I look up again at the tree above me—the kind that seems to appear only in childhood. Parisian spring light filters through its young branches and lays itself across my body. I have no wish to disparage Paris in spring; her sun is warm, dazzling even, and yet she feels cold to me—not in temperature, but in tone. This season’s light carries no golden filter, … Continue reading Post-Spring by Leon Sun
Playgrounds, a new cross-genre art book by Chloe Briggs and Lillian Davies, is something seriously superb. In just thirty-three pages, Briggs and Davies have created an accessible experience during which the reader listens carefully to a casual yet exhilarating conversation between a professional visual artist and a professional writer. As they elaborate on their connection to the history of parks, feminism and creative crafts, the … Continue reading Luminous Loops: A Review of Chloe Briggs’ and Lillian Davies’ Playgrounds by Malik Crumpler
Life is a carnival of extremes. That much Rufo Quintavalle seems to be aware of, as he makes apparent in his latest poetry collection, I Love Paris. Not only regaling us with truthful and haunting visions, but also showing us that existence is rarely black and white. Particularly in Paris. Where it’s more like a rain-soaked panoply of hues muted in gray. Masterfully tracing the undulating freedoms … Continue reading I Love Paris: Rufo Quintavalle’s Elucidative Portrait of Urban Life by Audrey Vinkenes
The bizarre, rather non sequitur spotlight on bedbugs in Paris seems to come at a very “convenient” time for a number of reasons. For one thing, everybody wants to see Paris “flop” in a manner that coincides with the Olympics, when all eyes will be on it more than ever, and, for another, people only care about icky and unpleasant “goings-on” when it affects either … Continue reading They’re Trying to Make “Glamorama With Bedbugs” Happen
A city of romance, a city of trash, a city of tourists, a city perpetually burning. For those who can see and hear the poetry in Paris, no matter what state it’s in, Rufo Quintavalle’s incisive collection, which addresses subjects and towns well beyond la France, is the perfect élixir for enfants terribles and modèles de vertu alike. Enjoy un petit goût of the book via Spotify here. Buy I Love Paris at Barnes … Continue reading The Opiate Books Presents: I Love Paris by Rufo Quintavalle
Hottening endless summer at a pavement café your hand trembles as you sip coffee, “What do you think of me?” You melt back into your world, I float in a dream like a phantom whisper. Paris scent lingers. Chocolates, macaroons and Piaf’s crooning— perfect rendezvous, a mysterious bond between us, and there’s nothing we can do. Continue reading Chocolates, Macaroons and The Little Sparrow by Amy Abdullah Barry
It begins with an itch then another and another– those screaming red eruptions on arms legs and unmentionables (Isn’t life a bitch!) the tell-tale sign of corruption– bloodstains on your pillow the viscous film of wet dream on your shrinking fitted sheets Who are they? these creeps these mites small flat parasites big appetites that live in dark places alleyways hidden spaces who feed off you in excess before they retire to the comfort of your bed where they enjoy easy access Yum while you lay … Continue reading When You Are On the Menu by Antonia Alexandra Klimenko
While France prides itself on being a nation of liberté, the unspoken caveat is that one usually needs to be a man to enjoy such liberté. The feelings of “retro-ness” that women in the country have long felt, whether about gender or racial discrimination (see: Virginie Despentes’ recent comment on the discrepancy between those affected by COVID-19), has reached such a fever pitch that they’ve … Continue reading Moi les hommes, je les déteste: A Confluence of Misogyny-Based Censorship in France
Virginie Despentes and Michel Houellebecq are not really two French writers whose names go hand in hand. In fact, it’s highly likely that the former despises the latter for his unapologetic brand of chauvinism and the latter despises the former for her “feminist bullshit.” And yet, her recent statement on the problem of racism in an open letter called “Lettre adressée à mes amis blancs … Continue reading Virginie Despentes Gives A Michel Houellebecq-Style Statement on Racism in France
Waiting for the gradual process of “deconfinement” to occur, the polarizing French writer, Michel Houellebecq (a more hardcore enfant terrible of literature in terms of his unapologetic “white male” opinions than Bret Easton Ellis), at last decided to weigh in on the matter. The matter in particular being many people’s belief that as the world emerges slowly but surely after coronavirus, it will be an … Continue reading Michel Houellebecq As-t-il Raison? Cette pandémie ne change rien? Enfin, probablement.
