16.24 - A Gateway to Another Century
FRANCE AS IT HAPPENS— A secret garden in the oldest passage in Paris. The writing that moves us. And why the French never tried to look effortless.
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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: “16.24.a - The Secret Keepers - It’s not too late to upgrade & read it←
À bientôt !
Warmly,
Judy - 20.6.2026
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 →
Introducing new Contributor, Elisabeth Perotin
Born and raised in Reims, the historic home of Champagne, I have always been deeply rooted in French culture, while also keeping a close eye on the English-speaking world. With part of my American family living in New Mexico, I have forged a unique and precious connection with the United States. This has taught me to see France from two perspectives: that of a local and that of a traveler.”
As a professional photographer, my camera is my greatest storyteller. It is this deep love for my country and my endless fascination with the secret, poetic corners of Paris that inspired me to create my website frenchglimpses.com, and later my Substack newsletter, where my photos illustrate every stroll and every recipe.”
This creative journey has culminated in a dream project: my book, “A Sweet Trip to Paris,” to be published in December in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia by Murdoch Books.”I am absolutely delighted to share these glimpses of the French art of living with the MyFrenchLife community.”
Elisabeth
→ Please help me introduce Elisabeth as a new member of our amazing Contributor team and enjoy reading her wonderful first article→
a) Anchored Silence: A Morning in Paris’s Oldest Secret Garden
by Elisabeth Perotin
Paris has a way of concealing its most precious treasures from view. “
To find the Passage de l’Ancre, you have to leave the bustle of the Rue de Turbigo and look for a discreet, narrow opening. To the casual passerby, it’s invisible. But for those who know how to stroll, it’s a gateway to another century.”
When I push open the gate, the clamor of the 3rd arrondissement vanishes, replaced by a sudden and striking silence. The Passage de l’Ancre is often cited as one of the oldest passages in the city, but to me, it feels more like a private alley in a forgotten village. My photographer’s eye is immediately drawn to the light—even on a gray morning, the shopfronts that line this passage with their shimmering colors seem to hold a soft, inner glow…” writes Elisabeth Perotin”
b) What We Pass Along
by Laura L. Barkat
If our own writing doesn’t move us, why do we write?”
Yesterday, I shoveled snow again, days after the snow.”
But not for my property.”
The night before, I’d come home from picking up my daughter from work, and I stepped onto my sidewalk only to see a woman shoveling snow directly onto it. She apparently kept the shovel in her SUV for moments just like this one, to shovel snow anywhere, to help make space for her vehicle.”
As I rounded my hedge to come upon this scene, I asked her if she was going to clean the snow off the sidewalk. “Because this isn’t nice,” I said…” writes Laura.
c) Why the French Don’t Work for the Look Americans Pay For
by Kamille Longstreet
Americans love to believe the French have some secret formula for beauty. The perfect, undone bun. The smudgy eyeliner that somehow looks intentional. The shutters painted in just the right shade of faded sage green. We copy it, bottle it, and sell it back to ourselves as lifestyle products. Shabby chic furniture. French girl makeup routines. Instagram corners styled to look like they’ve been left alone for a century.”
The punchline is that in France, it really was effortless. Just not in the way we mean when we say that word…” writes Kamille Longstreet
d) The Woman Who Made Cartier — and Never Signed Her Name
by Judy MacMahon
She shaped one of the greatest luxury houses on earth for fifty years, defied Nazi occupation with a brooch in a shop window on the rue de la Paix, and made the panther immortal. Jeanne Toussaint never signed a single thing she created. France has a long and complicated relationship with that particular kind of woman…”
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.
Welcoming a new contributor is always one of the quiet pleasures of this work — and this week I'm particularly delighted to introduce Elisabeth Perotin, a photographer from Reims who writes the way she shoots: looking for light in overlooked corners.
→Her first piece takes you somewhere it’s too easy to take for granted.
→Then Kamille Longstreet puts to rest a myth we've all been sold about French effortlessness.
→And Laura Barkat asks the question every writer needs to sit with.
And that, perhaps, is FRANCE AS IT HAPPENS this week
I loved putting this edition together.
À bientôt,
Judy
judy@myfrenchlife.org
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