I only knew him as a playwriter and as the grandfather of Philippine de Rothschild, the larger than life owner of Château Mouton Rothschild. But thanks to Nadège Forestier’s biography, “Henri de Rothschild, a humanitarian before his time”, I now know that he was primarily a doctor, a major contributor to Marie Curie’s lab, the inventor of pasteurized milk in … Read More
Poetry and literature win, with the Bleustein Blanchet Vocation Prize
In 1960, publicity genius Marcel Bleustein Blanchet created Fondation de la Vocation in order to help the young talented who needed a little push. Almost sixty years later, 1564 young people have been helped by this foundation in science, music, technology, the art and literature. It is the first prize giving ceremony of the “rentrée” and a very important one … Read More
A unique feminist book on World War 1
An exceptional exhibition has just closed at the Tate Britain and it is sadly not going anywhere else, apparently. Aftermath is the extraordinary show of World War 1 artists such as Marcel Gromaire, Max Beckmann, Otto Dix, Paul Nash, Max Ernst, who fought in the war and went on to influence the art world of the 1920’s and 30’s leading to … Read More
Henri Cole, a poet from Boston who loves Paris
Henri Cole lives in Boston and teaches in Southern California, but he was born in Japan from an Armenian-French mother and an American military father and he writes poetry in Paris. He has just published a charming book, “Orphic Paris” about “his” Paris which anyone who comes and visits should read first at home, then a second time, while walking … Read More
A hilarious summer read by Pamela Druckerman
She is better known for her best selling book “Bringing up Bébé” which was translated in twenty seven languages but Pamela Druckerman has more resources than just being a very good mother in Paris. From her columns in the New York Times she has produced yet another hilarious read, “There are no grown ups, a midlife coming of age story” … Read More
Prix Pierre-Antoine Berheim, a very special emotion
Every year for the past six Prize givings, the emotion is intense in memory of Pierre Antoine Bernheim, a brilliant mind who had decided to leave the financial world where his father Antoine excelled, and join the small circle of intellectuals thinking about the weight of religion in our lives. He published seven books including a History of Paradises, in … Read More
Proust’s Duchess in modern words!
Proust’s news have never been so intense as in the last two years and new writings are being discovered constantly on this prolific novelist. Caroline Weber, who teaches at Columbia University, has delivered an amazingly easy to read, yet erudite, research on the three ladies who inspired the Duchesse de Guermantes. Her book, “Proust’s Duchess” reads like a thriller and … Read More
Joël Dicker flies very high in sales
It was a lovely literary evening at the Swiss embassy in Paris where Ambassador Bernardino Regazzoni and his delightful wife were hosting Swiss writer Joël Dicker to celebrate his fourth best seller “La disparition de Stéphanie Mailer” which sold 48 000 copies in its first six days. The dashing writer who was discovered by publisher Bernard de Fallois, gave a … Read More