14.15 - Deep & rich immersion, a must-read for all Francophiles: a weekend delight
Exploding with new & different ways to immerse yourself in France this weekend 3 introductions+5 articles—One woman’s runaway story—one man’s 3-part Parisian autobiography & a poem about travel+EVENTS
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Merci. Judy -20.4.24
1. This Week’s Featured Contributors are Valerie Helmsbeck Mascitti, & Monique Eurich who have both just joined MyFrenchLife™️ Magazine + I introduce Samuél Lopez-Barrantes.
Please help me welcome Valerie (left) and Monique (right) as we publish their first contributions.
Valerie introduces herself:
I was a staff features reporter for Gannett newspapers for many years. I won the Temple University Free Speech Award and later worked in France for the DuPont Company. I’m a proud member of the Oyster of the Month Club and the National Geographic Society.
Monique introduces herself:
My pen name is Naad Kaur Art. My life in France has evolved to combine art, photography and poetry in a self-imposed Poem-a-Day Project which began 1.1.23. I post daily on IG & FB and plan to continue for at least 3 years to explore how art informs art.
Also today I have the pleasure of sharing a Parisian autobiographical three-part series by Samuél Lopez Barrantes:
I’ve lived in Paris since 2010 as a novelist and musician. I teach creative writing at the Sorbonne and host the Paris Writers' Salon with author John Baxter. More... my debut novel, Slim and The Beast (Inkshares, 2015) or the latest historical metafiction about the Nazi Occupation of Poland, The Requisitions (Kingdom Anywhere, 2024). Also visit my website or Substack
Welcome to Valerie, Monique, and Samuél: former journalist, poet, and author, who all live in France.
You will find their articles below. Enjoy.
2. MyFrenchLife™️ Magazine: new articles (5)
Stay in touch by reading the new articles & don’t forget there are >3000 fascinating articles in our archive - this sounds like an amazing immersion opportunity to me - a chance to get lost in France, without jetlag.
a) Paris Is Always Worth It – Or, how a Novelist Might Build a Life in the City of Light – Part 1/3 of a (brief) Parisian autobiography by Samuél Lopez-Barrantes
This series is a perfect example of the recent addition of long-form articles being added to MyFrenchLife Magazine.
Samuel writes:
Picture yourself in a small studio apartment with bright overhead lighting. The living room is empty, save you and me. The host told us to come from seven-thirty onwards, and it’s almost nine-thirty, and her hair is still wet from a cold shower she just took, and now she’s preparing a cheese platter in the tiny Parisian kitchen, which is too small for either of us to be of help. On the glass coffee table in front of us are two uncorked bottles of red wine and two bags of unopened Tyrell’s potato chips (both sea salt and apple cider vinegar).
“Looks like we have the same taste in snacks,”…. ” .
This autobiography is quite a story and paints a picture of the real impact Paris (and France) can have on your life. A must-read for all francophiles.
Read all three parts:
Paris Is Always Worth It – Or, how a Novelist Might Build a Life in the City of Light – Part 1/3 ←read it here
Paris is Always Worth it - Wherein a young writer begins to question just exactly what he's doing in Paris - Part 2/3 ←read it here
Paris is Always Worth it: A Brief Parisian Autobiography in Three Parts—Part 3/3 ←read it here
b) What's a Runaway Wife? How I decided to leave home, family, and friends to end my life in France by Valerie Helmsbeck Mascitti
Valerie writes:
”…After 40 years of making my living by writing and editing, I decided if this place I now call home is a good enough subject for the writers in Paris before me, I should give it a try…”
Wow, what an introduction. You can read the entire article here ←and hear more from Valerie each month.
c) Martinique, France: How is this my window? by Monique Eurich
Monique writes:
Martinique: As a voyager poet in France, my goal is to travel often where French is spoken. This poem recognizes a new space with the astonishment of time-travel.
You can read Monique’s poem here ←
3. EXCHANGE UPDATE: ‘The Postcard Exchange’ – inviting you to participate← by Jacqueline Dubois Pasquier
“Who still sends postcards when they are on holiday?” writes Jacqueline.
We are exchanging real postcards with partners from other countries. so much fun and a great way to connect with Francophiles in other counties.
Are you in? What do you think?…”
There are already >50 people participating and the list is growing as I write.
You’re invited to participate whether you’ve read ‘The Postcard’ book or NOT.
This is an opportunity for Francophiles from all around the world to connect
ALSO for those who’ve already registered your PARTNER information has already been emailed to you now…check your inbox and SPAM filter.
Find out how to participate and join us←
4. ONLY days to go - Do you have your ZOOM link? Check now - Book Club EVENT is on Saturday 27 April - RSVP required.
→ RSVP here: https://forms.gle/AQn5HHaEvWLmksw58
'The Postcard' by Anne Berest has been our Spring read. It's been recently translated by Tina Kover and was first published under the French title 'La Carte Postale' in 2021.
We will continue reading through April and have scheduled our online ZOOM Discussion EVENT for Saturday 27 April 2024, no matter where you live.
*If you intend to join us, then RSVP here now← RSVP to get the essential Zoom link within 24hrs. No link no attendance. You know how it works.
5. @MaVieFrancaise Instagram—it’s all happening:
Video chats, articles, poetry, introductions to new magazine contributors… come follow us←
6. Merci mille fois - thank you for subscribing and reading le Bulletin—Thank you, Judy
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And… finally, you can immerse yourself in the archive of le Bulletin Newsletter here & the MyFrenchLife Magazine archive of >3000 articles
IMPORTANT REMINDER for The Postcard Book Club Discussion EVENT - Saturday 27 April
ONLY days to go - Do you have your ZOOM link? Check now - RSVP required.
→ RSVP here: https://forms.gle/AQn5HHaEvWLmksw58