Serial software entrepreneur, writer, translator, and mother of 3. Avid follower of French media, culture, history, and language. Lover of books, travel, history, art, cooking, fitness, and nature. Cultivating connections with francophiles and francophones.

Mutation of a Famous Fable: ChatGPT Meets La Fontaine

The Crow and the Fox

You’ve probably heard about the artificial intelligence chat robot called ChatGPT. Since its debut at the end of 2022, millions of people have used it to create documents, cull data, or simply talk with a new “friend”. ChatGPT’s language processing software is so conversational that the program seems to have…

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February Potpourri: News and Noteworthy Nonsense from France

Cast of Marie Antoinette

Here are a few of my favorite news stories and humorous highlights of French buzz from February 2023. Mitigating Machismo According to a French road safety study, male drivers were responsible for 84% of traffic fatalities in 2021. Men also represented 93% of drivers who were caught operating a vehicle…

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The Irreverent Charlie Hebdo: Ever Defiant, Forever Under Attack

Caricature of Iran's Supreme Leader

January 7th was the 8th anniversary of the terrorist attack on the French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, which left 12 dead and 11 wounded. The motivation for the attack was linked to the many crude depictions of Muhammad that have appeared in Charlie Hebdo. This biting news journal employs exaggeration,…

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A Game for Swallows, Revealing Humanity Beneath the Rubble

Le Jeu des Hirondelles focus

I’ve long been fascinated by stories that take place in the Middle East and as a bande dessinée fanatic, when I come across a French graphic memoir that tackles the subject, I often can’t resist obtaining a copy. Such was the case last month when I discovered the French-Lebanese author…

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January Potpourri: Latest Fun and Flippancy from France

Cartoon, Protests against retirement reforms

What follows is an incomplete and irreverent summary of French news from January 2023. Brought to you, in part, by some of France’s favorite cartoonists. Ushering In the New Year Macron’s Proposed Retirement Reforms In January, millions of French people took to the streets to protest President Macron’s proposed retirement…

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New Year’s Resolutions to Sweeten your French Speaking Savvy

People speaking

Last week, I started making a list of possible New Year’s resolutions for francophiles wanting to improve their French language skills. Some of my readers thanked me for providing such a thorough list of resources but I was just getting started. When I’m done, I hope they won’t be cursing…

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My French Odyssey and Ways to Improve Language Skills

Learn French!

Like many people, every January I give some thought to my long and short-term goals and come up with several resolutions. This year, however, I’ve been floundering—that is, thrashing about like a flounder hoping to flop its way off the deck of an aircraft carrier. A persistent problem for me…

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