FROM LOST IN CHEESELAND TO THE NEW PARIS DISPATCH I first launched a blog, this blog, back in 2009. I had just graduated from AUP with an MA in Global Communication and the economy had crashed, leaving jobs sparse. I was uncertain of my professional future and thought that documenting bits of my life in Paris might be both cathartic for me in the disquiet of the unknown and helpful to friends and family. It was something I could control, at the very least. That became so much more than I could have anticipated, leading to a freelance journalism and publishing career; hundreds of stories and t ..read more

Today, France commemorates the life and legacy of Josephine Baker by giving her the highest honor: a place in the Panthéon among France’s most distinguished citizens. Baker will be only the sixth woman, the third Black person, and the first Black woman to be laid to rest there.  As a champion of Civil Rights in the United States and a key agent of the Résistance in France, she embodied the best of these two nations. Of course, much like James Baldwin, Baker also understood that she and fellow Black American artists were celebrated and given opportunities because they were, first and fo ..read more

We went from zero to sixty practically overnight: since May, cafés and restaurants are filled to covid-capacity, the cinemas are back in business, new or freshly renovated museums have reopened their doors, events are being organised again and, if you can believe it, the government has allowed nightclubs to reopen. I’m still being cautious and respecting other people’s comfort levels but I will say it feels so refreshing (odd, even!) to see tourists sporting maps and asking for directions once again. Change and revival are on the horizon for me, personally, too. I’ll be leading my first New P ..read more

One of my dearest friends was also my creative partner on bringing to life The New Parisienne. Photographer Joann Pai and I have collaborated on numerous travel stories for the NYT, Condé Nast Traveler, and Eater but this was the first project where we had total control. She lends her keen eye for restaurants and hotels, travel and food features, and a handful of books: she photographed Apéritif: Cocktail Hour the French Way, the forthcoming book A Table, and is at work on our friend Frank Barron’s first book (coming 2022). As one of more than 40 Parisiennes featured in my book, I wanted to ..read more

2020: the year of panic buying, purging, donating, and realizing more than ever the importance of supporting independent creators, artisans, authors, and sustainably-minded entrepreneurs. It is in that spirit that I selected the items in this (mostly) French-inspired guide. Enjoy! BOOKS Beyond the list below, you’ll find a slew of favorite reads, old and new, on my Bookshop.org page! For the Paris devotees: The New Paris and The New Parisienne Makers Paris For the plant lovers: Plant Tribe For the fiction fans: The Margot Affair For the inveterate hosts: Miss Maggie’s Kitchen: Relaxed Fren ..read more

It has been just over one month since readers have been lending their time and attention to the stories of the inspiring, hard-working, ambitious, dedicated, and brilliant women in The New Parisienne and I’m overjoyed by the feedback you all have shared with me. I wanted this book to give a voice to women who may not be used to telling their stories publicly, to women whose stories need to reach far beyond French borders, once and for all, to women who may be unknown and quietly disrupting industry and norms and shaping society for the future, and to women who I felt confident would inspire r ..read more

To thank you for your tremendous support, I have a couple of goodies to offer! 1: Agathe Singer‘s illustrations are featured throughout the book and it’s actually her handwriting you see on the cover! We turned her beautiful script into a fun Parisienne pin that you can affix wherever you’d like. That item is available only for U.S. readers. To receive it, fill out THIS FORM (have your pre-order confirmation handy!).  2: I wanted to make sure readers from around the world were included so I asked Agathe to design a custom digital print available to everyone who pre-orders (U.S. and ..read more

On June 2, restaurants, cafés, and bars in Paris — still considered an orange zone in terms of COVID-19 risk — were able to open for business, exclusively in outdoor areas. I was one of several reporters from around the world to share a brief picture of the moment with Eater for their piece: One Day in June . This is the unedited version and includes additional photos by my friend and colleague, Joann Pai. Until very recently, it felt inconceivable to imagine that the cornerstone of Parisian society would regain its place in everyday lives. But as the number of deaths and hospitalizations ste ..read more

Here she is!  The New Parisienne: the Women & Ideas Shaping Paris  is a book of honest stories about identity, representation, ambition, struggle, craft and creation. It features women I know personally and others I have long admired. It tackles the myth of the Parisian woman and presents an alternative narrative. It is a book I am deeply proud to have written and tremendously grateful to have been given the opportunity to produce. It is currently available for pre-order everywhere and will be released on JULY 7, 2020. With the rights, representation, and lives of women all ..read more

When I was in Washington DC in August 2017 to speak about my book to a group of women in the food and wine industry, I met a woman whom I sensed from the moment we spoke that she was serious about making a change. And not some slight modification to her lifestyle or career but a total overhaul. I also knew, it was likely I’d see her again but the next time would be in France. That’s exactly what happened: Ashley Donahey was still employed by the State Department when she attended my event and spoke to me about considering a big move to pursue an MBA with a specialty in wine & spirits. I w ..read more