16.23 - France, With Zombies
FRANCE AS IT HAPPENS—Hidden theatres, guinguettes on the Dordogne, and the American who painted loneliness in Paris
Today at a Glance: Your FREE weekly newsletter
Bonjour mes ami(e)s !
It’s wonderful to have you back here with me today. Bienvenue !
In this newsletter, you’ll find these wonderful fresh articles taking you to France beyond the cliché.
Don’t miss the PAID subscriber edition of le Bulletin in your inbox: “16.23.a - Permission Not Required - It’s not too late to upgrade & read it←
À bientôt !
Warmly,
Judy - 13.6.2026
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
Our list of valued Contributors →
A reminder that ‘The Writers Room’ now resides here →
a) Discovering Paris’ Hidden Theaters—Zombies and all
by Elizabeth Joubert
If you’d asked me a couple of weeks ago, I’d have told you I didn’t want zombie attacks in my entertainment. The cultural obsession with vampires, wizards, and monsters that dominated the last two decades just didn’t do it for me. “
Until it did.”
The zombies got me not via a megabestselling franchise, but through a small production in a black box theater in Paris. It was unfamiliar territory for me; perhaps I was vulnerable.”
Paris has 130 playhouses*, and until last week, I’d only been to one…” wrote Elizabeth Joubert.
b) Seasons in the Southwest: Early Summer
by Valerie Riviera
Sitting in our dining room with the balcony door open to the early summer air, I can see straight across the river to La Plage. The old cowbell clangs. Another dish is up. Our local guinguette — one of the festive riverside restaurants that appear along the Dordogne each summer like a seasonal promise — is just coming back to life. The plane trees have fully leafed out now, thick and generous, and whatever wisps of buildings you could see have disappeared behind them.”
I have a personal goal of trying…” wrote Valerie Riviera.
c) A Great American Painter in Paris
by Jenn Bragg
Once in a while, in doing my research, I discover that some well-known Americans traveled to Paris during my favorite period, between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Recently, I learned that one of my favorite American artists, Edward Hopper, was one of them.”
If you haven’t heard of Edward Hopper, he was a Realist painter most known for ‘Nighthawks’, which shows a couple of lonely souls sitting in a late-night diner. He produced it in 1942 when he was around 60 years old.” wrote Jenn Bragg
.
d) The Woman Who Never Signed Her Name
by Judy MacMahon
She put a caged bird in a Paris shop window to defy the occupation. She made the panther immortal. She never once signed her name. Who was this woman? I’d heard of her, of course, but I didnt know the depth of her story.
NOTE: This essay will be published in about 16 hours — watch out for it. Its part of our rich deep-dive essay collection exploring French culture .
I really enjoyed researching and writing it.
If you choose to upgrade, you will, I’m sure, enjoy it too.
2. Merci mille fois
“Thank you for subscribing to ‘le Bulletin’, the newsletter of MyFrenchLife™ Magazine.”
Judy MacMahon
Merci mille fois d’être ici, mes ami(e)s. Thanks for being here.
What a surprising, alive edition this has been.
Elizabeth Joubert walked into a black box theatre not expecting much, and came out converted. Zombies did it. I love that. The best France stories are always the ones where you didn’t see the door before you walked through it.
Valerie Riviera sat at her dining room table with the balcony door open and described a guinguette coming back to life on the Dordogne. The cowbell, the plane trees leafing out, the river just there. I read it twice.
And Jenn Bragg reminded me that Edward Hopper went to Paris four times before he became Edward Hopper. That the painter of American loneliness learned something essential in the city that taught everyone. I hadn’t known that. Now I can’t unknow it.
Thank you, Elizabeth, Valerie, and Jenn, for bringing your France to us this week.
And if you’ve ever wondered what sits behind the paywall for Annual subscribers and Mighty Supporters — this week it’s Jeanne Toussaint, the woman who shaped Cartier for fifty years and never signed a thing she made. She alone is worth the upgrade.
Thank you, dear readers, for being here, for reading with such care, and for being part of this wonderful global community of francophiles. It means more than you know.
And that, perhaps, is FRANCE AS IT HAPPENS this week
À bientôt,
Judy
judy@myfrenchlife.org
Thanks for reading ‘le Bulletin’! This post is public, so feel free to share it.
‘le Bulletin’ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support us, I personally ask you to consider becoming a free or annual subscriber.
Here’s how you can stay in touch & personalise your le Bulletin experience, and deepen your French connection.
🔓 Here you can UNLOCK EXCLUSIVE FRENCH STORIES:
Become an annual member and save! Enjoy exclusive, intimate glimpses into France and French lives delivered straight to your inbox.
⭐ How you can BECOME A CHERISHED MIGHTY SUPPORTER:
If you love le Bulletin, you can help us share more stories of remarkable French women and authentic French experiences. Plus, enjoy special perks!
🎁 Perhaps you’d like to SHARE THE INSPIRATION:
Gift le Bulletin to friends and family who admire the strength and spirit of French women. It’s the perfect way to share your passion for France.
💡 And don’t forget… you can always EXPLORE THE ARCHIVES:
Discover even more inspiring stories in our complete newsletter archive. Perfect for satisfying your Francophile cravings whenever suits you, wherever you live.