Saturday, November 3, 2007

Bonjour from Paris

Sorry I haven't been blogging, but the last month was really busy with book signings, lectures, etc.
Now I'm back in my favorite place in the whole wide world, Paris!
The Cafe de Flore, on the Boulevard Saint Germain in the 6th arrondissement, just call it "the Flore," is still the place to see and be seen. Last eveniing, the cafe buzz came to a hush when Bernard-Henri Levy, the French philosopher, swept in. More of a rock star than a sage, he went straight upstairs to the quiet premier etage (second floor) dining room for a rendez vous with...sorry, can't be indiscreet.
The fashion is edgier this year while I still can't understand how the French women manage to stay thin when you see them all over doing nothing but eating. I'm sorry. I read the book, French Women Don't get Fat which said they don't snack between meals. Oh really? They're nibbling the end of baguettes in their shopping bags as you pass by them, they're in restaurants scarfing down frites while gulping wine, they're licking luscious lips after sharing a creme brulee and a kiss with their lover over a cafe table. I don't get it!
By the way. What other country on earth has a category of profession called Philosopher?

The French--you gotta love 'em!

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Mademoiselle Victorine--Can We Talk?

It has been a busy and fun September. I've been doing book signings and giving lectures accompanied by slides of paintings and photographs from the 1860's and 1870's. Thank you to the National Arts Club in New York City, especially to the president of Le Cocktail Francais, Connie Brock. She organized a terrific evening in the club's Gallery on Sept. 18th, set up the perfect lectern/ screen/mike and wrote a smashing invitation that brought in an SRO crowd of over 90 lovely people. She ordered 100 books and sold out that evening. She told me she wished she'd ordered more!
The Alliance Francaise slide lecture/book signing with Diane's Books happens Tuesday, Oct. 2nd followed by a champagne party and book signing at Burgundy Books in East Haddam, Connecticut at 1PM on Sat. Oct 6th. Linda Williams is the brilliant dynamo at Burgundy Books who organized this. Then, the Women's Fall Luncheon for a private group in Harrison, New York where I'll sign books and talk about my favorite subjects---Mademoiselle Victorine and Paris.
Thank you to all the fabulous, lovely readers out there. You are magnifique!

Monday, September 17, 2007

Mademoiselle Victorine's Busy Autumn

Sorry I've been a neglectful blogger. But there's a good reason! This has been a really busy time preparing for two major presentations about Mademoiselle Victorine with slides of paintings and photographs and a speaking engagement at the fall luncheon for a women's group. There have been phone chats with book clubs, and I've had to learn time zones of unfamiliar area codes so I don't miss the appointed hour.
What a treat! Great questions and observations from book club members. There are so many with-it readers out there who sound as gutsy as Victorine.
Shout out to: Denver, Virginia Beach, Seattle, Brookline, Sonoma, and I'm still researching what really Napoleon on the Ramparts was for you sexy readers out on Carpenter's Brook!
More speaking engagements and book store signings ahead. Can't wait till mid-October and on to Paris!

Friday, August 31, 2007

Fashion and the French-Hermes, Chanel and Louis

The French have been fashion-conscious FOREVER. It started way back in 1643 when Louis XIV inherited the throne as a child. He learned that he had better establish the majesty and power of the monarchy by dressing opulently, wearing those towering wigs (never a bad hair day, at least) and decorating his palaces using the grandest interior decorators. He never forgot the terror of his childhood when warring factions of the nobility tried to diminish the child-king's authority to grab more of the goodies for themselves. The bitter civil war was called the Fronde.
ANYWAY, Louis decided he was going to use fashion, art, decor to glorify the position of King so those pesky nobles would back off. Now thanks to that very wise and discriminating consumer, Louis, we have the Palace of Versailles, the Louvre's amazing vaulted ceiling frescoes, and eventually Chanel, Hermes, and Gaultier. Thank you Louis XIV. You had great taste (and nice legs too.)

Monday, August 20, 2007

How to Get Along in France for You Vacationers Out There

Hey, I understand 'em and I love 'em. Most Americans don't understand the French. They're not rude, but WE are. I advise people visiting France to approach each French person with a polite Bonjour even before asking where's the bathroom or which way to the Metro station. Today the French Property Insider sent out an e-newsletter suggesting exactly the same thing. Be super polite and you'll (hardly) ever encounter the stereotype of a "rude" French person. They've come to expect American tourists to barge into their shop and start barking questions without even an "Excuse me" or a "Hello." Don't do it. Remember this good advice below and your trip to France will be full of harmony and happy memories.

Adrian Leeds writes...

You'll be a happier traveler if you know a few things about Paris and France before you step off onto its soil.

If you've traveled to France before, then you already know that France is very different than the United States. The language is different, the culture is different, the people are different.

It is these differences that make traveling to France, or traveling anywhere for that matter, very exciting. Every moment can be a new adventure when you travel to a foreign place, as long as you're open to exploring the differences.

LET'S START WITH THE LANGUAGE -- FRENCH.

Many French now speak English, at least some, but don't expect them to speak to you in English when French is their native language. Remember, they may not get a lot of practice and feel awkward speaking English. So, it's not that they don't want to -- they just don't feel comfortable. Luckily, you don't need a lot of French to maneuver well, and there are a few key phrases that will endear you to anyone you meet. Start practicing:

ALWAYS say BONJOUR MADAME or BONJOUR MONSIEUR upon entering ANY establishment -- a restaurant, a cafe, a shop. Say Bonjour to a salesperson before you ask any question. Say Bonjour to the taxi driver and the bus driver. You simply can't say it often enough.

ALWAYS say S'IL VOUS PLAIT before you ask anything at all! When ordering even a cup of coffee in a cafe, say s'il vous plait, may I have a coffee? Say it before and say it after. You simply can't say it enough.

ALWAYS say MERCI or MERCI BEAUCOUP every time it is appropriate. When the waiter leaves the coffee on the table, when you've paid for the things you've purchased, when you've checked out of your hotel. You simply can't say it enough.

LEARN to say PARDON or EXCUSEZ-MOI. Paris is particularly densely populated and walking down the street means tight spaces. The French don't mind those tight spaces, but if two people touch in anyway, you are sure to hear "Pardon" or "Excusez-moi." You'll hear it a million times a day, so be prepared to say it. You simply can't say it enough.

ALWAYS say AU REVOIR when you leave any establishment -- any café, restaurant, shop. Just get into the habit of saying "Merci, au revoir" every time you step out onto the street. It doesn't matter who exactly you say it to, but they'll hear you and know you have good manners. You simply can't say it enough.

So, please say please. And thank you for saying thank you. Have a wonderful vacation in France! Bon Voyage.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Is there Such a Thing as Fiction?

I was thinking today about writing fiction. My article, Why Write, published on many writing websites, gives some good tips for aspiring novelists. But one thought occurred to me today. Maybe there is no such thing as fiction because anything that a writer's mind conceives has happened in real life. Even in the genres of Fantasy and Science Fiction, it has happened somewhere to someone or else the writer would not be able to formulate the words and ideas to express the narrative. So there is no such thing as fiction. Everything is non-fiction, even fiction.

Sunday, August 5, 2007

President Sarkozy

"Is our new President, Nicolas Sarkozy -- or Nicolas, as he prefers to be known -- France’s answer to John F. Kennedy in the States?...His enthusiasm seems to be creating the dynamism that France could really do with -- perhaps the ‘feel good factor’ is now arriving in France!" This is a quote from an "homme on the street" and seems to be the sentiment of a majority of French citizens about their new president. There's a feeling of optimism in the air and a hope that the tradition-bound French bureaucracy can be prodded into the 21st century while STILL RETAINING THE UNIQENESS THAT MAKES FRANCE, FRANCE AND NOT THE USA!
We don't want the French to give up one single quality that makes them French. But reforms that do away with the stranglehold of the labor unions (who call for strikes and paralyze the country at the drop of a beret) would be a step toward more prosperity for the French.
I love the French because they revere their history while looking forward to the future. They aren't a "disposable society" as we are in the US. Everything is so "five minutes ago" here. Pop culture is a Dixie cup to be crumpled and tossed away when the Kool-aid's been drained.
So, France, good luck on your new quest following your new hero atop his white charger.

Monday, July 30, 2007

Bonjour Mes Amis

It is such a pleasure to get emails from people who are starting to enjoy reading Mademoiselle Victorine. I love how different readers are taking away different things from the book. That's how Manet wanted his art to be interpreted. "The viewer may interpret as he wishes." I feel exactly the same way. A sequel? Really, T.J. give me a breather. And Samantha, why did you feel Victorine wasn't likable in the beginning? She had to change and evolve as the story unfolded. Keep your comments coming in emails to debra@debrafinerman.com. I love them!

Sunday, July 29, 2007

PARTY TIME! VICTORINE'S DEBUT

Break out the Veuve Clicquot: The launch party for Mademoiselle Victorine was a blast! 80 people crammed onto a patio to toast the debut of the saucy mademoiselle from Paris. There were Hermes bags galore in the crowd. Friends and fans from all over the globe came to celebrate. From L.A., San Francisco, Washington D.C., and London (!) they came to nibble French hors d'oeuvres whipped up by French chef Jean-Louis Gerin, guzzle Veuve Clicquot champagne and party into the night. Wish you'd been there.
Pix to be posted tout de suite on the mademoisellevictorine.com website.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

MADEMOISELLE VICTORINE!

Mademoiselle Victorine has made her debut. The historical fiction book based on the lives of Victorine Meurent and Virginia, the Countess of Castiglione, is now available in book stores and from online booksellers who began introducing the saucy French mademoiselle to the American and Canadian public on July 24, 2007. The foreign online booksellers and selected bookstores in Paris have also released the book to the public. Thank you so much to the book reviewers who have said such kind things about the book. Thank you to the dear readers who have begun to read and enjoy the novel. I, an author, cannot find the words to express how grateful I am.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Blogs About Blogging

There are so many good blogs out there. Technorati is helpful for finding any blog subject. I love the French Impressionists so I look that up. There are bloggers who have 7 blogs going all at once. What would Zola have blogged about? Manet? Mademoiselle Victorine?

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Happy Bastille Day!

Bonjour French lovers and lovers of French. Today is the day that marks the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789 with the storming of the Bastille Prison. All throughout France there is a national day of celebration involving drinking toasts, singing of the Marselleaise national anthem and dancing in the streets.

Bastille Day, the French national holiday, commemorates the storming of the Bastille, which took place on 14 July 1789 and marked the beginning of the French Revolution. The Bastille was a prison and a symbol of the absolute and arbitrary power of Louis the 16th's Ancient Regime. By capturing this symbol, the people signaled that the king's power was no longer absolute: power should be based on the Nation and be limited by a separation of powers.

Although the Bastille only held seven prisoners at the time of its capture, the storming of the prison was a symbol of liberty and the fight against oppression for all French citizens; like the Tricolore flag, it symbolized the Republic's three ideals: Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity for all French citizens. It marked the end of absolute monarchy, the birth of the sovereign Nation, and, eventually, the creation of the (First) Republic, in 1792.

Here are the words in French and in English translation which you can sing or just hum. Sends chills up my spine every time I hear it. Remember the scene in Casablanca when everyone in Rick's Cafe stands and sing the Marseillaise in defiance of the Nazis? Here are the words so next time you can sing along.


Allons enfants de la patrie,
Le jour de gloire est arrivé !
Contre nous de la tyrannie
L'étendard sanglant est levé ! (bis)
Entendez-vous dans les campagnes,
Mugir ces féroces soldats ?
Ils viennent jusque dans nos bras
Égorger nos fils, nos compagnes !

Refrain

Aux armes, citoyens !
Formez vos bataillons !
Marchons ! Marchons !
Qu'un sang impur
Abreuve nos sillons !

The translation isn't very accuarate, but it gets the message across.
La Marseillaise
French National Anthem

La Marseillaise was composed by Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle in 1792 and was declared the French national anthem in 1795.

Let's go children of the fatherland,
The day of glory has arrived!
Against us tyranny's
Bloody flag is raised! (repeat)
In the countryside, do you hear
The roaring of these fierce soldiers?
They come right to our arms
To slit the throats of our sons, our friends!

Refrain

Grab your weapons, citizens!
Form your batallions!
Let us march! Let us march!
May impure blood
Water our fields!

Bonne fete, mes amis.

Friday, July 6, 2007

Let's Run Away to Paris

Well, as Bastille Day, July 14th, draws near, it's time to dream of running away to Paris. The mood in the City of Light is upbeat because of the new president, Nicholas Sarkozy. His reforms aim to bring France into the 21st century and create prosperity for the French. Already blessed with the finest culture, fashion, wine, cheese, cuisine, art, architecture and history, the French only need to modernize their economy to be a great world power again.
Here's a snippet from a web site called French Property Insider that tracks trends in France as related to buying an apartment in Paris-a most important part of the dream to run away to Paris!

"When he was elected earlier this year, new French President Nicholas Sarkozy promised a major break with the past. With pledges to take on vested interests, get the country working longer hours and transform France into a land of property owners, not to mention a general image as a right-winger not afraid to put some noses out of joint, he has quickly earned the moniker of the French Margaret Thatcher.

The new president prefers comparisons with Tony Blair, a man with whom he enjoyed the briefest of working relationships, but the gentleman has shown himself not for turning on his key pledge to end the 35-hour week, but the announcement of tax breaks for those who work overtime, Homesworldwide reports.

According to the article, this move could in itself be the catalyst for the housing market. By stimulating growth - which should then help reduce unemployment - as well as putting more money in the pockets of those who do work longer, the growth in wealth will place an increasing number of people in a position to invest in property in France. With this, so the article contends, will come increases in property values."

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Happy Independence Day!

Independence Day should be celebrated by everyone who feels independent and free. Whether you live in the USA or anywhere in the world you should celebrate if you are entitled to think freely and act freely. We must all hope that the people who are under subjugation to leaders who brainwash them and who aren't free to think for themselves will realize that it is their birthright to be free. Free of imposed religious dogma, free of political propaganda, we are all born free thinkers and should strive to be so.
The French Impessionists broke free of established dogma and changed art and the way we see the world. They were also called the Circle of Independents before the label, Impressionist, was attached to them permanently.
Frenchimpressionista wishes a Happy Independence Day to all!

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

La Vie En Rose

Frenchimpressionista loves French movies and rates La Vie En Rose as a three Camembert winner! (Unlike most movie reviewers, Frenchimpressionista uses an inverse system of odor to quality of film. The smellier the cheese, the better the film!)

The film stars Marion Cotillard as Edith Piaf. Her performance is brilliant, as it ranges from young adulthood to old age. If you saw her in A Good Year with Russell Crowe, you will find her appearance unrecognizable as she transforms herself physically and spritiually into the tragic and transcendental Edith Piaf. A supporting role by Gerard Depardieu sparkles as well.

A great film, surely not to be missed by anyone who loves Paris and Edith.

Friday, June 15, 2007

Manet at the Getty this Summer

For all of us who love Manet's brilliance, from June 5, 2007 to September 9, 2007, the Getty Museum in Los Angeles is exhibiting on loan from the Courtauld Institute of London, one of Manet's greatest masterpieces, Bar at the Folies Bergere. It was completed one year before his untimely death from syphilis. If you live in L.A. or are planning to travel there this summer, this is a must-see exhibit.


Here is an excerpt from the web page of the Getty.



A Bar at the Folies-Bergère, Édouard Manet, 1882
The Samuel Courtauld Trust, Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery, London


Curator Scott Allan discusses the visual inconsistencies in the painting.

French painter Édouard Manet presented A Bar at the Folies-Bergère at the 1882 Paris Salon exhibition just one year before his death. The painting is the culmination of his interest in scenes of urban leisure and spectacle, a subject that he had developed in dialogue with Impressionism over the previous decade. On loan from the Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery in London, the painting is a masterpiece that has perplexed and inspired artists and scholars since it was painted over 100 years ago.

The Folies-Bergère was one of the most elaborate variety-show venues in Paris, showcasing entertainment ranging from ballets to circus acts. Another attraction was the barmaids, who were assumed by many contemporary observers to be available as clandestine prostitutes. By depicting one of these women and her male customer on an imposing scale, Manet brazenly introduced a morally suspect, contemporary subject into the realm of high art. By treating the topic with deadpan seriousness and painterly brilliance, Manet staked his claim to be remembered as the heroic "painter of modern life" envisaged by critics like Charles Baudelaire.




A Bar at the Folies-Bergère, Édouard Manet, 1882

Learn more about the Folies-Bergère and modern Paris.


In addition to the social tensions evoked by the painting's subject, Manet's composition presents a visual puzzle. The barmaid looks directly at the viewer, while the mirror behind her reflects the large hall and patrons of the Folies-Bergère. Manet seems to have painted the image from a viewpoint directly opposite the barmaid. Yet this viewpoint is contradicted by the reflection of the objects on the bar and the figures of the barmaid and a patron off to the right. Given such inconsistencies, Manet seems not to have offered a single, determinate position from which to confidently make sense of the whole.




In the installation at the Getty Center, a mirror has been installed to help dramatize the questions of vision and reflection raised by Manet's painting.

The visual and psychological ambiguities of A Bar at the Folies-Bergère have prompted many questions:

• How are we to characterize the barmaid's expression?
• What is the nature of the viewer's relationship to the barmaid?
• What is happening between the barmaid and the man reflected in the mirror?
• If we see the man's reflection in the mirror, why isn't his figure also visible in front of the bar?
• Why is there no indication in the mirror of the balcony walkway on which we imagine the man, or ourselves, to be standing?
• Why are the reflections of the figures and still life objects displaced so far to the right?

The more one reflects on Manet's painting, the more difficult it becomes to project a straightforward narrative onto it, and the more conscious and uncertain we become of our position as spectators. At once invoking and undermining the traditional notion of painting-as-mirror, Manet's work becomes a profound interrogation of the act of looking itself.

What's Your Reaction to the Painting?
What do you make of the painting's visual and psychological ambiguities?









The J. Paul Getty Trust
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Monday, June 11, 2007

Paris in the Nineteenth Century

I wish I could time travel to Paris in the 19th century. If you do too, here's a fascinating website you'll love. I'll show you a preview and you can go to the URL below. Bon Voyage!



Social class in Paris in the nineteenth century determined how people lived, worked, interacted, traveled, and relaxed. Each class participated in and responded to the rapid changes of the era differently. Urbanization and industrialization increased the standard of living for the average Parisian, but the wealth gap between rich and poor remained very wide. Social classes diversified, fragmented, and expanded to accommodate many newly created occupations.


Upper Class
Middle Class
Lower Class
For more general information visit our More About Social Classes page.

http://gallery.sjsu.edu/paris/social_classes/social_class.html

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Deauville/D.C.-Summer French Impressionist Exhibit

The artist who led the path for Manet who led the path for Impressionists will be on view at one of the greatest museums in the world.
March 25 - August 5, 2007. In honor of the centennial of Gallery benefactor Paul Mellon's birth, a special exhibition of 40 paintings and works on paper by French impressionist Eugène Boudin has been organized. Be inspired by the vaporous air and light of the beachscapes. If you can't actually be on the sand at Deauville, you can be transported there in the midst of Washington D.C.

Admission: FREE
Location: National Gallery of Art 6th St. & Constitution Ave. NW
Phone: 202-737-4215
Metro: Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter (green/yellow)

Summer French Impressionist Exhibit not to be missed

One of my favorite museums in the world is the National Gallery of Art West Wing, in D.C. Here's a great chance to see Eugene Boudin, the artist who led the path for Edouard Manet who led the path to Impressionism. Boudin's seascapes with their vapoorous air and light made a profound impact on young Manet. See this free exhibit at the mighty National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. this summer. Not to be missed.

Saturday, June 9, 2007

Welcome to my blog

Bienvenue. Welcome to the frenchimpressionista blog. Lets share our impressions about France, about the Impressionist painters, about travel to France, about French cheese, wine, fashion, politics, movies, and anything else we feel passionately about. Mademoiselle Victorine would be blogging right now if she lived today instead of in the 1860's.

Vive La France!