Category: The arts

EXPLORE different corners of Paris through the work of selected writers who show there is more to the city than the regular tourist traps.

The recently published Best Paris Stories is available as a Kindle book and brings together the winning short stories of the 2011 Paris Short Story Contest.

The book features works by Jeannine Alter, Bob Levy, Lisa Burkitt, Nafkote Tamirat, Marie Houzelle, Jo Nguyen, Julia Mary Lichtblau, Mary Byrne, Marie Houzelle, Jane M. Handel, and Jim Archibald.

Below is a short story from the Best Paris Stories anthology entitled A Pinch of Tarragon. It was written by Lisa Burkitt, whose novel The Memory of Scent was published this month.

A Pinch of Tarragon, by Lisa Burkitt

SHE WATCHED AS George patted his moustache with a napkin, lifted his hat from the wall and heaved his way around the other customers, his large girth pressing against the backs of many of the chairs. She knew he was trying to hold his breath in a vain effort to ease his passage, and that by the time he made it outside to the fresh air at least one small object from several of the tables would have teetered and crashed to the floor. She waited with a broom.

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Toby and Susan take a break from walking and writing

FROM her home in the Sarthe département of north western France, Susan Keefe tells the tale of sheepdog Toby and his French adventures.

Susan wrote Toby’s Tails for children to highlight the needs of animals and the importance of kindness to all living creatures.

Here Susan answers a few questions about her life in France, the inspiration behind the book and how her plans quickly changed resulting in her heading across the Channel.

Craig McGinty: How did you find yourself in France? What was the reason behind the move and were you writing in the UK as well?

Susan Keefe: I have always loved France since my first school trip to Paris. When my children had left school and I remarried one of our wedding presents was a flight to Tours, Michael, my husband fell in love with France too.

Not long after we bought a ruin in the middle of nowhere, our paradise, with a five year plan to stay in the UK and do it up, that lasted less than a year and we found ourselves finding any excuse to come back here as much as possible.

So in the end we sold up and moved over. Now, over six years later we still have a lot of ruin to do up but are sublimely happy. I didn’t write in the UK although I did discover lately a very old primary school report where my teacher said she enjoyed my stories and thought I had a flair for creative writing.

CM: Where did the idea for the book come from and what prompted you to start it?

SK: I have always loved the countryside and nature, my Suffolk dad and granddad used to take me for long walks and teach me about wildlife and the natural world.

I have always bonded strongly with my animals and after loosing one of my Golden Retrievers I by chance visited someone with a Border Collie litter, I fell in love with Toby and he became part of our family.

One day I just sat down and started writing, the book then just grew on the computer, his exploits, our wildlife discoveries, our observations of French life and local places as well as trips to the Loire Valley and further afield tumbled out, and Toby’s Tails was written.

CM: Do you have a typical writing day, any steps you take before starting, any tips to pass on to other writers?

SK: In the peacefulness here I find I can write at any time. I just sit down, Toby, my constant companion wraps himself around my feet, the chair, anywhere as long as he is as close as possible and I begin.

The only tip I would pass on, and I know it’s not original, is write about what you are passionate about and know, I have found that by loving my subject the words just flow.

CM: What inspiration do you draw from the French countryside, as well as the people, for your writing?

SK: Toby and I walk into the beautiful Forest de Berc, which is just behind our house, every day. He is well trained so I never have to call him; we walk in peace and silence.

As a consequence we see plenty of wildlife and meet other people such as our French neighbours working their land, and of course mushroom pickers in season. Everyone knows us and are greeted by Toby before I arrive!

I have found the French people living around us very friendly, we attend village events but otherwise keep ourselves to ourselves and they respect that.

CM: What are your future writing plans? Can readers expect more French adventures?

SK: I am writing Toby’s Tails two (not the real title) where Toby will have lots more adventures, make more discoveries and visit new places.

My husband and I launched on March 1, 2012 a new free online magazine in English about pets called Your Pets Magazine which aim is to teach children about responsible pet ownership.

Amazon.co.uk: Toby’s Tails by Susan Keefe

DISCOVER the work of the French artist who inspired LS Lowry to draw his ‘matchstalk men and matchstalk cats and dogs’.

An exhibition of the work of Adolphe Valette, the French impressionist, is being held at the Lowry Gallery in Salford and he was amongst the first to bring Impressionism to Manchester.

Valette’s canvases are dynamic and powerful, with fog and pollution shrouding buildings, squares, and waterways, with hardly discernible figures hurrying across them, and with light sparkling through the gloom.

Less well known are his light-filled, beautifully coloured landscapes and domestic scenes painted in France, many on show for the first time.

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DOWN through the riverside village of Puy l’Eveque, across the bridge over the Lot, past the fish and chip restaurant and at the small roundabout you’ll see a sign for Virebent pottery.

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THERE are many stories to be told about the streets of Paris, and author Terrance Gelenter is the man to guide you through some of the tales.

His latest book, From Bagels to Brioches: Paris Par Hasard, takes you around the coffee tables and bookstores of the capital where you will meet many interesting characters.

Here Terrance provides an extract from his book and offers up a stop at a famous café or two:

The café in France is not just a place to have that morning pick me up necessary to launch another day at the office. It is your home away from home. It’s the place where friends and family can find you. Your quotidian café defines you as distinctively as the clothes you wear and the profession you ply.

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HERE are some photographs from around the southern corner of the Dordogne, taking in the still morning air, mushrooms under the chestnut trees and a musical concert in the historic church of Besse.

A COLLECTION of photographs from when I take the dog for a walk every morning around Loubejac, in the south of the Dordogne (map).

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SEPTEMBER and October really are beautiful months to be in France, with the morning mists in the valley adding a magical touch to the day.

The rolling hillsides here in the south of the Dordogne (map), with their deep forests, produce glorious muted colours, with splashes of early morning sunshine in between.

The forests are busy with wildlife, many deer, a couple of foxes and rattling woodpeckers have been ticked off the list, whilst spider’s webs are heavy with dew.

This morning was another of sunlight slowly breaking down the mists, while the horse in the field strode up the hill to meet the others. Click on the thumbnail right to see the full size image.

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