This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 at 2:59 am and is filed under Darwin's Paradox, Press Room. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
07/05/2008
I met Nina briefly in Paris and we got her book, Darwin’s Paradox, into the hottest bookstore there: Shakespeare and Company. This bookstore, which offers shelves of books from a variety of genres and topics–and all in English–is situated in the Latin Quarter, which for centuries has been the centre of bohemian Parisian creativity and intelligentsia.
For over fifty years, the bookshop has housed numerous writers and hosted readings by published and unpublished authors. Run by Sylvia Whitman, daughter of the legendary George Whitman, the bookstore looks like something in a Harry Potter movie, with stacks upon stacks of all sorts of literature. Upon entering, you’ll find yourself in a place Henry Miller described as “A wonderland of books”.
Shakespeare and Company is open evey day from 10:00 to 23:00. If you’re touring Paris go check it out. The selection of English books is impeccable, with many by local writers.
If you’re a young traveling writer looking for a place to crash, Sylvia might put you up too!
While I was there, we briefly toured the city, including the impressive Tuillerie Gardens on the Right Bank.
Nina took me to her “outdoor” office, located in Place Saint-Michel on the Left Bank with a great view of Notre Dame Cathedral. I asked her how she liked Paris over a pastis (anise-based liqueur) and cafe creme.
“I love Paris,” she said. “I love everything about it, the food, the people, the architecture, the streets…The street performers who sing with feeling…the couples kissing on every street corner…that quiet reserve that just melts once they recognize that you are lost… their reverence for art and literature… Parisians know how to live. They have no problem waiting at length in line for fresh croissants at their favorite patisserie or will linger over lunch at a cafe to discuss the finer points of life over an espresso or cheese and wine. They are so civilized.”
I asked her how her research was going.
“I confess that I have done some of my best work here… that pastis can be very inspirational!” Nina confided to me with that typical impish smile of hers.
>> read comments (3)
May 9th, 2008 at 3:08 am
Thanks, Karen! I certainly enjoyed Paris. Must go again…I haven’t tried all the wines and cheeses!
May 9th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
…In fact, it could very well be that Paris was a turning point for me in some very important ways. This evokative, beautiful and artistic city lent itself to much self-reflection and I had several epiphanies there…and not just to do with my book-research! I even managed to get lost… You can read my account at this link from my blog, The Alien Next Door: http://sfgirl-thealiennextdoor.blogspot.com/2008/05/getting-lost-in-paris.html
Nina
July 5th, 2008 at 8:28 am
My favorite aunt sent me some links to this bookstore last spring (they host all kinds of workshops and events). It seems to have a real presence and personality.
Glad to know that Nina is represented on Shakespeare and Company’s hallowed shelves…