Greetings from Paris, Paris!
Whether you see it as beautiful weather or a killer drought, the dry heat continues all over France. With luck, good things will soon rain down on all of us… in fact, as I type this, a storm has broken and the first serious rain in months is falling!
Our US book tour in April/May was wonderful, and we’re continuing our efforts in Paris. On Tuesday night June 7 from 7-9PM we’ll be at the Village Voice Bookshop signing books and catching up with friends.
The big news and the reason for this first post since our return: Paris, Paris has been selected by a great, new nonprofit organization called ClassWish.org as a vehicle for a sweepstakes to benefit American school children. This is a win/win.
You can win an iPad2. You can also help American kids get the supplies they need, and it’s free. (Along the way you might also help spread the word about Paris, Paris). If you want to skip the intro: http://classwish.org/books/134/Paris-Paris
About ClassWish.org: We had a wonderful time in the privileged enclaves of Manhattan, the San Francisco Bay Area, plus Napa/Sonoma wine country. But even amid vast wealth, there are K-12 schools that do not have the resources to let children explore their potential and excel. Books, computers, art supplies, musical instruments, science equipment, sports equipment, and even paper for computers and printers are all in short supply, nationwide. Supplying such items—something our government should be doing—is what ClassWish.org is all about.
The sweepstakes is easy. Entering is free of charge. Even if you already have a copy of Paris, Paris, please consider participating and sharing this link. Here it is again: http://classwish.org/books/134/Paris-Paris
In case you missed the latest reviews of Paris, Paris (in National Geographic Traveler and The Toronto Star), I’ve excerpted them below, with links.
National Geographic Traveler, June 2, 2011
“I have been enjoying David Downie’s writings about the everyday rites and hidden delights of Parisian life since the 1980s. His newly updated collection of 31http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif essays and encounters, Paris, Paris, presents the places, people, and phenomena of the city with unequaled intelligence and passion. Downie reveals the poignant past and present of Père-Lachaise cemehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giftery and the subtle lessons of a day in the life of the Luxembourg Gardens. He lovingly portrays the Montmartre haunts of Modigliani, the atmospheric back alleys of the Marais, and the only-in-Paris wisdom and wit of the philosophy cafés. Learned and lively, Downie’s book is an enchanting valentine to an ageless love.”—Donald George
“… compelling… a rapturous, history-rich love poem.”—Pauline Frommer, Toronto Star
More blurbs and reviews…
“David Downie is the master of educated curiosity. With him we discover Paris, a seemingly public city that is, in fact, full of secrets…”—Michael Ondaatje
“Downie’s new book reflects the city and its light with such power that its title says it twice. Paris, Paris shimmers with wit and mesmerizes with wisdom. With splendid photographs by Alison Harris, it is as the French would say un must.” —Mort Rosenblum
“I loved his collection of essays and anyone who’s visited Paris in the past, or plans to visit in the future, will be equally charmed….” —David Lebovitz
“delightful and insightful” —Chicago Tribune
“gives fresh poetic insight into the city” —Departures
“beautifully written and refreshingly original” —San Francisco Chronicle
“Perhaps the most evocative American book about Paris since A Moveable Feast.”—Jan Morris
More reviews: www.davidddownie.com
The sweepstakes: http://classwish.org/books/134/Paris-Paris
ClassWish.org: this innovative nonprofit uses modern business practices and the latest marketing techniques to help 125,000 schools nationwide (serving 56 million kids) inform, inspire and engage supporters. Teachers visit the site to create Wish Lists of the resources they need. People in the community can see exactly what is needed and contribute to help.
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