15.36 - From Paris Pages to Poetic Phrases: Your Literary Journey Through France Awaits
In this FREE le Bulletin 3 delicious discoveries await you today - from hilarious French adventures to soulful expressions that'll make you fall in love with la langue..
Today at a Glance: Your FREE weekly newsletter
Bonjour mes amis !
It’s wonderful to have you back here with me today! Bienvenue !
In this newsletter, you’ll find fresh articles, “From Paris Pages to Poetic Phrases: Your Literary Journey Through France Awaits”
Watch out for and don’t miss the PAID subscriber edition of le Bulletin on Saturday this weekend: “15.36.a - From Asterix to Monte Cristo: How France Conquered Global Streaming - It’s not too late to subscribe←
AN IMPORTANT NOTE FOR YOU, yes, all of you.
Bonjour mes amis,
I hope this finds you all in wonderful spirits! I'm thrilled to report that our website migration went à merveille - our old WordPress site is now safely tucked away hors de vue, and we're making steady progress on reworking old articles onto the new site: MyFrenchLife.org. Have a peep :)
À bientôt !
Warmly,
Judy - 6.09.2025
1. MyFrenchLife™Magazine new articles
“There are many talented contributors to MyFrenchLife Magazine and I thank all of you for sharing your experiences with us in such an engaging manner.
You take us right across France & deep into many worm-holes. We delight in discovering
and learning more about France beyond the cliché”
Merci
Judy
a) Book Review: I Am Finally, Finally French by Mark Greenside
by Keith Van Sickle
Mark Greenside is at it again!
First, “I’ll Never Be French” and “(not quite) Mastering the Art of French Living”. Now comes “I Am Finally, Finally French”, a worthy successor, writes Keith.
b) Poetic French Expressions for Everyday Life
by Morgane Andersson
Today, we’re exploring a handful of images that speak, expressions that bring French to life, and that make you feel like you’re not just learning the language, but living inside its weather, its mood, its culture.”
Here are some of the most soulful and vivid French expressions, where they come from, and how to use them like a native (or a poet),” writes Morgane.
c) Ernest Hemingway’s Hills Like White Elephants was published in 1927, in a collection called Men Without Women.
by Keith Christiansen
…Not set in France, but written while Hemingway was in Paris. The silence at its core feels emblematic of something bigger.
The story typifies his style and the idea that writing should be minimalist, emotionally withheld, stripped down,” writes Keith.
2. Merci mille fois
“Thank you for subscribing to ‘le Bulletin’, the newsletter of MyFrenchLife Magazine.”
Judy MacMahon
Chers amis (dear friends)
Oh, my fellow conspirators in all things French! Can I share something that made me bounce in my chair today? It's the way these three pieces speak to each other like old friends at a dinner party. Mark Greenside is still wrestling with French identity after all these years (bless him!), Morgane is unveiling the poetry hidden in everyday French expressions, and Hemingway's ghost is whispering to us from those Parisian writing sessions nearly a century ago.
Here's what I keep thinking about: we're all Mark Greenside, aren't we? Forever on the verge of being "finally, finally French" but somehow always discovering new depths to explore. And those expressions Morgane shared - "les images qui parlent" - they're not just words, they're doorways into the French psyche. I've been practicing "broyer du noir" in my head all afternoon, hoping I'll never need to use it but loving how it sounds.
But here's the conspiracy part, mes amis - I think we're creating our own literary salon right here! Just like Hemingway found inspiration in Paris cafés, we're finding inspiration in each other's discoveries. Your comments, your shared experiences, your own French adventures; they're writing the next chapter of this love story with France.
Keith Van Sickle and Keith Christiansen, Morgane, Mark, they're all part of our extended French family now, sharing their insights with us like secrets passed between trusted friends. And you, dear reader, you're not just consuming these stories - you're living them, adding your own chapters to this endless French narrative.
Every Tuesday when le Bulletin arrives in your inbox, it's like receiving a love letter from France itself - and I'm just the messenger, so grateful to be part of this beautiful conversation.
A bientôt
Judy
judy@myfrenchlife.org
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