, the French tech scene’s evolution, and what to know about Macron’s second chapter.
Mentioned in this episode:
Chris on Twitter
Chris's viral twitter thread about the NYT’s obsession with Marine Le Pen
Sylvain Tesson quote about French unhappiness
The Startup President
The French Tech Journal
French Crossroads
Understanding life in France and the foundation on which identity is based, requires an understanding of certain words, themes, and ideas. Words like terroir, laïcité, entrepreneur, and travail, among countless others. Grasping their complexity is not only important to cultural integration but to being able to navigate daily life. It’s also the focus of a podcast called Navigating the French, hosted by fellow journalist Emily Monaco. She joins me, the day after the first round vote for President, to discuss the words and ideas worth knowing in order to make sense of this election, the candidates, and how the population feels about both.
Mentioned in this episode:
Navigating the French podcast
Emily on Instagram
The Guardian story about poor vs rich voting intentions
Chirac at the Salon de l’Agriculture (video)
Salon de l’Agriculture: politically charged
One of the first English-language journalists in Paris covering women’s issues both in France and abroad that I first connected with online was today’s guest, Megan Clement.Her reporting has appeared in The Guardian, Bloomberg, The Sydney Morning Herald, Al Jazeera, The New Humanitarian and many other publications. She is now editing Impact, a bilingual weekly newsletter dispatch by Les Glorieuses, which may be familiar to you if you’ve read my second book, covering feminist movements and women’s rights worldwide. She also teaches journalism at the Sorbonne Nouvelle.
Given our impending Presidential election, the repercussions of the pandemic on women and their advancement, and the ongoing struggle to curb violence against women, it felt like the right time to discuss it all with Megan.
Mentioned in this episode:Megan's reporting on the hottest day in Paris
Megan on TwitterIMPACT by Les Glorieuses
The Wolfpack case Spain
Malta’s view on abortion
Malta continued
Impact interview with Mariana Ardila on Colombia’s historic abortion victory
The situation for women in Poland
Les Glorieuses
One of my goals withThe New Parisienne was to highlight the richness of talent coming from women in and around the capital. There’s tremendous creativity, knowledge, innovation, and inspiration and it’s these women and so many others who fuel my own work and thinking. Rahaf Harfoush, one of the women in the book and a longtime friend, is one of the women I admire and whose research, writing, and thinking on technology and the culture of work has been endlessly illuminating.
She joins me today to talk about the research she’s been doing, her work with a French commission on the digital space, and how we can all exert control over technology’s impact on our daily lives.
Mentioned in this episode & additional links:
Rahaf Harfoush's work
Order Rahaf's book Hustle & FloatRahaf's LinkedIn Course on Humane Productivity
How Burnout Makes Us Less Creative (Rahaf's Ted Talk)
Conseil National du Numérique (Digital commission)
Rahaf on Twitter
Rahaf on Instagram
Running a restaurant in Paris is fraught in the best of times but the last several years have presented additional challenges. Some have closed as a result but I’m happy to report that many of the city’s best independently run establishments spanning street food to fine dining have held on and even grown stronger. I know my own desire to support them has grown — certainly a result of having experienced more than 6 consecutive months of restaurant closures between 2020-2021 — as well as my desire for more immersive, memorable dining experiences. One of two meals that delivered that for me in the last year was at Comice, a contemporary family-owned fine dining restaurant in the 16th arrondissement run by Canadians Noam Gedalof, the chef, and today’s guest, Etheliya Hananova, the sommelier. She talks about the journey from Montreal to Paris, the type of dining environment she and Noam set out to create, and what it means to be working in wine, in Paris, on her own terms.
Links:Comice in the NYT (written by me)From my fall 2021 meal at Comice
Follow Comice on Instagram
With less than three months to the French presidential election, 59 days to the first round to be exact, there are a number of worrying discussions taking place online and in the media that risk distracting from the most pressing issues for French citizens but have taken up considerable airtime. In 2020, that was the controversial idea of islamo-gaucmhisme, or islamo-leftism. Since, the buzzword in heavy rotation trotted out by talking heads and politicians has become wokism, a term that has become completely bastardised and distorted from its original meaning, weaponised in political discourse and used pejoratively to condemn both political correctness and perceived excesses of social and racial justice movements. All across Europe, the anti woke brigade has been in full force and that includes France.
To talk about this term, how we got here, how it has been weaponised, what it means moving forward, particularly as we anticipate election debates, I’m joined by Cole Stangler, a French-American journalist who regularly covers labor and politics.
Mentioned in this episode:Cole on Twitter
Le Figaro’s use of woke
France's New Culture Warriors (Cole for The Nation)
France is Becoming More like America. It's Terrible. (Cole for NYT)
France’s Presidential Election Is a One-Sided Culture War (Cole for Jacobin)
Cole's interview with Frédérique Matonti for Jacobin
At the very end of 2021, one of the highlights was getting to meet a whole new batch of readers when I did a book signing for The New Parisienne at the home goods store Landline which I discovered during the lowest moments of Covid. This is in the 11th arrondissement which is an area I know intimately. The French American owner Caroline Morrison opened the doors to her nostalgic general store at the end of 2020 and has become, like the most charming independent bookstores and thoughtfully designed toy stores of yesteryear, a space I not only feel joy being in but can also feel good about buying from.
I’ve spent a lot of time in the last year thinking about consumption and needs vs wants. Finding satisfaction in reusing and repairing. The most sustainable way to shop, realistically, is to not, and to wear and use what you already own. But for the moments you do need a new pan, a pair of slippers, or an indestructible kid’s toy you can pass down, there’s an opportunity to make the right choice. That’s what drew me to Caroline’s store and I why I wanted her to help me kick off this new season.
Mentioned in this episode:
Landline
Landline on Instagram
If you’ve followed the news out of France in recent weeks, you know a couple of things. One, France has entered campaign season, with the Presidential election awaiting us in April 2022. Two, among the many disconcerting absurdities in said campaign, we have a far right, antisemitic, misogynistic pundit whose message at his first public rally last weekend played on the French perception and panic surrounding their own country’s decline and took an expected anti-immigration, make-France-Great-Again style stance. The left is in disarray, to put it politely, the right has a real challenger, and Macron hasn’t formally begun his reelection campaign yet but is surely analysing this hot mess of a political landscape.
Making sense of the French political apparatus to even begin to follow this election process means understanding a whole number of historical events that are rarely explored in any great detail in foreign media.
That’s where Manu Saadia has stepped in. The author-historian started a free newsletter called La Campagne where he digs into the political machine, the perspectives and key moments that have shaped policy and thinking, and what to know about the coming election. His dedication to this storytelling, as you’ll hear me tell him, is nothing short of a public service.
Mentioned in this episode:La Campagne newsletter
Manu Saadia on Twitter
About Emmanuel Macron
How France Pivoted to the Right
"Quoi qu'il en coûte" clip
A recent New York Times story had a lot of us Parisians up in arms. It’s mayhem on rue de Rivoli and streets across Paris, we’re told, as bikes take over and the mayor pursues an ambitious goal of making the city a European cycling capital by 2024. The journalist includes comments such as “it’s like anarchy! everyone is just doing as they please. There are no police, no fines, no training and no respect.”
Not only did it sound like a car wrote most of the piece but it was sensational and in many cases, incited fear of a process that is quite standard. The growing pains of a city in the midst of a transformation like this are to be expected. But the automobile lobbies make a lot of noise and so, what is a necessary change to the very urban fabric of Paris is seen as an unbearable complication to daily life.
To talk about this cycling revolution in the city I’m joined by a former guest of the show, Nicolas le Goff, an urban scout, author, and longtime cyclist. How safe is it to ride in Paris? You’ll find out.
Also mentioned in this episode:Nicolas Le Goff and his work
Making Paris 100% cyclable
Paris en Selle
First, some real talk. I know little to nothing about French cinema but I do know that when the actor Jean-Paul Belmondo died in September, it came as a massive loss to a great many French people.
As it happens, talking about Belmondo online, and what little I knew about him, connected me to someone who knows quite a lot about French cinema and I thought, now’s the time to do an episode on film. But not just any discussion — I’ve brought on Laure Astourian, an assistant professor of French at Bentley University, a specialist in French cinema, an occasional translator, and a current Fulbright research scholar in Paris. Her research looks at the role of imperial ethnography in shaping 1960s French cinema. We’ll be talking about that, her connection to France, and how the new wave movement contributes to a modern understanding of French society (16:28). So with that, let’s go to the movies!
Mentioned in this episode
Laure Astourian
"The French Melting Pot" book
Laure’s piece on “Si Le Vent Tombe” in the LA Review of Books
The films:
Les Statues Meurent Aussi
Cléo de 5 à 7
La Noire de... (Black Girl)
Chronique d'un été
À bout de souffle (Breathless)
Si le vent tombe
Chacun cherche son chat
Moi, un Noir
Also mentioned...Manon des Sources
Les Enfants du Siècle
Which country has the best healthcare system? It’s a question that is regularly tossed around, particularly as America’s healthcare system looks more and more broken with every passing year. The stories of Americans putting off doctor’s visits due to fees and the fear that a costly ailment will be discovered are so common they seem pulled directly from a dystopian novel.
In comparison, experts look to the Australians, Brits, Dutch, Germans, Swiss, and French who have strong public health systems, some reliant on government and some on private insurers for their universal coverage. In France, Public insurance covers between 70 percent and 80 percent of costs. Voluntary health insurance, which we call mutuelles, can cover the rest. The Ministry of Health establishes funds and budgets and regulates everything from number of hospital beds available to the price for procedures and medications.
Over the last five to six years, I’ve seen more doctors and specialists for a variety of reasons than I ever have in my entire life. My out-of-pocket costs are relatively low and my reimbursements come quite swiftly. What I can’t speak to with firsthand experience is what it’s like navigating the French system with a life-threatening health issue.
Robin Davis, an American journalist and TV producer currently working in an international organization in Paris, was diagnosed with breast cancer nearly 3 years ago. She joins the show today to talk about that experience, the quality of care she received throughout a traumatic time, and how the French system really stacked up when she needed it the most.
Mentioned in this episode:
Which country has the best healthcare system?
Follow Robin on Twitter
Robin’s website
Robin's recommended resources:
Breast of Us (U.S.)
Rose Up (France)
I didn’t grow up with much exposure to Vietnamese cooking so it wasn’t until I arrived in France 15 years ago that I actually discovered the nuances in the cuisine. That’s not all that surprising: France is home to the oldest Vietnamese diaspora, which pre dated the fall of Saigon. The first waves of Vietnamese immigration to France started over a hundred years ago, following colonization in the 19th century. While Vietnamese restaurants in Paris have long been tied to the 13th arrondissement where many refugees resettled in large housing complexes in the mid 1970s, they’ve popped up all over the city in recent years, many run by first generation French-Vietnamese. Including today’s guest, Khánh-Ly Huynh, the chef and co-owner of The Hood, a southeast Asian canteen in the 11th and Nonette, a new spot just across the street. We talk about growing up with parents in the restaurant business, finding her way into food, and what so many Parisians get wrong about southeast Asian cooking.
And a quick note: I recorded this interview with a new mic, outside. You’ll hear some cars and wind, among a few other noises. Hopefully these imperfections won’t take away from what was a super engaging conversation. Enjoy!
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Khánh-Ly x Master Chef 2015
The Hood
Nonette
Khánh-Ly on Instagram
Her favorites:
Les Arlots
Osteria dell’Anima
Tempilenti
Making sense of your identity when you live abroad can be a fraught endeavour. For third culture kids, identity is even more complex. My friend and fellow creative who goes simply by the name Pushan, understands this especially well. He’s French, Basque, Indian, and American and has lived even further afield for his work as a photographer and videographer. He joins the show today to talk about growing up between France and the US, Indian culture in Paris, and our favorite topic of conversation whenever we see each other: food.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Puxan on Instagram
Puxan's portfolio
Taste of Chalindia
Puxan's mom! Profiled in my book
Puxan's Food & Wine recommendations:La Chambre Noire
Fermentation Générale
Early June
Without question, Paris and the arts go hand in hand. The density of public museums and galeries small and large make Paris one of the most enriching artistic capitals to visit. In recent years, that has expanded to include private collections in shiny, multi-million euro spaces that have the potential to change the French art world permanently. Today’s guest, Susan Taylor Leduc, is an art and garden historian, tour guide, and former arts educator who joins me to talk about some these institutions, such as the Louis Vuitton Foundation and the Pinault Collection, as well as the city’s many changes and its impact on visitors.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODESusan Taylor Leduc, Picturesque Voyages
Bourse de Commerce, Pinault Collection
CBS News feature on Bourse de Commerce (featuring Susan!)
Fondation Louis Vuitton
Musée Carnavalet
Hôtel de la Marine
La Samaritaine
Napoleon Chaumet exhibit
When I think of women in the food media, I instantly think of Victoire Loup, a French-born writer and consultant who goes between Paris and Los Angeles. For a time she was the communication director for Le Fooding and has written for a number of international magazines and newspapers. More recently, she has published two cookbooks in French and consulted for an international network of chefs. She joins the show today to talk about changes to the food scene, what Los Angeles gets right about cooking, and being involved in mission-driven food projects wherever she finds herself.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Victoire Loup
Le Fooding
Cuites book
A La Maison book
Victoire's consulting
Mokonuts
It’s been a while since I’ve done a France news update but there are so many pressing issues facing the country now besides Covid that it was time to jump back in. And this time, I’m joined by Yasser Louati, a human rights and civil liberties activist, a community organiser, and political analyst. He also co-founded the NGO CJL, a transnational human rights and civil liberties organisation. A fellow podcaster at Le Breakdown and Les Idées Libres, I couldn’t think of anyone better to join me to discuss the status of France’s controversial security bill, racism, Islamophobia and the historic sources of many of the countries troubles.
UPDATE: Since the recording of this episode, France's Constitutional Council has struck down two elements of Macron's security bill: the measure to criminalise filming police and the measure to extend drone surveillance. That's a positive development for all -- well, except for the government.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Yasser Louati
Yasser's tweet
Le Breakdown podcast
Les Idées Libres podcast
Security bill update
Talking to strangers is a part of my job. I interview people for work, most of whom I don’t know personally in advance, but is generally arranged. I know what I’m about to do and so does the person I’ll be speaking with. But approaching strangers on the street to learn bits of their story is something else altogether. That’s why I’ve been fascinated by the work of Stéphanie Pfeiffer, a photographer in Paris whose project Les Gueules de Parisiens, is the result of serendipitous encounters and storytelling. And in a city like Paris where rules and categories are sacrosanct, Stéphanie is a non-conformist in the most refreshing of ways. Here we talk about her upbringing, her love for funky fashions, and of course, Les Gueules de Parisiens.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Les Gueules de Parisiens
Collaboration with My Little Paris
The exhibition
Have you ever found yourself endlessly fascinated by something, to the point of obsession? For me, that’s probably coffee and chocolate but for others deeply passionate about food and the way it is made, that might be bread, cheese, or even wine. Those are the three loves explored by my friend Katie Quinn in her new book "Cheese, Wine, and Bread: Discovering the magic of fermentation in England, Italy, and France." As she puts it: it’s the story of one woman’s obsession with some of humanity’s most ancient and essential foods. And she takes readers on an incredible tour of three countries in order to share the stories, recipes, and science behind these favorite fermented foods. She joins me from southern Italy to talk about the process as well as a focus on the France-focused piece all about bread.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Katie Quinn
Katie's YouTube channel
Katie's podcast Keep it Quirky
Buy the book
Mastering a language is a lifelong endeavour, one that can be complicated by the very fluidity and ever-evolving nature of language itself. Slang and idiomatic expressions change with each generation but require an education all the same. Understanding conversational and street French, for example, is a way into understanding who the French are today and their relationship to one another. Also, it’s quite fun. Divya Bala, an Australian fashion journalist, started Paris Phrase or (Paris Phrase in English), an account on Instagram as a way of documenting the expressions she hears and learns from friends, both in personal and professional contexts. She joins me to talk about the project and how amusing the experience has been thus far.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Paris Phrase: https://www.instagram.com/parisphrase/ Divya Bala: https://www.instagram.com/divya_bala/ C'est chelou: https://www.instagram.com/p/CHpfjQmBJ8y/ D'acc: https://www.instagram.com/p/CHN9qbyD5uS/
What does it take to open and run a restaurant in Paris? What about building a brand that not only reaches a wider audience but that that may be protected from the unexpected and very disruptive obstacles, from protests to health crises? Ali Terry and Isabelle Cote have taken Sunday in Soho from a canteen they thought Parisians would enjoy to a nutrition-focused subscription option and product line, building off the insight that some of the best ideas really do come from listening to your customers. The duo joins me to talk about building the business, the success of their annual Thanksgiving feasts, and the future of Sunday.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Sunday in Soho: https://www.sundayinsoho.com Sunday on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunday_in_soho/ Bespoke by Sunday: https://bespokebysunday.com Bespoke on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bespoke_by_sunday/
If there’s one thing that springs to mind when it comes to French lifestyle, it’s the importance of farmer’s markets. Few places in the world can claim to rival the multitude of marchés that are both destinations and fixtures of everyday life across France. And for many, they are a source of tremendous inspiration. That was certainly the case for Amy Feezor and her husband Pierre Haberer who started Fed by a Frenchman, a playful Instagram account to document market life and explore the lessons it (and in Amy’s case, living with a Frenchman) bestows. They join me to talk about the project and what they’ve learned from one another.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Fed by a Frenchman: https://www.instagram.com/fedbyafrenchman/?hl=en
Amy Feezor: https://www.instagram.com/amyfeezor/?hl=en
Amy's writing work: http://www.m-dashing.com/about/
How important is travel in our lifelong education? For Kévi Donat, founder of Le Paris Noir walking tours, it’s a crucial element to understanding a place, a culture, a past, and a present and above all, builds empathy. He chronicles chronicles the city’s connection to Africa, the Caribbean, and the United States, covering critical themes from colonization and immigration to the literary, political, and artistic figures that have influenced the course of French history. And today, we talk about what sparked his work, the ongoing tensions around discussions of race and identity in France, and the books and films you can watch to foster understanding while travel is on hold.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Le Paris Noir
Le Paris Noir on Instagram
Gaston Monnerville
Victor Schoelcher
Michel Zecler
Marianne et le Garçon Noir book
Tout Simplement Noir film
Le Tchip podcast
Lous and the Yakuza
"The Paris Library", the New York Times Bestselling book by novelist Janet Skeslien Charles, is based on the true story of the heroic librarians at The American Library in Paris during WWII who not only kept the library alive but continued making books available to soldiers and Jewish members in hiding. The story follows Odile, a bibliophile who works at the library as the Nazis march into Paris. She joins the Resistance but grapples with the consequences of the choices she makes, with her friendships, and her relationship with her family. I’m thrilled to be joined by Janet today to talk about the library’s tremendous history and the role it plays today.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Janet Skeslien Charles
Order the "The Paris Library"
The American Library in Paris
"Moonlight in Odessa"
Janet on Instagram
Janet on Twitter
Many of us can recall moments from childhood when there was nothing more appealing than being anywhere but at home. Someplace more dazzling, someplace where every day life takes on a more special sheen; someplace like Paris. That moment is captured perfectly in Paris by Phone, the new rhyming picture book for kids by today’s guest, Pamela Druckerman.
She is the author of five books including Bringing Up Bébé, a worldwide bestseller, and writes a column about France for The New York Times. She joins me today to talk about the whimsical world and life lessons she wanted to express with this new book, the particular challenges of writing for children, and what makes Paris special for kids of all ages.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Pamela Druckerman: https://pameladruckerman.com
Paris by Phone: https://pameladruckerman.com/paris-by-phone/
Bringing Up Bébé: https://pameladruckerman.com/bringing-up-bebe/
Pandemonium U: https://www.pandemoniumu.com
My talk with Pamela: https://youtu.be/jR6wR7WDAps
Pamela's NYT Column: https://www.nytimes.com/topic/person/pamela-druckerman
Pamela on Twitter: https://twitter.com/pameladruck
This is the final episode of this train wreck year. But to recap in a way that goes beyond the specifically wrenching horror of Covid, I’m joined by my friends and regular guests Lauren Collins and Aida Alami. We’re going to chat about some of the OTHER big stories that shaped France in 2020.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Lauren Collins: https://twitter.com/laurenzcollins Aida Alami: https://twitter.com/AidaAlami Benjamin Griveaux scandal: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/14/world/europe/france-paris-mayor-benjamin-griveaux-macron.html Agnès Buzyn drama: https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20200605-covid-agn%C3%A8s-buzyn-macron-mayor-paris-coronavirus Gabriel Matzneff investigation: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/11/world/europe/gabriel-matzneff-pedophilia-france.html Christophe Girard scandal: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/16/world/europe/christophe-girard-gabriel-matzneff-paris-france.html Lies about masks: https://www.france24.com/en/20200405-coronavirus-abrupt-reversal-on-mask-policy-in-france-and-the-us-raises-new-questions BLM and antiracism protests: https://www.france24.com/en/20200613-protesters-gather-in-paris-for-fresh-march-against-racism-and-police-brutality Lauren's Assa Traoré profile: https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-europe/assa-traore-and-the-fight-for-black-lives-in-france Knife attack: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/multiple-people-injured-in-knife-attack-outside-former-charlie-hebdo-offices/2020/09/25/a152d4ce-ff1d-11ea-b0e4-350e4e60cc91_story.html Sonic boom over Paris: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54357839 Death of teacher Samuel Paty: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/10/30/france-nice-knife-attack-samuel-paty-murder-criminalizing-muslims/ France vs the world on laicité/Islamaphobia Gerarld Darmanin and his anti-"ethnic aisle" stance: https://www.politico.eu/article/gerald-darmanin-france-complaint-religious-food-aisles-sparks-criticism/ France and separatism/loi sécurité globale: https://www.politico.eu/article/france-law-emmanuel-macron-islamist-separatism-security/ Macron vs the English-language media: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/16/macron-france-foreign-media-new-york-times Ben Smith piece on Macron: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/15/business/media/macron-france-terrorism-american-islam.html Vaccine delays in France: https://www.francetvinfo.fr/sante/maladie/coronavirus/vaccin/infographies-vaccination-contre-le-covid-19-la-france-est-pour-l-instant-tres-en-retard-sur-ses-voisins-europeens_4238653.html Emily in Paris (ugh): https://www.france24.com/en/20201015-emily-in-paris-the-myth-of-la-vie-en-rose-lives-on
For many people around the world, 2020 has contributed to more than just personal upheaval but a professional uprooting as well. Lost jobs, cancelled opportunities, disrupted projects, and in some cases, it’s the realization that now is as good a time as any to bring about changes. To navigate all that, there are experts like Zeva Bellel, a career and life coach based in Paris who has been through several of her own transformations. On today’s episode, she talks to me about her arrival in France twenty years ago, building a career here, and helping women find their way. And since it’s the end of the year, she leaves us with some hopeful lessons for 2021.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Paris by Appointment Only: http://www.parisbao.com/ Zeva Bellel's coaching website: https://www.zevabellel.com/ Zeva's newsletter (so good!): https://zevabellel.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=e5b288a1cf0b3bf076b306574&id=3636dc6798 Zeva on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zevab/?hl=en "Burnout" book: https://bookshop.org/a/3892/9781984818324
Of all the conversations I’ve had on and offline since the show Emily in Paris first aired in October, perhaps my favorite (and least heated) has been the one you’re about to hear with Sutanya Dacres, a friend of the show and the host of the podcast Dinner for One. In this episode, we talk about our lockdown behaviors, the categories of foreigners living in Paris, and which one someone like the show’s protagonist falls into.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Dinner for One podcast: https://www.dinnerforonepodcast.com/ Junot Immobilier: https://www.junot.fr/en Sutanya's episode about expats: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s3-ep-7-selfcare-friendcare/id1347407632?i=1000496155693 Dinner for One on Instagram (with live videos!): https://www.instagram.com/dinnerfor.one/?hl=en On Emily in Paris (Lindsey talking with another show): https://open.spotify.com/episode/2doNNCtXqMWuGv3bCDz3qm?si=MAyBR15ZQSOAUtxwKurYfQ Sutanya's first appearance on The New Paris: https://soundcloud.com/thenewparis/38-on-dating-and-romance-in-paris
On April 15, 2019, the world watched in horror as the Notre Dame cathedral became engulfed in a fiery inferno and the city came dangerously close to losing its 850-year-old treasure. Now, a new documentary called "Saving Notre Dame", airing on the PBS science series NOVA, tells the story of the fire and the race to stabilize the structure and stave off a total collapse. Director Joby Lubman follows a team of architects, engineers, scientists, and master craftspeople, as they work to read the minds of the original builders and rediscover the lost history of the cathedral. He joins me today to talk more about this incredible journey to document the rebirth.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Saving Notre Dame documentary: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/saving-notre-dame/ Joby Lubman, director: http://www.windfallfilms.com/person/1790/joby-lubman.aspx Notre Dame Cathedral: https://www.notredamedeparis.fr/en/ Notre Dame fire: https://www.cntraveler.com/story/what-notre-dame-means-to-parisians-and-to-all-of-us
Some of my favorite reporting assignments have involved spending time in the Champagne region, getting to know its producers and uncovering the stories behind the bottles. Among the most memorable discoveries over the years has been AR Lenoble, a 4th generation family-run and independent operation that is heavily involved in making the industry more inclusive to women. I wondered, however, how Anne and Antoine Malassagne have fared during these last eight months of the pandemic. Anne and her director of export and communication Christian Holthausen (also my friend) tuned in to chat about the family’s heritage, drinking and selling in Covid times, and the importance of community.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: AR Lenoble: https://champagne-arlenoble.com/ La Transmission women's group in Champagne: http://la-transmission-champagne.com/index.php/en/home/ Women in Champagne: https://www.foodandwine.com/wine/champagne-sparkling-wine/future-women-in-champagne
Women and Champagne have a long history together. In fact, If Champagne became shorthand for luxury and celebration, it’s entirely thanks to the business acumen of Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin, commonly referred to as “La Veuve (widow) Clicquot.” Not only did she invent the riddling table, but she also turned the small, fledgling business she took over after her husband’s 1805 death into a global empire. Still, as is true with much of the broader world of wine, women in France’s Champagne region remain underrepresented both in production and leadership positions. And, I would argue, in the minds of consumers. That’s where Cynthia Coutu steps in. She joins me to talk about her Champagne club Delectabulles and how she works to champion women on all sides of the bottle.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Delectabulles: https://www.delectabulles.com/en/ Cynthia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delectabulles/ Women in Champagne: https://www.foodandwine.com/wine/champagne-sparkling-wine/future-women-in-champagne
Cocktails in Paris have evolved radically in the last ten years and certainly rival what you can get in any of the big cocktail hubs, such as New York and London. So it’s only natural that from a more sophisticated scene we would see more sophisticated and inventive concepts emerge. Allison Kave is involved in one such project. The creator of Brooklyn’s Butter & Scotch bakery and bar has co-founded Izzy’s, a new plant-based cocktail brand delivered to homes across Paris. Allison talks about moving to Paris during the pandemic, the synergies between baking and cocktail mixology, and her favorite drinks for the season.
NOTE: This episode was recorded on Halloween, Allison’s favorite holiday.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Allison Kave: https://allisonkave.com/ Butter & Scotch: https://shop.butterandscotch.com/ Izzy's Paris: https://izzysparis.com/ First Prize Pies cookbook: https://bookshop.org/a/3892/9781617691027 Butter & Scotch cookbook: https://bookshop.org/a/3892/9781419722288
There are a million different reasons people move to Paris. In many cases, the move is meant to be temporary and invariably becomes more permanent. Even more often, the person finds themselves in an entirely different line of work or ends up pursuing a passion project once they’ve settled in. Tanisha Townsend had a radically different career path before she developed a love for wine and let that guide her life. With Girls Meets Glass, Tanisha works as a wine educator, guide, and writer. Today, she joins me to talk about her journey abroad and, most importantly, what she loves to drink!
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Girl Meets Glass: https://www.girlmeetsglass.com/ Tanisha on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GirlMeetsGlass/ 75 in the 75 Wine Bar Guide: https://www.girlmeetsglass.com/75-in-the-75 Wine School Dropout Podcast: https://www.girlmeetsglass.com/podcast
This episode is the first in what I hope to be a monthly series picking up apart one news story impacting France. And each time, I’ll be joined by my two friends Lauren Collins and Aida Alami. Lauren is a reporter for The New Yorker and the author of When in French: Love in a Second Language and Aida Alami is a journalist for The New York Times and NY Review of Books, among other outlets, and a filmmaker. Both have been guests on this show before. The idea emerged out of our Whatsapp group -- we’re constantly sharing our thoughts on what’s happening in the world, sometimes exclusively in emojis, but I thought that when it comes to Paris and issues influencing life and politics in France, we could go a bit deeper.
So what’s happening right now? After separatism, communautarisme, questioning whether Covid is masculine or feminine (it’s feminine apparently), there’s another obsession taking over the discussion in France: "tenue républicaine" or what is or isn’t clothing fit for the republic. What IS the correct form of dress. And is the state's obsession with the hijab part of a similar problem? We discuss.
Mentioned in this episode: Background on the issue: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/10/09/france-women-dress-codes/?itid=ap_rokhayadiallo
Education minister's comments: https://www.franceinter.fr/societe/tenue-republicaine-pour-aller-a-l-ecole-jean-michel-blanquer-moque-sur-twitter
Obsession with the hijab: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/9/22/frances-decades-long-feud-over-the-hijab-takes-centre-stage
Macron's speech on separatism: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/macron-islam-france/2020/10/02/ba8a1dcc-04bc-11eb-b92e-029676f9ebec_story.html
Aida's story on Maryam Pougetoux: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/01/world/europe/maryam-pougetoux-islam-france.html
On Sibeth Ndiaye's clothes: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/02/style/sibeth-ndiaye-emmanuel-macron-france.html
Lauren Collins: https://twitter.com/laurenzcollins
Aida Alami: https://twitter.com/AidaAlami
Cathleen Clarity, a chef, cookbook author, and culinary teacher, has called Greater Paris home for 30 years and has championed both French and American cuisine through her work. Her daughter, Cécilia, has been living away from the French capital for seven years but returned home to reconnect with Paris and family. One day, she’ll return to Paris bearing the knowledge and experience of life lived abroad. How does each woman shape her identity? How has Cathleen seen the food industry shift since she got into the business? How as #MeToo played out in France, if at all? It’s all up for discussion in my first French-American mother-daughter conversation on the podcast.
Mentioned in this episode: Cathleen Clarity: https://www.instagram.com/chefcathleen Cathleen for L'Atelier des Chefs: https://www.atelierdeschefs.fr/fr/concept/chefs/154369-cathleen-clarity.php Cathleen's books: https://www.amazon.fr/Cathleen-Clarity/e/B077N3YBYC?ref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share Me Too in France: https://www.cjr.org/the_feature/woody-allen-polanski-metoo-france.php
There are many different ways to be an advocate and support causes you believe in. For Liz Warner, an American in Paris, her advocacy goes hand in hand with her passion for running. She’s the founder of Run to Reach, a fundraising campaign that involved running marathons around the world to raise money for women’s organizations in local communities. Beyond the initial mission, the project aims to empower every runner to influence change by connecting locally with the places they run. On this episode, Liz talks about the catalyst for Run to Reach, where she ran, and where she runs in Paris-- in the moments she isn’t on the road.
Mentioned in this episode: Run to Reach: http://runtoreach.com/ Beirut explosion: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/09/09/world/middleeast/beirut-explosion.html About the women's organizations: http://runtoreach.com/organizations/ Liz on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runtoreach/
I’ve been doing a lot of reading this summer and was delighted to discover the work of Sanaë Lemoine, a first-time novelist. Her book, “The Margot Affair”, was an editor’s choice by The New York Times shortly after it was released in June for its “lush, lyrical prose that perfectly captures the heightened emotion and confusion of being a young woman with a bruised heart and limited experience”. The book follows Margot Louve, the secret daughter of a French politician and a famous actress as she drops this startling revelation that will shatter her family. It asks us all to consider how we would handle being part of a hidden family and how one decision can change the course of our lives. I’m thrilled to be joined by the author to talk about her process, the book’s inspiration, and her own journey from Paris to Australia to America, a few other places in between.
Mentioned in this episode: Buy “The Margot Affair” https://bookshop.org/a/3892/9781984854438 Sanaë Lemoine’s work: https://www.sanaelemoine.com/ NYT book review: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/09/books/review-margot-affair-sanae-lemoine.html Mitterand affair: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/18/books/in-francois-mitterrand-letters-an-intimate-portrait-of-the-other-woman.html Recipe from the book: https://smittenkitchen.com/2020/08/mathildes-tomato-tart/
I met today's guest 3 years ago this month, in Washington DC. I was in town to give a talk about The New Paris for Pineapple DC, a culinary-centric collective for women; women who work in food and beverage, are passionate about it, or have hopes of working in the industry. That’s where I met Ashley Donahey, a cocktails and spirits lover who was then considering a shift from her work in the U.S. State Department and into the world of booze. Two Worlds Whiskey, a bourbon brand she launched in April, is winning awards and a whole host of whiskey fans. On this episode, we'll be talking about her family connection to whiskey, why it’s the right time to bring this brand into the French market, and why the French are the right audience for bourbon.
Mentioned in this episode: Pineapple Collaborative: https://www.pineapplecollaborative.com/ Two Worlds Whiskey: www.twoworldswhiskey.com La Maison du Whiskey: https://www.whisky.fr/en/ (Book): Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey: An American Heritage https://bookshop.org/a/3892/9780813141657
Plus, my story about Two Worlds Whiskey for Fortune: https://fortune.com/2020/04/05/bourbon-whiskey-french-coronavirus/
On July 7, my second book, The New Parisienne, was finally released into the world. I’ve been delighted to participate in a number of virtual talks, including the hour with author Thomas Chatterton Williams as part of The American Library in Paris’s author program. That’s the conversation you’ll discover in this episode-- I hope both the book and this exchange inspires discussions in your own circles.
Mentioned in this episode/Additional links: The New Parisienne book, order now! www.thenewparisienne.com This discussion on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPQ24MqB7mo&t=231s Vogue review: https://www.vogue.com/article/lindsey-tramuta-the-new-parisienne The Guardian review: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/jul/02/myth-white-parisienne-is-being-challenged-lindsey-tramuta-alice-pfeiffer-and-aissa-maiga
The last several weeks have felt like a sea change for much of the world. The fight for social and racial justice in America has awakened minds across the world, including in France where antiracist activists are being heard in a new way. What happens in Minneapolis, New York City, Atlanta, and towns big and small across the United States, matters to the world because the systemic hate is the same. The efforts to curtail miscarriages of justice are the same. Police brutality and unchecked power are also shared pains. In this episode, I highlight how the movement has erupted in Paris and what this might finally mean for the taboo discussion around race in France.
Mentioned in this episode: Jenna Wortham for the NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/05/sunday-review/black-lives-matter-protests-floyd.html
Rokhaya Diallo's Al Jazeera op-ed: https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/france-denial-racism-police-brutality-200609133104476.html
George Floyd Protests Stir a Difficult Debate on Race in France https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/16/world/europe/france-race-george-floyd.html
Interview with me and Rokhaya Diallo, moderated by Pamela Druckerman https://youtu.be/jR6wR7WDAps
Pre-order "The New Parisienne": https://www.thenewparisienne.com/
France considers itself the birthplace of human rights and yet many of the country's policies when it comes to the disabled population are severely lacking. This is one of the themes discussed with today's guest, Marina Carlos, a 31 year-old French-Portuguese disability rights' advocate. For the last several years, she's been creating French and English content around ableism, accessibility, and media representation of disabled people. Her self-published book ""I'll figure it out: How Ableism Impacts Disabled People's Lives" will be released this summer. She joins me to talk about how the pandemic has amplified ableism and what needs to happen for Paris to become a more accessible city.
Mentioned in this episode: Marina Carlos on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarinaCpom Marina Carlos on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marinacpom/ Marina and her book: https://www.instagram.com/p/B_KPS3Gp0eJ/ Background on ableism: https://www.nccj.org/ableism Ableism and the pandemic: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/19/opinion/coronavirus-disabled-health-care.html
Pregnancy is an emotional, physically demanding, and life-changing experience in normal times. In a pandemic? Amplify those feelings. There are more questions than answers and a whole new set of protocols that an expectant mother hadn't anticipated. For Ariane Chang, an artist in Paris, the pandemic hit just as she was reaching the end of her pregnancy. When she was admitted to the hospital, she was presumed to have the virus. She joins the show to talk about the experience, the unexpected twists and turns to bringing her daughter into the world, and the essay she wrote following the birth for the NY Review of Books on being her clinic's first COVID-19 delivery.
Mentioned in this episode: Ariane Chang's NY Review of Books essay: https://www.nybooks.com/daily/2020/04/02/corona-maman-a-paris-clinics-first-covid-19-delivery/
Ariane Chang's art: https://www.instagram.com/yayachang.art/
If seven weeks in confinement has illustrated anything, it's just how much collateral damage a pandemic leaves in its wake. the fragile become more fragile. The disenfranchised are pushed down even further. But it isn't only human life that takes a hit. Animals, and in this case I'm referring primarily to domestic animals, are also heavily impacted by our radical shift in daily life. Unfortunately, that means high rates of abandonment. Though shelters were closed for the majority of confinement, France recently exempt individuals from the lockdown to rescue animals in need from shelters that are edging toward overcapacity.
As a lifelong animal lover and the parent of two adopted cats, this scenario is extremely upsetting. Somehow it feels even more cruel to imagine animals being dumped during the pandemic. The sentiment has been shared by my friend Roxanne Matiz. She's a photographer living in the 17th arrondissement whose confinement experience has radically changed in the last week: she has taken in an abandoned terrier and is prepared to do whatever she can to keep him well. I'm joined by Roxy to talk about the rescue and what happens next.
Mentioned in this episode: Roxanne Matiz: https://www.instagram.com/roxannematiz/?hl=en France adoption during confinement: http://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20200411-france-briefly-exempts-people-from-lockdown-to-rescue-abandoned-pets SPA: https://www.la-spa.fr/ 30 Millions d'Amis: https://www.30millionsdamis.fr/
At the end of 2019, the pension reform strikes dealt a nasty blow to businesses in Paris. I reported a story for Fortune magazine about the economic impact for a handful of food and wine establishments, including those run by Josh Fontaine. He is the co-owner of Quixotic Projects, the group that created Candelaria, among the world's top cocktail bars, Le Mary Celeste wine bar, Hero, and Les Grands Verres. He expressed just how devastating the strikes were to business at a time of year that usually represents a sizable source of annual revenue. I felt for him then and I feel for him even more so now. He joins me on the show to talk about how he's doing, what he's drinking at home, and what he believes awaits the business when confinement lifts.
Mentioned in this episode: Fortune article: https://fortune.com/2020/01/10/paris-pension-reform-strikes-france/ Quixotic Projects: https://www.quixotic-projects.com/ Josh's venues: https://www.quixotic-projects.com/venues-en Shop Merch: https://quixotic-projects.myshopify.com/ Les Grands Verres at Palais de Tokyo: https://www.instagram.com/lesgrandsverres/ Hero: https://www.instagram.com/hero_paris/ Le Mary Celeste IG: https://www.instagram.com/lemaryceleste/ Candelaria IG: https://www.instagram.com/candelariaparis/ Bar Marilou in New Orleans: https://www.instagram.com/barmarilou/
Today's episode is more of a discussion than a one-sided interview. I'm joined by Jacqueline Ngo Mpii, the founder of Little Africa, a cultural and tourism agency in Paris that connects individuals, companies, and organizations with the best of African spirit in Paris (and beyond). She invited me to discuss the impact of the pandemic on travel and the tourism industry on her Instagram account and we wanted to continue the discussion here. What does the future hold for travel? We try to imagine what's in store.
Mentioned in the episode: Little Africa: https://littleafrica.fr/ Little Africa Travel: https://www.instagram.com/littleafricatravel/ Little Africa Paris: https://www.instagram.com/littleafricaparis/ Little Africa city guides: http://boutique.littleafrica.fr/ Jacqueline Ngo Mpii: https://fr.linkedin.com/in/jacqueline-ngo-mpii-b9b32846 Skift on travel: https://skift.com/2020/04/16/the-travel-medias-role-in-the-coronavirus-crisis-and-recovery/ When we'll travel again: https://www.cntraveler.com/story/coronavirus We Travel Forward (hotel support): https://www.wetravelforward.com/ Buy Now Stay Later (hotel support): https://buynowstaylater.com/
It's week five of confinement in Paris. I have been reporting stories about the virus and how the lockdown has severely impacted businesses and was slowly thinking about recording the podcast from home (vs in a studio). After a number of listeners reached out saying they'd love to know a little bit about how Paris is handling the situation, I got the equipment set up and got to work! More episodes, with guests, to follow.
Mentioned in this episode: Paris under quarantine: https://www.cntraveler.com/story/life-in-coronavirus-quarantine-stories-from-paris-umbria-and-tel-aviv Restaurants suffering: https://www.eater.com/2020/3/17/21183882/life-in-a-paris-without-restaurants Rate of bankruptcy predicted: https://www.rtl.fr/actu/conso/coronavirus-quelles-seront-les-consequences-de-la-crise-economique-7800368225 Soutien Artisans et Commerçants: https://soutien-commercants-artisans.fr/ Institut Pasteur: https://don.pasteur.fr/site/ipa/coronavirus/en/don/index.html Vos Gâteaux: https://www.instagram.com/vosgateaux/?hl=fr New publication date for my book: https://www.abramsbooks.com/product/new-parisienne_9781419742811/
In the time I have run this show and published my book, "The New Paris", specialty coffee has become a far less exotic and unfamiliar commodity in the city and across France. The city's leading coffee roasters have helped that along and continue to demonstrate the importance of transparency in the industry. To talk about some of his company's new initiatives, I'm joined on this episode by David Flynn, co-founder of Belleville Brûlerie.
Mentioned in this episode: Belleville Brûlerie: https://cafesbelleville.com/?lang=en Pesticide-free coffee: https://cafesbelleville.com/blogs/bloguerie/zero-residu-de-pesticides Coffee subscription: https://cafesbelleville.com/pages/abonnement Tutorials on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cafesbelleville/
Update: Belleville Brûlerie has been donating coffee to Paris hospitals to support workers on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19. If you wish to buy a bag of the special blend to support them in their efforts, click here: https://cafesbelleville.com/products/petitssoins?variant=31513039732854 Instant coffee: https://cafesbelleville.com/collections/cafes-instantanes
(Recorded March 12, before Covid-19 confinement) One of the earliest travel aficionados I met in Paris was Anne Ditmeyer. Her design work, her blog aptly called Prêt à Voyager, and her leisure time all revolved around travel and the way it expands our minds and teaches us about other cultures and ways of life. As a longtime Paris resident, she has applied that travel experience to exposing visitors to the best of her home. Anne joins me on this episode to talk about her work, tourism in Paris, and immersive experiences.
Mentioned in this episode: anneditmeyer.com pret-a-voyager.com navigateparis.com Anne on Instagram: https://instagram.com/pretavoyager Anne on Twitter: https://twitter.com/pretavoyager On overtourism: http://www.pret-a-voyager.com/2019/07/the-problem-of-overtourism/ Farfelu Paris: https://www.instagram.com/farfelu.paris Grand Rex aquatic show: https://www.aquatic-show.com/fr/references/fontaine-musicale/fontaine-musicale-grand-rex-paris-france Cinema Pass: http://www.pret-a-voyager.com/2014/09/life-in-france-cinema-pass/ Vincent Sardon stamp shop: https://www.instagram.com/le.tampographe.sardon/
In February 2017, a young entrepreneurial Swede living in Paris took her design business to the next level. Deuxième Studios, a shoe label created by Lina Nordin Gee, brought fun fabrics and silhouettes, quality craftsmanship, and artisanal production to the fashion scene where more and more young talents are emerging online. Lina joins the show to talk about designing in Paris, creating in a time when sustainable consumption is paramount, and her thoughts on Paris as a fashion capital.
Mentioned in this episode: Deuxième Studios: https://www.deuxiemestudios.com
Parisian Postcards: https://www.instagram.com/parisianpostcards/
Parisian Postcards shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ParisianPostcards
The Earful Tower: https://theearfultower.com
Printemps department store: http://departmentstoreparis.printemps.com/store/haussmann/
When I think of the contemporary American writers that have marked the canon of documenting the French experience, I instantly think of David Lebovitz. The prolific author and blogger gave us personal stories about navigating life in Paris, about cooking, about buying and renovating an apartment and now he brings us a primer on drinking, with his new book aptly titled "Drinking French". He joins Lindsey to talk about the process, drinking culture in France, and his favorite cocktail.
Mentioned in this episode: David Lebovitz: https://www.davidlebovitz.com/ "Drinking French" book: https://amzn.to/2wyixNN David on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidlebovitz/ David's books: https://www.davidlebovitz.com/books/ David's book events: https://www.davidlebovitz.com/schedule/
The tale of how and why Americans come to settle in Paris is generations deep but it doesn’t stop being compelling. I learned about Jay Swanson, and American from the Pacific Northwest who has lived in Paris a number of years, through his video work. For the better part of three years, he was posting a video every single day on his popular YouTube channel about some aspect of life and culture in the city. But beyond that? I knew very little. We had the chance to get to know one another at the end of last year and talk a lot about a big, ambitious project he has for the next several years that takes him far beyond video documentation of Parisian life. Now, he joins me to share what’s brewing: Building the Oracle.
Mentioned in this episode: Jay Swanson YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/jayswanson/ French Fridays with Lindsey Tramuta: https://youtu.be/SsooVUuFYcM Building the Oracle: https://www.buildingtheoracle.com/ My interview on Building the Oracle: https://share.transistor.fm/s/5a486d92 Jay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayswanson/
Given the troubled nature of this beginning to 2020, I thought it would be a nice idea to start the year by talking about love. L’amour and its multitudes. Specifically, I wanted to talk about "Amour: How the French Talk about Love", the new book by Stefania Rousselle, an award-winning French-American photo journalist and filmmaker whose work has been featured in the New York Times, The guardian, Le Monde and many other outlets. A collection of photographs and essays with 90 strangers across France, her book attempts to uncover the universality of love.
Mentioned in this episode: Stefania Rousselle on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stefaniarousselle/?hl=en Stefania's book "AMOUR": https://amzn.to/2R3dXPG "Amour" samples: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/aug/09/stefania-rousselle-photographer-love Stefania's reporting:
An update about The New Paris podcast and the forthcoming book from the show's host, Lindsey Tramuta.
www.thenewparisienne.com
Closing out the third season and the year with a look back on some of the major stories that dominated the newsfeed throughout 2019 in Paris , from the Notre Dame fire to Mayor Hidalgo's war on cars and the pension reform strikes that, at the time of publishing this, have continued for four weeks. I’m joined by my friend Jake Cigainero, a fellow journalist and contributor to NPR.
NOTE: This episode was recorded on December 4th, the day before the start of the pension reform strikes. We hypothesized how disruptive the strikes would but it ended up becoming far worse than we expected.
Mentioned in this episode: Jake Cigainero, NPR: https://twitter.com/jacobstapp Notre Dame fire & big donations: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/dec/12/the-notre-dame-fire-prompted-an-orgy-of-wallet-waving-is-the-cathedral-now-rising-from-the-ashes G7 with Macron: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/30/world/middleeast/iran-trump-rouhani-call-macron.html Mayor Hidalgo's war on cars (and Airbnb. And Amazon): https://www.citylab.com/environment/2019/11/amazon-delivery-online-shopping-environmental-impact-paris/602674/ Pension reform strikes: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/17/world/europe/france-pension-protests.html
What does it mean to be a citizen of a given place? How do our origins, beliefs, and race compose our identities? Should they be part of understanding our senses of self at all? This is arguably one of the prevailing issues of our time but one that looks very different in the United States and France. It’s also one of the abiding questions explored by Thomas Chatterton Williams, a cultural critic and author based in Paris, in almost all of his work. His newest book: "Self-Portrait in Black-and-White: Unlearning Race", presents an argument for moving beyond such superficial ways of labeling and categorizing ourselves and proposes alternatives for considering who we are as people. He joins me to talk about his book and how the thorny topic of race plays out in his two homes.
Mentioned in this episode: Thomas Chatterton Williams: https://twitter.com/thomaschattwill "Self-Portrait in Black & White" https://amzn.to/2RxZbAX The Good Fight podcast interview with Thomas: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/10/how-to-talk-about-identity-without-playing-into-the-hands-of-racists.html "Losing My Cool" (first book): https://amzn.to/2RA7X1w Book excerpt in NYT Magazine: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/17/magazine/black-white-family-race.html Thomas on Bill Maher: https://www.hbo.com/real-time-with-bill-maher/2019/31-episode-511
Six years ago, I entered a new café that was aiming to do something that, at the time, was unique: to bring together good food AND excellent coffee. I had eagerly anticipated it’s opening and was sure it would become my regular hangout. But very quickly, word got out that this place called Hollybelly was doing more than delivering a new-to-Paris experience. It was combining Anglo-Saxon style service, an atmosphere that was dynamic and welcoming, and transparency around every decision, from the contractor who worked on the interior to the sourcing of ingredients. Lines snaked around the block and soon, this 10th arrondissement café was the place to eat and drink -- and I could only go infrequently. Six years and a second location and several renovations later, Holybelly still draws crowds. To talk about their singular success, approach to business, and communication style are the owners Nicolas Alary and Sarah Mouchot, featured in my book "The New Paris".
Mentioned in this episode: Holybelly: https://holybellycafe.com/ Holybelly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holybellycafe/
It’s been nearly a year since the start of the gilets jaunes or yellow vest movement and when I think back on the moments that will forever remain ingrained in my mind, it’s those of intense violence. Violence not only at the hands of the anarchists who latched on to the social demonstrations but violence against protestors at the hands of the police. Police brutality and excessive use of force isn’t only a topic of great controversy and discussion in the United States, it’s also an issue of great concern in France. But suspicion among citizens with regard to the police (and the state at large) didn’t begin with the yellow vest movement. Joining me to talk about this issue is Aida Alami, a journalist based between Morocco and France who covers social justice, immigration, religion and politics for the New York Times, and is at work on a documentary on anti racist activists and state violence.
Mentioned in this episode: Aida Alami: https://twitter.com/aidaalami Amal Bentounsi: https://www.clique.tv/clique-talk-amal-bentounsi/ Rokhaya Diallo (antiracist activist): https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-french-authors-puncturing-the-myth-of-french-women-dont-get-fat Aida's reporting on the headscarf: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/01/world/europe/maryam-pougetoux-islam-france.html Police brutality in France: https://www.newstatesman.com/world/europe/2019/09/how-french-police-brutality-harming-country-s-international-image French riots after death of 2 teens: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/22/nothings-changed-10-years-after-french-riots-banlieues-remain-in-crisis Paris Massacre 1961: What happened on October 17: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/how-to-forget-a-massacre-what-happened-in-paris-on-october-17-1961/ Le Code Noir (black code): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_Noir Macron admits torture during Algerian War: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/13/france-state-responsible-for-1957-death-of-dissident-maurice-audin-in-algeria-says-macron "Ici on noie les Algériens" documentary: https://www.ina.fr/video/CPD13001554
If anything earns near religious devotion in France it’s bread. And in Paris, the marquee name in artisanal bread making has been Poilâne since 1932. Apollonia Poilâne, my guest today, represents the third generation of her family‘s business, one that revolutionized the role of bread in its beginnings and continues to innovate, remaining a beloved staple of both the French table and those in 40 countries around the world. Her first book in English has just hit bookshelves worldwide. Poilâne: The Secrets of the World Famous Bread Bakery offers recipes for morning, noon, and night, tips for bread making at home, and poignant commentary about growing up in a bakery and preserving her family’s legacy.
Mentioned in this episode: Poilâne Bakery: https://www.poilane.com/en/ @painpoilane: https://www.instagram.com/painpoilane/?hl=fr Poilâne book: https://amzn.to/2oIrnFm
What defines the Parisian landscape? The mind instantly goes to a city with its tower, with its Haussmannian uniformity and its wide boulevards. But what really makes Paris, it's true lifeblood, is the Seine river, as much a protagonist in the city's story as its streets or landmarks. That's the conceit of a new book by bestselling author and former New York Times Paris bureau chief, Elaine Sciolino. "The Seine: the river that made Paris", her new book, is at once a chronicle of the Seine's role through history in everyday life and a personal account of one woman and her undying fascination with the world's most romantic waterway.
Mentioned in this episode: Elaine Sciolino: https://elainesciolino.com/ Elaine on Instagram: http://instagram.com/elainesciolino "The Seine" book: https://amzn.to/31NLJdN Elaine's work in the NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/by/elaine-sciolino
There's the New Paris and ten there's Another Paris, a book that could and perhaps should be paired automatically with mine when it comes to looking at the transforming landscape of Paris and Greater Paris. I met the author Nicolas le Goff several years ago when his incredibly clever and timely book was first released in French. Now, it's been updated and translated into English. Nicolas includes ten walks to discovering Eastern Paris and just beyond, with starting points at familiar destinations and itineraries that lead beyond the periphery. There's contemporary architecture, community gardens, street art, coffee shops, rehabilitated spaces and galleries. Nicolas joins me to talk about the book and this other side of Paris he hopes visitors and locals will take the time to explore.
Mentioned in this episode: Nicolas on Twitter: https://twitter.com/l_autre_paris "Another Paris": http://www.parigramme.com/livre-another-paris-523.htm Franchir le Périph: http://www.leparisien.fr/hauts-de-seine-92/plan-plan-la-banlieue-ouest-de-paris-il-va-vous-prouver-le-contraire-14-08-2019-8133366.php#xtor=AD-1481423553 The "Grand Paris" project: https://www.citylab.com/solutions/2016/01/grand-paris-governing-body-fragmentation/422547/ Bikes first: https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2019/08/paris-bike-lanes-rer-v-cycle-track-petite-couronne/596089/ Le Centquatre (104) cultural center: http://www.104.fr/
Is France progressive? What are some of the hot-button issues in France in recent months? Will we ever stop talking about the headscarf? I'm joined by journalist and research fellow Karina Piser of the Institute for Current World Affairs to talk about these and other topics along with her important reporting from her time in Paris.
Mentioned in this episode: Karina Piser (Twitter): https://twitter.com/karinadanielle6 The Institute of Current World Affairs: https://www.icwa.org/current-fellows/karina-piser/ Asylum seekers in limbo: https://www.icwa.org/they-made-it-to-france-now-these-african-teens-are-stuck-in-limbo/ France's #MeToo movement: https://www.thenation.com/article/france-metoo-balancetonporc/ Femicide in France: https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/28195/a-wave-of-femicides-forces-france-to-confront-a-domestic-violence-crisis On forced secularism in schools: https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/02/why-forced-neutrality-leads-to-polarization/516222/ Headscarves and school field trips: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/25/french-education-minister-reignites-row-over-muslim-headscarf
Among the most pervasive stereotypes about Paris is that it is the capital of love. Watch a few movies and you'd assume that romance and passion abound. I never believed those tropes but I was genuinely surprised to have met the man who became my husband only three days after I arrived in the city. That was thirteen years ago, before dating apps. From my single friends, I know that the dating scene has become significantly more challenging. Today's guests are here to discuss what it's really like to find love in Paris today -- Sutanya Dacres, host of the podcast Dinner for One, and Hugo Katsumi, a talented photographer.
Mentioned in this episode: Dinner for One podcast: https://www.dinnerforonepodcast.com/ Dinner for one on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dinnerfor.one/ Hugo Katsumi: https://www.instagram.com/hugokatsumi/?hl=en Happn dating app: https://www.happn.com/fr/
When you think about camping out on a café terrace with a drink, chances are you don't think of craft beer. This is a wine country after all, right? The history is a bit more complicated than that. According to the Brewers Association of France, beer consumption has grown about 3% annually each of the last four years after declining for 36 consecutive years. In my book, I looked into the craft beer rebirth in Paris and wrote about individuals deeply invested in driving the community, including today's guest. Thomas Deck is one half of Deck & Donohue, one of the city's leading brewers and undeniable success stories.
Mentioned in this episode:
The New Paris book: https://amzn.to/2XKVegI Deck & Donohue: http://deck-donohue.com/ Where to find the beer: http://deck-donohue.com/les-trouver/
This episode is a recording from the June 12th panel discussion at The American Library in Paris about French feminism -- what defines it, what are its challenges, how does it differ from the American movement, and where it's heading. I was joined by journalists Rokhaya Diallo, Alice Pfeiffer, and Lauren Collins, who moderated the talk. Enjoy!
Panelists: Lauren Collins, The New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/lauren-collins Rokhaya Diallo, journalist, activist, author: https://twitter.com/rokhayadiallo?lang=en Alice Pfeiffer, fashion journalist Les Inrocks, author: https://www.lesinrocks.com/auteur/alicepfeiffer/
The American Library in Paris: https://americanlibraryinparis.org/
If you’ve been reading the news or simply living as a human on earth, you’re aware of our world’s greatest crisis: the climate. The evidence is undeniable, we’re destroying our planet and not acting fast enough, if In the right ways at all, to slow its demise. Joining me to dig into the climate calamity and talk about how France measures up is Patrick Galey, the Global Science and Environment correspondant for the AFP news agency.
Mentioned in this episode + Additional reading Patrick on Twitter: https://twitter.com/patrickgaley What can we do to save nature? https://twitter.com/patrickgaley/status/1125376094473998336 UN Report Shows Nature at Death's Door https://news.yahoo.com/lost-world-un-report-shows-nature-deaths-door-151119912.html Scientists Warn of climate 'time bomb' for world's groundwater https://phys.org/news/2019-01-scientists-climate-world-groundwater.html Fuel subsidies defy green trend amid rising climate alarm https://news.yahoo.com/fuel-subsidies-defy-green-trend-amid-rising-climate-160743139.html;_ylt=AwrC1jEM3t5cDGkA_hHQtDMD;_ylu=X3oDMTEyY2tpNnJrBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQjc3MTFfMQRzZWMDc3I- Save Nature to Save Ourselves https://news.yahoo.com/million-species-risk-extinction-one-them-085309131.html Remote island beach plastics point to greater waste problem https://news.yahoo.com/remote-island-beach-plastics-point-greater-waste-problem-131013676.html An explainer on fossil fuels https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/05/how-much-does-world-subsidize-oil-coal-and-gas/589000/
For generations, musicians of all stripes have flocked to Paris to pursue their craft and perform for curious and engaged audiences. Today’s guests have been working in music and performing all over the country (and beyond) for over twelve years and together they form Signing Earth Divine, a 100 member gospel-inspired choir. As a part of the group gears up to perform at Carnegie Hall this month and May 24th at the Eglise de la Madeleine in Paris, I wanted to get the back story from its founders and lead artists, Crystal Petit and Jua Amir.
Mentioned in this episode: Singing Earth Divine: http://singtheearth.com/ Concert in Paris: http://singtheearth.com/index.php/concert-booking/ Concert at Carnegie Hall: https://www.carnegiehall.org/calendar/2019/06/09/distinguished-concerts-orchestra-and-distinguished-concerts-singers-international-0200pm Chez Crystal: https://www.chezcrystal.com/ Jua Amir on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deitiesoflove/?hl=en Crystal Petit on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crystalpetit/?hl=en
What does safety and security mean in the context of the French state? How does it relate to issues of immigration and national identity? Joining me back on the show is Andrew Aguilar (from episode 24), a PhD candidate in political science at Sciences Po and a fellow at the French Migrations Convergence Institute. On this episode, we talk about another aspect of his doctoral research and discuss concrete examples of its complexity in practice: state security in France and the UK.
Mentioned in this episode:
Episode 24 on Immigration with Andrew Aguilar: https://soundcloud.com/thenewparis/episode-24-on-immigration-islam-and-identity Shamima Begum controversy: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-47240100 Sajid Javid on Shamima Begum: https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-politics-47529837/sajid-javid-on-shamima-begum-and-uk-nationals-in-syria How ISIS returnees are stirring debate over citizenship: http://time.com/5534674/shamima-begum-hoda-muthana-isis/
How easy is it, really, to move to France and find work if you’re a foreigner? What about if English is your dominant language and French is a very distant second (or third, or fourth)? France24 journalist Charli James moved to Paris nearly two years ago and has talked at length about navigating life in Paris on her blog “Am I French Yet?” Today, she joins the show to talk about working and living in English/French and a hybrid of both. Up first: her work covering the Notre Dame fire on April 15, 2019.
Mentioned in this episode: Notre Dame fire, Charli’s coverage: https://youtu.be/zYu1nvNv9EY Charli James on Twitter: https://twitter.com/charli Am I French Yet? http://frenchyet.com How to Live in Paris Without Speaking French (blog post): http://frenchyet.com/live-paris-dont-speak-french/ Tips to Finding Work in English While Living in France (blog post): http://frenchyet.com/english-work-in-france-tips/
In a time when award-winning chefs are giving up their Michelin stars and more and more diners use their everyday tools like Instagram to plan where to eat, what’s the value of the guidebook? Has Le Fooding’s merger with Michelin impact the direction of lists and rankings? I talk about this with guests Lina Caschetto, chef at Cantina, and Sabrina Goldin, the co-owner of Cantina, Carbon and the Asado Club. We also discuss food festivals, women in the industry and what needs to change to make dining a more inclusive business.
Mentioned in this episode: Lina Caschetto http://www.linacaschetto.com/about Carbon: https://www.carbonparis.com Cantina: https://www.instagram.com/cantina_paris/ The Asado Club: http://www.theasadoclub.com/#intro Le Fooding: https://lefooding.com/en Dominique Crenn 3 Michelin Stars: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/29/dining/dominique-crenn-michelin-three-stars.html Best Female Chef Prize (My story): https://www.foodandwine.com/news/michelin-award-female-chef-debate Taste of Paris: https://paris.tastefestivals.com Esterelle’s list of female chefs in France: https://www.telerama.fr/monde/gastronomie-la-carte-des-370-cheffes-a-decouvrir-dans-toute-la-france,n5514484.php Parabere Forum: http://parabereforum.com Omnivore: https://www.omnivore.com MAD Symposium: https://www.madfeed.co Informed Opinions: Say YES https://informedopinions.org
Welcome to season 3! A block from the studio sits the 25Hours Hotel Terminus Nord, a new property that celebrates the real people who shape the day to day life of the wider Gare du Nord neighborhood. It’s also the latest project for today’s guest — Alex Toledano, co-founder of the art consultancy Visto Images.
Alex spent the bulk of his graduate and doctoral work studying urban history in Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries but went to apply much of that firsthand knowledge of a city’s urban fabric into establishing art collections for hotels, residences, offices and public spaces that tell a distinct narrative. Today, he joins me to talk about the changing fabric of the 10th arrondissement, the area that he has spent years studying, and more specifically the Gare du Nord. We talk about what’s special about the art and concept for this new hotel and why so much of Paris changes without every really changing at all.
Mentioned in this episode: Visto Images: http://www.vistoimages.com Art in Hotels: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/04/travel/beaumont-hotel-london.html 25Hours Hotel Terminus Nord: https://www.25hours-hotels.com/hotels/paris/terminus-nord Alex’s NYT Magazine story: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/16/magazine/the-uncommon-resilience-of-parisian-street-life.html
The end of season 2 and, perhaps more importantly, the end of 2018, merits a special discussion. Joining me back in the studio for a chat about some of the events that have defined the year in Paris and France is author and staff writer for The New Yorker, Lauren Collins. We talked about France’s World Cup 2018 win, SNCF strikes and, the big-hippo story of the year, the Gilets Jaunes (yellow jacket) movement and whether it’s safe to visit Paris (spoiler: YES IT IS).
Mentioned in this episode: Lauren Collins on the Gilets Jaunes: https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-gilets-jaunes-and-a-surprise-crisis-in-france SNCF strikes: https://www.railjournal.com/in_depth/sncf-reform-back-on-track-after-devastating-strike Macron under fire (« cross the street » to find work ) https://www.france24.com/en/20180917-macron-france-under-fire-telling-jobseeker-cross-street-get-work-unemployment World Cup 2018 win: on Identity https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/7/19/17590302/trevor-noah-france-french-ambassador-araud-world-cup Gilets Jaunes and Mobility: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/20/world/europe/france-yellow-vests-social-mobility.html
Metoo, body shaming, fatphobia, feminism, PMA, representation. These are among the words, movements and themes that have gone from niche or seldom addressed to the forefront of conversation across nearly all social stratums. In season 1, I invited Lauren Bastide of the feminist podcast La Poudre to discuss the outcome of #MeToo in France and the rising influence of a new generation of feminists who are raising their voices and taking to the streets. Now a year later, I go deeper into the conversation, looking at how #MeToo has or hasn’t awakened the national consciousness, the issue of representation, and the latest discriminations impacting women, with two important voices on the topics, Rebecca Amsellem, author and creator of Les Glorieuses and the book Les Glorieuses, chroniques d’une féministe, and Jennifer Padjemi, journalist and host of the new podcast Miroir Miroir.
Mentioned in this episode: Les Glorieuses: https://lesglorieuses.fr @LesGlorieuses: https://www.instagram.com/les_glorieuses/ Miroir Miroir: https://www.binge.audio/category/miroirmiroir/ Jennifer Padjemi: https://mobile.twitter.com/jenniferpadjemi Serena Williams bodysuit ban: https://www.vox.com/2018/8/28/17791518/serena-williams-catsuit-ban-french-open-tennis-racist-sexist-country-club-sport Rebecca’s commentary on the Serena Williams issue: https://www.nouveau-magazine-litteraire.com/idees/le-retour-de-baton-a-commence Fertility rights (PMA) https://www.ozy.com/fast-forward/a-new-french-revolution-is-brewing-in-fertility/89666
MeToo backlash https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/why-did-catherine-deneuve-and-other-prominent-frenchwomen-denounce-metoo
Brazil’s Presidential Elections https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/28/world/americas/jair-bolsonaro-brazil-election.html
It’s 5:30 pm on a Monday evening and that means, it’s time for a drink and a nibble or two. That drink in France would be part of the beloved tradition of l’aperitif or apero as we so commonly refer to it. It’s a shared moment before dinner, usually among friends and with a few snacks to whet your appetite. But it’s also the name for an entire genre of French spirits, consumer during apero hour. Both of these are the focus of a new book appropriately called “Apéritif: Happy hour the French Way.” On this episode, I’m joined by the author Rebekah Peppler to talk about the book, the tradition and how best to celebrate it.
Mentioned on this episode:
Rebekah Peppler: https://www.rebekahpeppler.com Order the book: https://www.rebekahpeppler.com/aperitif-the-book/ Rebekah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebekahpeppler/
Ah, Gay Paree. It’s an expression firmly anchored into the collective imagination that speaks to the fin-de-siecle period wherein Paris became known as the capital of pleasure. Today, say Gay Paree and it almost certainly refers to and evokes a more modern understanding. Joining me today to talk about gay culture, history and the continuing fight for acceptance is Dr. Bryan Pirolli, a fellow Philadelphian, journalist, and the founder of the tour company, the Gay Locals.
Mentioned in this episode: The Gay Locals: https://www.thegaylocals.com Rainbow crowsswalks in Paris: http://www.thegaylocals.com/blog/15/6/2018/rainbow-crosswalks-project-paris-pride The Gay Games: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/12/sports/paris-gay-games-2018.html Vandalism : https://www.dw.com/en/vandals-hit-paris-plaque-for-frances-last-executed-gays/a-44976704 Hidalgo fights homophobia https://www.out.com/news-opinion/2018/7/05/paris-mayor-snaps-homophobia-makes-rainbow-crosswalks-permanent
Think it’s only French food that dominates the dining scene in Paris? You’d be mistaken. And some of the best food is cooked by foreign chefs who came to the city to train, learn, handle some of the world’s highest quality products and give back. Some bring their cultures to the dining landscape while other offers their interpretations on Gallic classics. Today’s guest is Peter Orr, an Australian Chef who brings his experience cooking on three different continents to Robert, his new restaurant.
Mentioned in this episode:
Robert: https://robert-restaurant.fr Bar Martin: http://bar-martin.fr Au Passage: http://www.restaurant-aupassage.fr/en/ Le Grand Bain (Edward Delling Williams): http://www.legrandbainparis.com/en/home/
I met today’s guest 3 years ago at a café. He was conducting research on French Islam, I was writing my book on Paris. That café was a source of comfort for both of us after the Nov 13th attacks which killed and injured hundreds. These attacks, carried out by French or other European nationals affiliated with or inspired by the Islamic State, raised serious questions about France’s security, treatment of Muslims in the country, and policies toward integration and deradicalization. Andrew Aguilar, then a visiting scholar at Science Po, had his own views on the issue.
Today, Andrew is a PhD candidate in political science at Science Po and continues his research about what’s really at play when we speak about French Islam. On this episode, I speak to Andrew about immigration, Macron’s new quest to restructure Islam in France and how the country’s Muslims feel about their place in French society.
Mentioned in this episode: Andrew’s Letter to the Opinion Editor in the Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/macrons-plan-is-the-latest-attempt-at-religious-integration-in-france/2018/04/23/9e33c2be-44ce-11e8-b2dc-b0a403e4720a_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.915d0837c3da
France attempts to “reform” identity https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/struggling-to-prevent-terrorist-attacks-france-wants-to-reform-islam/2018/04/16/b81a20c6-1d67-11e8-98f5-ceecfa8741b6_story.html?utm_term=.79e1e7580a5d&tid=a_inl_manual
A French variant of Islam: https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/03/islam-france-macron/556604/
La France Insoumise https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_France_Insoumise
Some 23 million travelers from around the world descended on Paris last year. And if they’re like locals, they know there is more than one way to get around the city. But it is by foot that Paris is best experienced. Today’s guest is author and illustrator Jessie Kanelos Weiner, co-creator of the new book ‘Paris in Stride’ which offers clever and beautifully illustrated walking tours of the city, and speaks about the advantages and challenges to working as an artist in Paris, where she seeks inspiration, and what she enjoyed most about creating the book.
Mentioned in this episode: Paris in Stride: http://jessiekanelosweiner.com/books/ Edible Paradise: https://www.rizzoliusa.com/book/9780789331229/ Jessie Kanelos Weiner: http://jessiekanelosweiner.com Jessie’s Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/jessiekanelosweiner?ref=hdr_shop_menu Jessie’s Instagram (with event details): https://www.instagram.com/jessiekanelosweiner/
For Frenchman David Santori, Paris has largely been a place to visit. For nearly 20 years, he has lived in the United States, returning each year to his hometown only to visit family. What changes in Paris are most obvious to him, I wondered? Is « The New Paris » part of a subtle shift or something bigger? We talk about the changing city, linguistic codes, neighborhoods and his bi-cultural sense of self.
Mentioned in this episode: David Santori, @FrenchieYankee: https://www.instagram.com/frenchieyankee/
TheOtherDC https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/theotherdc/
« Du Coup » http://www.lefigaro.fr/langue-francaise/expressions-francaises/2016/08/04/37003-20160804ARTFIG00071-du-coup-aller-sur-ces-erreurs-de-langage-a-eviter.php
« Juste » http://www.lefigaro.fr/langue-francaise/actu-des-mots/2016/10/16/37002-20161016ARTFIG00023-10-tics-de-langage-a-proscrire-pour-le-bien-de-l-humanite.php
The literary and artistic ties to Paris run deep. From Hemingway to Stein, Davis to Coates, the city’s appeal is everlasting. Today’s guest continues that legacy. Cody Delistraty, named a young writer of the year by British Vogue, is a cultural critic who talks to Lindsey today about working in Paris, the state of art, and his next big project.
The latest trend in Paris? Leaving Paris! There’s been an influx of Parisians decamping to the countryside or smaller French cities like Montpellier or Bordeaux. Driven by a desire to return to the land, step away from the frenetic urban pace, lower cost of living or simply explore parts unknown, this exodus is on the rise. Today’s guests are chefs Lise Kvan and Eric Montéleon who left Paris with a mission to uncover the people and places preserving traditional farming, baking, argiculture, winemaking and more. It’s called Bon Fond.
Mentioned in this episode:
Bon Fond: https://www.bonfond.fr Bon Fond Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bon.fond/ Cafe Méricourt: https://www.cafemericourt.com First 5 producers Lise and Eric have met and worked with: http://www.lostincheeseland.com/2018/04/bon-fond-in-search-of-sustainable-farming-and-savoir-faire-in-france/
Baron Haussmann, celebrated as one of the greatest urban planners in European history, is credited with having transformed Paris from an overcrowded, dirty and disease-riddled city in the 1840s to a breathable, walkable city with wide, well-lit avenues, cobbled streets, and ashlar buildings with wrought-iron balconies. But there’s more to the Parisian urban landscape than contributions from the 19th century. To talk about urbanism and the changing face of Paris, I chat with Alice Cabaret, a French urban strategist with international experience in the fields of creative industrial reconversion and urban innovation. She is the Founder of The Street Society, a collaborative urban agency based in Paris which promotes innovation in the fields of property development and urban transformation.
Mentioned in this episode: The Street Society http://www.the-street-society.com/ The Maboneng Precinct http://www.the-street-society.com/prop Grand Paris project https://www.societedugrandparis.fr/info/discover-the-Grand-Paris-new-metro-205 Paris Olympics 2024 https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2017/08/paris-doesnt-need-the-olympics/535698/ Paris and its Estranged suburbs https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/13/world/europe/paris-tries-to-embrace-suburbs-isolated-by-poverty-and-race.html Anne Hidalgo's Plans for Green Paris Falters https://www.thelocal.fr/20180314/tempers-flare-as-paris-push-to-go-green-falters Les Grands Voisins https://lesgrandsvoisins.org/ Ground Control https://www.groundcontrolparis.com/ La Petite Ceinture https://www.paris.fr/petiteceinture
Do you know what's in the food you're ordering at restaurants? Where the meat from the supermarket comes from? How the animals you eat were treated on the farms they were reared on? Do you think about the livelihoods of the food artisans producing the goods you regularly consume? These questions are abiding preoccupations today and transparency is now the gold standard of consumption. Today's guest, Charles Guirriec, cofounded Poiscaille as a result. His is a service that connects ingredient-conscious consumers with sustainably-sourced fish at affordable prices, delivered to their doorsteps. We speak about the sustainable and transparent food movement in Paris and beyond.
Want to try the service? The New Paris listeners get their first box free when they create an account. Enter NEWPARIS at checkout.
Mentioned in this episode: Poiscaille: https://poiscaille.fr/ US consumers CSF/seafood finder: https://localcatch.org/ UK consumers: http://www.soleshare.net Restaurants Poiscaille works with -- Septime, Clamato, Mokonuts, Les Bancs Publics, Les Résistants, Ellsworth, La Robe et le Palais, Le Verre Volé, Les Déserteurs, Les Grands Verres, Bistrot Papillon
The last time we spoke about innovation in Paris was last year in the run up to the presidential election. Now that Emmanuel Macron has been in office for nine months, we revisit the discussion and look at the state of start-up culture, the creative scene and business development in the capital. Bringing their deep insights on the scene are Liam Boogar, of Rude Baguette and most recently of Algolia, and Abby Klein, founder of the Radical Departures podcast which highlights innovative men and women contributing to France's thriving startup ecosystem.
Mentioned in this episode: Radical Departures: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/radical-departures/id1292059754?mt=2 Liam Boogar: https://twitter.com/liamboogar Rude Baguette: http://www.rudebaguette.com/ Algolia: https://www.algolia.com/ DataIKU https://www.dataiku.com/ La French Tech: http://www.lafrenchtech.com/ Macron's Tech Visa: https://qz.com/1016742/emmanuel-macrons-new-tech-visa-is-designed-to-make-france-more-friendly-for-startups-than-the-us-or-uk/ Boston Dynamics' Scary Robot: http://fortune.com/2018/02/13/boston-dynamics-robot-spotmini-door/ Numérique, En Marche https://en-marche.fr/emmanuel-macron/le-programme/numerique Station F: https://stationf.co/
Artists of all walks of life are a venerated group in Paris and that is especially true for filmmakers. Based in Paris for the last year, American filmmaker, actor and writer, Dan Sickles joins me to kick off season 2 of The New Paris with a discussion on filmmaking in France, following(or not following) the rules, his humanist vision for non-fiction documentaries and the local scene's approach to cinema.
Mentioned in this episode: Dan Sickles: http://www.dansickles.com/about/ "Mala Mala": http://www.dansickles.com/malamala/ "Dina": http://www.dansickles.com/dina/ Sundance 2017 Grand Jury Prize: http://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/dina-review-sundance-1201963926/ Le Brady: http://www.lebrady.fr/theatre/
For the finale of season 1 of The New Paris, we're joined by journalist and fellow podcaster Oliver Gee (The Earful Tower) to chat about what drew him to Paris nearly three years ago, what he finds inspiring about the city, and what exactly makes this 'New' Paris so special.
Mentioned in this episode: The Earful Tower https://theearfultower.com/ Live episode: https://theearfultower.com/2017/11/20/live-episode-heres-how-it-all-went-down-plus-pics/ November 13th attacks: http://www.refinery29.com/paris-attacks-anniversary-travel-essay
How many times a week do you have a glass of wine? How often do you talk about wine? If you're Parisian, probably quite frequently. For me, it wasn't something I indulged with any regularity until I was researching and writing my book and finally discovered what I enjoyed drinking and knew what sorts of questions to ask. For wine writer, James Beard award winner and author Jon Bonné, it's an abiding preoccupation. On this episode, we speak to him about his new book "The New Wine Rules", the wine scene in Paris and what it's like being in the wine world today.
Mentioned in this episode: Jon Bonné: https://jonbonne.com/ The New Wine Rules http://amzn.to/2iv6Ddm Beaujolais: https://punchdrink.com/tag/beaujolais/ Malolactic Fermentation: http://winefolly.com/review/what-is-malolactic-fermentation-the-buttery-taste-in-wine/
Following the Harvey Weinstein allegations, stories of sexual harassment and misconduct have been pouring out and saturating our news feeds, and not only in the United States. On this week’s episode, we’ll be tackling the timely subject of systemic harassment, gender equality and feminism in France with Lauren Bastide, the journalist and feminist podcaster behind La Poudre, one of France's leading podcasts for women.
Mentioned on this episode:
La Poudre: http://www.nouvellesecoutes.fr/la-poudre/ Nouvelles Ecoutes: http://www.nouvellesecoutes.fr/ Banquette podcast: http://www.nouvellesecoutes.fr/banquette Splash podcast: http://www.nouvellesecoutes.fr/splash Stuff Mom Never Told You podcast https://www.stuffmomnevertoldyou.com/podcasts Here’s The Thing http://www.wnyc.org/shows/heresthething Hélène Cixous https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A9l%C3%A8ne_Cixous Julia Kristeva https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Kristeva Universalism vs Intersectionality https://genderate.wordpress.com/2015/08/17/feminism-101/ Laurence Rossignol https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_Rossignol Amandine Gay https://twitter.com/orpheonegra?lang=en
BalancetonPorc http://www.balancetonporc.com/
Rebecca Traister’s NYMag feature https://www.thecut.com/2017/11/rebecca-traister-on-the-post-weinstein-reckoning.html Catherine Deneuve defends Roman Polanski (FR) http://www.20minutes.fr/people/2100271-20170706-affaire-roman-polanski-propos-catherine-deneuve-deplaces-selon-csa Les InRocks Cover Controversy http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41657066
Paris certainly has no shortage of green spaces, from parks to beautiful squares, but it's only recently that a plant life movement has emerged in the city. To talk about this green and floral boom, Lindsey is joined by Elodie Love, creator of the blog Madame Love, and Judith de Graaf, co-author of the popular book "Urban Jungle: Living and Styling with Plants".
Mentioned on this episode: Judith de Graaf https://www.joelix.com/ Elodie Love http://www.madame-love.com/ Urban Jungle Bloggers/Book: https://www.urbanjunglebloggers.com/ Flowered by Titi la Tige http://www.floweredby.com/ Le Cactus Club: lecactusclub.fr Peonies Paris: http://www.peonies-paris.com/ Officine Universelle Buly https://www.buly1803.com/en/ Keukenhof (Tulip Park in Holland) : https://keukenhof.nl/fr/ Mama Petula: http://www.mamapetula.com Les Succulents Cactus: http://www.lessucculentscactus.com/
Coffee in Paris has gone from maligned to revered in a relatively short time but the movement is still taking shape. Joining the discussion today are two individuals contributing to shaping and nurturing the Parisian java scene, Mihaela Jordache, head roaster at Belleville Brûlerie, and Daniel Warburton, co-founder of Honor Café and Neighbours.
Mentioned in this episode: Belleville Brûlerie https://cafesbelleville.com/ KB Café: http://www.kbcafeshop.com/ Honor Café: https://www.honor-cafe.com/ Neighbours: https://www.honor-cafe.com/neighbours/ Hôtel de Crillon: https://www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/hotel-de-crillon Coutume Café: http://www.coutumecafe.com/
How does language shape or challenge our identities? Lauren Collins, staff writer for The New Yorker and the author of "When in French" (now in paperback!) joins us to discuss linguistics, the French language police, and navigating life in Paris as an Anglophone working to master a second language.
Mentioned in this episode:
"When in French": http://laurenzcollins.com/when-in-french/ Paris 2024: http://www.paris2024.org/en
How much of our image and understanding of Paris is shaped by what we see in the media? Or even more relevant to a younger generation, how much is shaped by social media? Do locals have a responsibility to present all sides of the city? To discuss the old vs new and the cliché vs the real, we chat with Arash Hajianpour, cofounder of design firm Optimistic Future, and Jane Bertch, co-owner of La Cuisine Paris cooking school.
Mentioned in this episode: Optimistic Future https://optimisticfuture.today/ La Cuisine Paris https://lacuisineparis.com/ The Paris Syndrome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_syndrome Le Trumilou http://www.letrumilou.fr/
What does the typical French breakfast look like? Coffee, juice, toast with butter or jam, maybe a soft boiled egg or just a simple croissant are customary. There are sweet mainstays at 4pm too when the French take their goûter (their afternoon snack). But there are more options and perspectives on mealtime in Paris today that challenge how best to start (or break up) the day. To talk about these moments and more broadly, how foreign concepts are received in Paris, we have two business owners joining us on this episode of The New Paris: Amanda Bankert, a French- trained American baker and co-owner of Boneshaker Doughnuts and Guy Griffin, the Franco-English owner of two coffeeshop-canteens, Café Oberkampf and Café Mericourt.
Episode Guests: Guy Griffin and Amanda Bankert
Mentions / Links: Café Oberkampf: https://www.instagram.com/cafeoberkampf/ Café Méricourt: https://www.instagram.com/cafemericourt/ Boneshaker Doughnuts: https://www.instagram.com/boneshakerparis/ Le Cordon Bleu: https://www.cordonbleu.edu/home/en
Thomas Abramowiscz and Usha Bora run successful businesses in Paris but only after spending much of their careers on a traditional corporate track, a path that's long been considered highly coveted with security in France. But things are changing and career shifts which were once considered too risky are more common with passion as the operative word driving concepts. The two small business owners talk about their careers, following their dreams and how difficult (or not) it truly is to run a business in France.
Mentioned in this episode:
The Beast: http://www.thebeast.fr Jamini: https://www.jaminidesign.com Marché Maman: https://www.mamannyc.com/marche-maman/
Paris has long held the title as the fashion capital of the world but a landscape dominated by big brands like Dior and Louis Vuitton has made it tougher for emerging brands. In recent years this has all changed thanks to an influx of young talent, like Glenn Martens of Paris-based brand Y-Project who is the special guest on this episode. Glenn talks about the competition and his thoughts on the industry-at-large.
Mentioned in this episode:
Y/Project: https://www.instagram.com/yproject_official/?hl=en ANDAM Award: http://andam.fr/ LVMH Prize: http://www.lvmhprize.com/ L'Eclaireur concept store: http://www.leclaireur.com/fr/stores/ Colette: http://www.colette.fr/
In this episode, we talk about some of the very physical changes happening in the city, namely a flurry of hotel renovations and openings that have seen the Paris hotel scene step up its game in both design and experience. We welcome designer and interior architect Raphael Navot, the man behind one of city’s most exciting new addresses, Hotel National des Arts et Métiers, which opened earlier this month.
Episode Notes: Raphael Navot: http://www.raphaelnavot.com/ Hotel National des Arts et Métiers https://www.hotelnational.paris/fr/ Hotel de Crillon: https://www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/hotel-de-crillon Ritz Paris http://www.ritzparis.com/en-GB Silencio http://silencio-club.com/en
What makes Parisian sweets, from pastry to chocolate, so singular? In this episode, Lindsey Tramuta speaks with two self-proclaimed gourmands -- Frank Barron aka Cakeboy Paris and Sharon Heinrich of Paris Chez Sharon -- to find out what they're drawn to, why, and how the industry as a whole has changed in recent years.
Episode Guests: Sharon Heinrich - Paris Chez Sharon https://parischezsharon.blogspot.fr/ Frank Barron - Cakeboy Paris http://instagram.com/cakeboyparis
Le Meurice Hotel, Cédric Grolet (head pastry chef) https://www.dorchestercollection.com/en/paris/le-meurice/ Jacques Genin http://jacquesgenin.fr/fr/ Claire Damon, Des Gâteaux et du Pain http://www.desgateauxetdupain.com/ Pierre Hermé http://www.pierreherme.com/ Bontemps Pâtisserie https://www.facebook.com/bontempspatisserie/
Lindsey talks innovation with digital anthropologist and best-selling author Rahaf Harfoush. Canadian-born and based in Paris for the past five years, Rahaf teaches innovation and emerging business models at Sciences Po and also contributed to The New Paris book. Rahaf talks to Lindsey about the tech hub of Silicon Sentier, in which sectors France is leading the way, and the promise of potential change in the upcoming election.
Episode Guest, Rahaf Harfoush: http://www.rahafharfoush.com/
Local companies leading the charge: La Maison du Bitcoin https://lamaisondubitcoin.fr/ Koudetat http://www.koudetatondemand.co/ France’s start-up blog http://www.rudebaguette.com/ Blah Blah Car https://www.blablacar.com/ Deezer https://www.deezer.com/en/ La Ruche Qui Dit Oui (CSA) https://laruchequiditoui.fr/fr The Family https://www.thefamily.co/ Numa: https://paris.numa.co/en/ Emmanuel Macron's presidential campaign hub: https://en-marche.fr/emmanuel-macron
Music by Little Glass Men
As a capital of gastronomy, it’s no surprise that a new and dynamic food scene heralded the first wave of change in Paris in recent years. In this episode, Alice and Lindsey pinpoint the names and addresses that have been at the forefront of this movement.
Lindsey also sits down with French food writer and author Clotilde Dusoulier of Chocolate and Zucchini to discuss where food is headed (and where it needs to head), and later with Canadian chef Lina Caschetto, who talks about the Vancouver style she's brought to Paris and an emerging focus on minimizing waste in the kitchen.
Episode Guests: Clotilde Dusoulier, author http://chocolateandzucchini.com/ Lina Caschetto, chef
Mentioned in this episode: -Achilles restaurant http://lefooding.com/en/restaurants/restaurant-achille-paris -Bonhomie http://www.bonhomie.paris/ -Le 52 Faubourg Saint-Denis http://www.faubourgstdenis.com/ -Claus http://www.clausparis.com/ -Café Oberkampf https://www.instagram.com/cafeoberkampf/ -Pasdeloup http://pasdeloupparis.com/ -Grand Pigalle Hotel http://www.grandpigalle.com/ -Quixotic Projects http://www.quixotic-projects.com/ -Bespoke http://bspk.fr/
Music by Little Glass Men
An introduction to The New Paris podcast, with writer Lindsey Tramuta and co-host and fellow writer Alice Cavanagh. In this episode we delve into the highs and lows of early expat life in Paris and our experiences as impatient outsiders in a city that took it’s sweet time to reveal itself to be (thankfully) more than a pretty postcard.
Links and mentions:
Hotels: -Hotel Amour
Fashion’s new Guard -Vetements http://vetementswebsite.com/ -Y-Project http://www.yproject.fr/ -Christelle Kocher http://www.koche.fr/ -Jacquemus http://jacquemus.com/ Food
Cheesemonger: Le Fromagerie Goncourt Restaurant open to food allergies: 52 Faubourg Saint Denis http://www.faubourgstdenis.com/
Music by Little Glass Men