Book Giveaway: The Paris Bookseller
Plus, my interview with Author Kerri Maher, and 8 American women who changed Paris forever
Dear Readers,
I’m a tad ashamed to be wishing you “Bonne Année” (Happy New Year) when January is nearly gone. But in my defense, this is a pretty typical French practice: you can greet people this way throughout the month, and no one will find it strange. Admittedly, I’m cutting it all a little fine, but I sincerely hope your 2023 will be marked by adventure, joy and prosperity.
Enough with the “mea culpas” and on to this month’s issue! As someone who’s long been interested in writing a historical novel rooted in literary history, I was intrigued to happen upon a recent book centered around one of the great (mostly unsung) heroes of Parisian artistic and intellectual life in the early 20th century.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Kerri Maher, author of The Paris Bookseller, which is a fictional tribute to the life, times, friendships and loves of one Sylvia Beach. Beach is the founder of the original Shakespeare and Company bookshop in Paris, but her legacy is much richer still.
I caught up with Kerri over Zoom recently to discuss how she went about researching the novel, why she thought Beach made a deserving protagonist, why she’s much more than the “midwife of modernism” and the first publisher of Joyce’s Ulysses, and more. What follows is a lightly edited, condensed version of our conversation.
I’m delighted to announce that the publishers of The Paris Bookseller, Berkley, have agreed to give away a copy of the book to one lucky reader of this newsletter. Unfortunately, though, they can only send the book to a contender with a US-based address.
If you have a US postal address and want to throw your hat in the ring, answer the following bit of trivia (send answers to editor@parisunlocked.com). If you’re the first to respond and meet the criteria above, you’ll win a copy of Kerri’s book!
Which character in what famous French film made the following existentialist remark? “Entre le chagrin et le néant, je choisis le chagrin … Et toi, tu choisirais quoi?”
Good luck to all of you!
Next, and very much apropos, follow up with my in-depth look at 8 women who moved to Paris, then made history (spoiler alert: two of the women featured in this week’s newsletter made the cut).
From writers and literary salon hosts to entertainers and heroes of the French Resistance, these American women would make Emily in Paris blush with embarrassment at her comparatively mediocre accomplishments (I’m blushing at my own, incidentally).
Next up, my little family and I recently stayed for a few nights at a hotel just feet away from Paris’ Gare de L’est— in fact, it literally overlooks the train station and its twisted network of tracks. In some ways, it almost feels like part of the station, which is interesting or a bit disconcerting, depending on how you look at it.
But despite the grungy industrial surroundings, the Okko Hotel Paris Gare de l’Est is an interesting landmark, built above an enormous public garden that brings a nice touch of greenery to the area.
Based on my stay there, the four-star hotel is all about sleek design, seeing and being seen, and style— perhaps a bit too much to the detriment of comfort and functionality. Read my full review to find out why I would only genuinely recommend this 4-star hotel to solo travelers or executives with steep budgets– especially those who enjoy spending lots of time in well-appointed bar and lounge areas, perhaps working with colleagues after hours over drinks.
Finally, if you’re arriving in the capital next month, it can be remarkably relaxed and charming in its low-season ebb. There’s still plenty on around town, but lines are shorter, galleries less sardined with tourists. Hotels are emptier and the rates are less eye-watering.
My updated guide to visiting Paris in February is packed with all the info you’ll need to make the most of your end-of-winter sojourn, from tips on what to see and do to packing advice.
That’s about all for this issue. I really appreciate your continued support and readership, and make sure to visit the Paris Unlocked website to peruse our significant archive of France-related features, travel tips, histories and stories. Scroll down to see just a few I suggest.