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…
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…
Each time I visit Paris I think, maybe this time I’ll make it to the Louvre. There are so many things to see and do, however, that I never seem to get there. A quick eyeballing of the swarms in the Louvre’s main courtyard and the throng serpentining in front…
I love to cook and I love French bandes dessinées, so when I learned that the comic author and artist, Christophe Blain, had written a book about one of France’s top chefs, I wanted to check it out. Published by Gallimard in 2011, En cuisine avec Alain Passard is the…
We can argue about whether editorial cartoons make us laugh or cry, but the best among them should make us think. Here are some of my favorites from France which take aim at Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine and the West’s counter-reaction. See Also Masterful Street Artists Across France Hail…
A couple of weeks ago, I finished reading Ready Player One on Kindle. I very much enjoyed it and if you’re into science fiction, as well as 70s/80s popular culture, I highly recommend the book. But, that’s not really what this post is about. It so happens, I read a…
