The New Paris Podcast
By NewParisPodcast
The New Paris PodcastOct 09, 2019
129: On Running a Cooking School in Paris with Jane Bertch
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:
Jane's book: The French Ingredient
128: On bikes, the Olympics, & the Transforming City with Brent Longley
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:
The Tryphena Project, Brent's newsletter
Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan
127: On Loving & Leaving Paris with Sara Lieberman
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's newsletter Overthinking It
Sara's GQ story on Mayor Hidalgo's swimmer son
Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan
126: Paris 2023 in Review
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
125: Book Culture in Paris with Audrey Chapuis
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:
Kirstin Chen and Grace Ly in conversation
The Curse of the Marquis de Sade by Joel Warner
Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan
124: On Parisian donuts, vegan food & baking with Amanda Bankert
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:
Chambelland (gluten-free bakery)
Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan
123: On The New French Wine with Jon Bonné
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:
New York Times/Eric Asimov review of the book
*Watch my conversation with Jon on YouTube
Audio production & editing: Matthew Jordan
122: On language learning & building Hello French with Cécilia Jourdan
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 on Instagram & TikTok
121: Imagining the Future of Fashion in Paris (& Beyond)
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
Special thanks to Matthew Jordan for producing and editing this episode.
120: Reality Check-The Global Impact of Paris as Fashion's Capital
(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)
Tiffanie Darke's Substack "It's Not Sustainable"
Clothing landfills in Ghana's textile market
Special thanks to Matthew Jordan for producing and editing this episode.
119: Paris travel talk with Jay Swanson
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:
Chulita (tortas)
Thank you to Matthew Jordan for producing and editing this episode.
118: On Lebanese food in Paris, dining, and career shifts with chef Rita Higgins
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:
Thanks to Matthew Jordan for recording and sound editing
117: Three years of The New Parisienne and a listener contest!
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.
Thanks to Matthew Jordan for recording and sound editing on this episode.
116: On sports culture, 'Wembymania', & the 2024 Paris Olympics with historian Lindsay Krasnoff
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:
Victor Wembanyama and the NBA draft lottery
Thanks to Matthew Jordan for recording and sound editing on this episode.
115: On Tunisian olive oil as a form of resistance with Kaïa's Sarah Ben Romdane
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:
Thanks to Matthew Jordan for technical production and editing on this episode!
114: On discovering art in Paris with Alex Weinress of The Seen Paris
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:
David Zwirner gallery in Paris
Hiba Schahbaz, Pakistani artist
Antoine Bourdelle / Bourdelle Museum
The New Paris Dispatch newsletter
Thanks to Matthew Jordan for technical production and editing on this episode!
113: On 'Joie', living well, and lessons from France with Ajiri Aki
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:
Joie (order the book!)
OECD report on French productivity
Paula Sutton, Hill House Vintage
Marché aux Puces de Saint Ouen
Thanks to Matthew Jordan for technical production and editing on this episode!
112: On Parisian Design & Interior Architecture Trends with Tala Gharagozlou
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:
Paris Society spots (Monsieur Bleu, Girafe..)
Touriste Hotels / Adrien Glouagen
Thanks to Matthew Jordan for technical production and editing on this episode!
111: A Musician's Life in Paris with Pianist Bonnie Brown
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:
The Australian National Academy of Music
Ross Edwards, Australian composer
Thanks to Matthew Jordan for technical production and editing on this episode!
110: On the French pension reform and ongoing strikes
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
Thanks to Matthew Jordan for technical production and editing on this episode!
109: On Marie Antoinette's Enduring Legacy with Dr. Susan Taylor Leduc
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
Thanks to Matthew Jordan for technical production and editing on this episode!
108: French Wine talk with Alison Eastaway of Cavewoman Wines
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)
BONUS! 107: On Macron and the World Cup Final with Rym Momtaz
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
106: The American baker, Dan Pearson, behind the best pizza in Paris
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:
105: Cake Talk with Sweet Paris author Frank Barron
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)
104: Baking the French way with "Gâteau" author Aleksandra Crapanzano
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
103: Explaining Europe's Energy Crisis with Laurent Schmitt of Dcbel
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 Schmitt
A 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
102: On European Baking and What's 'New' About It with Laurel Krotochvila
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:
Shakespeare & Sons (not & Co!) bookstore
Le Balto Bar
101: On Tourism and Seeing Paris in New Ways with Simon Burke of Txango Tours
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
100: Understanding identity through books with "Americanon" author Jess McHugh
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:
Americanon: An Unexpected U.S. History in Thirteen Bestselling Books
Jess’s story on bison
Merriam-Webster on Twitter
Read an excerpt from Americanon
Democracy in America by de Toqueville
99: Some thoughts on tip culture, in France & beyond
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
98: On stand-up and humor in Paris with comedian Sarah Donnelly
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
God Save My English series on Audible
The Only American in Paris show (tickets)
Drôle on Netflix (Standing Up)
97: Soul Food Paris and Creating Cultural Exchange for Young Migrants
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:
Support Soul Food
Refettorio in Paris au Foyer de la Madeleine
96: Presidential Election Debrief: Macron part II with Chris O'Brien
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's viral twitter thread about the NYT’s obsession with Marine Le Pen
Sylvain Tesson quote about French unhappiness
The Startup President
95: Navigating the French: 2022 Presidential Election edition with Emily Monaco
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:
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
94: Women's rights in France and beyond with Megan Clement
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 Twitter
IMPACT by Les Glorieuses
Malta continued
Impact interview with Mariana Ardila on Colombia’s historic abortion victory
93: On French digital culture, productivity, and work with Rahaf Harfoush
One of my goals with The 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 & Float
Rahaf'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
92: On fine-dining in Paris with sommelier Etheliya Hananova
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
91: On France's War on Woke with Cole Stangler
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
(SEASON 6) 90: French-American General Store Shopping with Landline
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:
89: La Campagne: Understanding the French Elections, Parties, & Candidates
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
88: Transforming Paris into a bike capital with Nicolas Le Goff
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
87: What the New Wave cinema movement can tell us about contemporary France with Laure Astourian
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
86: How French healthcare stacks up with Robin Davis
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?
Robin's recommended resources:
Breast of Us (U.S.)
Rose Up (France)
85: On Southeast Asian Cooking in Paris with Khánh-Ly Huynh
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
Her favorites:
Les Arlots
Osteria dell’Anima
Tempilenti
84: On food & identity with Puxan
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
83: The Changing Art World & the Luxe-ification of Paris with Dr. Susan Taylor Leduc
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 EPISODE
Susan 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
82: On food, cookbooks, and dining out with Victoire Loup
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
81: Justice for all? The state of things in France with Yasser Louati
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
80: Parisian Faces: Behind "Les Gueules de Parisiens"
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