Les Bloggeurs de Paris

Who knew that Paris had so many English-language bloggers? A bevy of them recently tore themselves away from their computers to socialize (and network, of course) at a cocktail party in the Marais apartment of American Richard Nahem, a former New Yorker whose Eye Prefer Paris blog describes his adventures in the City of Light since his arrival two years ago. Nahem will soon start offering insider’s tours to some of the city’s hidden delights.

The gathering attracted a few stars in the world of blogging, including La Petite Anglaise (real name: Catherine), who made the French and English press by getting herself fired from her job in Paris for in-office blogging and then sued the company. The ensuing attention helped land her a book contract.

Chocolate cookbook author David Lebovitz, former pastry chef at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California, already has a few published books behind him and now shares his Paris food discoveries on his site/blog.

One blogging newcomer, marketing consultant Polly of Polly Vous Français started her new life in Paris in March 2006 and already has ambitious plans for customized luxury tours for visiting Americans.

Some of the guests couldn’t really be described as bloggers, since they run more traditional (is it too soon to apply that word to the Web?) sites, including Pascal Fonquernie, whose Parismarais® site covers everything you’ve always wanted to know about the one of the city’s most beautiful and vibrant neighborhoods. Paris-loving San Franciscan (soon to be Parisian) Terrance Gelenter runs Paris Through Expatriate Eyes, which focuses on the city’s literary scene, food and wine. Seth Weintraub is Webmaster of The Paris Times, an English-language monthly newspaper that actually exists on paper. Paris-based Sue Rynski isn’t a blogger at all but a professional photographer known for her rock’n’roll images, notably of Patti Smith.

Bloggers well-known in the Web world who don’t have an explicit Paris connection included Advice Goddess Amy Alkon, known for her jazzy newspaper advice columns, and artist Little Shiva, founder of The Visible Trash Society, who happily posed for a photo in a trash can with a bottle of champagne after the party.

Hillary and Aaron, transplanted New Yorkers who live at no. 13, street unknown, in Paris, recount their daily lives in the city on their blog. A highlight is the feature “Overheard Today on the Boulevard St. Germain” (example: “One well coiffed Parisienne to another: ‘Très, très beau’ (a fur coat).”

Editor Laurie Pike of The Paris Blog was on hand to represent the collective “Blog with Gaul,” hosting a number of Paris bloggers, some of whom have separate blogs of their own, including Eric Tenin, one of the few French guests at the party (although his English is so good that he might fool you). Every day Eric publishes a photo of the city snapped as he tools around town on his scooter on Paris Daily Photo. He is even willing to take requests.

Other guests included “Le Meg,” aka “Le Blaguer” (“prankster or joker), who says she’s been “playing the fool in Paris since 2004”; author Elliott Hester, current guest blogger on travel writer Susan Spano’s blog about living in the City of Light; writer and collage artist Matthew Rose; Susie Hollands of Ivy Paris, a site covering the Paris art scene; artist Jennifer Chevais, who tells tales of life in Paris on No Place Like It; and Gregg Sutter, Webmaster of a blog on novelist Elmore Leonard.

And what do Paris bloggers drink? Cosmpolitans, of course, red wine and champagne – in healthy quantities.

Heidi Ellison

© 2007 Paris Update