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The death cult chose its city well—Paris, secular capital of the world, as hospitable, diverse and charming a metropolis as was ever devised.

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Paris, dazed and subdued, woke this morning to reflect on its new circumstances. Those of us who were out on the town last night can only wonder at the vagaries of chance that lets us live and others die.

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Now, we are all Parisians and that at least, in a dark time, is a matter of pride.

Ian McEwan’s reflections on Paris.

Leonard Bernstein Paris violence thought and opinion history and literature culture and society

This must be the mission of every man of goodwill: to insist, unflaggingly, at risk of becoming a repetitive bore, but to insist on the achievement of a world in which the mind will have triumphed over violence.

Amid the darkness of the Paris tragedy, Leonard Bernstein’s superb 1963 speech on the only true antidote to violence.

Paris New York travel culture and society media and communication

You can tell how much work and thought and love went into this cinematic diptych of Paris and New York. Couple with Anaïs Nin on the two cities and Vahram Muratyan’s illustrated parallels.

New York Paris culture and society

75 years after Anaïs Nin explored the difference between Paris and New York and three years after Vahram Muratyan illustrated it, French photographer Franck Matellini captures it in this lovely split-screen short film.

history and literature lit Ernest Hemingway WWII Paris culture and society letters

On nineteenth [of August, 1944], made contact with group of Maquis who placed themselves under my command. Because so old and ugly looking I guess. Clothed them with clothing of cavalry recon outfit which had been killed at entrance to Rambouillet. Armed them from Div. Took and held Rambouillet after our recon withdrawn. Ran patrols and furnished gen [intelligence] to French when they advanced. They operated on our gen with much success. Entered Paris by Etoile and Concorde. Fought outfit several times. They did very well. Now very tired. Fortunately in phase of advance Rambouillet Paris had official war historian with us. Otherwise everyone would think was damned lie. Most operation chickenshit as to fighting.

In which Ernest Hemingway, the world’s best-known living writer at the time, dons a steel helmet, mounts an army jeep in the dirt roads of the French countryside, and leads his small private army as they set out to “liberate” the Ritz hotel in Paris.

art and design artists culture and society Paris black and white Lapo

In Paris – utterly lovely series of drawings by Lisbon-based illustrator Lapo.

Anaïs Nin would approve.

Pair with Paris vs. New York.`

history and literature lit Paris culture and society books

“Actually, this is an interesting question,’ the instructor said. ‘What is the difference between culture and law? In France, we say we are French before we are anything else.”
The wonderful Paris, I Love You but You’re Bringing Me Down is now out in...

Actually, this is an interesting question,’ the instructor said. ‘What is the difference between culture and law? In France, we say we are French before we are anything else.

The wonderful Paris, I Love You but You’re Bringing Me Down is now out in paperback.

cities art and design artists animation New York Paris design typography culture and society

A tale of two cities by Tony Miotto, based on Vahram Muratyan’s brilliant Paris vs. New York minimalist illustrated parallels.

Also see Anaïs Nin on Paris vs. New York, 1939.

maps cities Paris culture and society history and literature

Gorgeous map of what Paris looked like in 1422.

quote history and literature culture and society Anais Nin thought and opinion cities New York Paris books

In Paris, when entering a room, everyone pays attention, seeks to make you feel welcome, to enter into conversation, is curious, responsive. Here it seems everyone is pretending not to see, hear, or look too intently. The faces reveal no interest, no responsiveness.

Overtones are missing. Relationships seem impersonal and everyone conceals his secret life, whereas in Paris it was the exciting substance of our talks, intimate revelations and sharing of experience.

Anaïs Nin on Paris vs. New York, 1939