Touring Literary Paris

By Jason Boog 

t21.jpgJournalist Whitney McKnight just filed a literary dispatch for GalleyCat readers headed to France: “If you fantasize about being an American writing in Paris, Terrance Gelenter is your man. ‘Everything to do with American literature in Paris eventually passes through my hands,’ Gelenter explained.”

McKnight continued: “If that’s an exaggeration, then there must be a helluva lot of unknown American writers holed up in Gaulic garrets, since Gelenter’s website, Paris Through Expatriot Eyes, is so chock-full of interviews with American literati living in the City of Lights, it’s hard to think anyone’s been overlooked.”

“Gelenter routinely hosts salons (okay, book signings) featuring American authors published by well-known houses like Knopf and Random House. ‘You could go to a free signing, but for 20 Euros, you’ll have a more intimate experience, good food, good wine, and a very good time,’ said Gelenter. A recent ‘Paris Terrance’ event featured Diane Johnson.”


McKnight concluded: “Gelenter also offers custom-designed tours of Parisian haunts of erstwhile Americans in Paris such as Hemingway and Fitzgerald, as well as tours of other literary landmarks. Tour docents include Francophilic authors such as mystery novelist Cara Black, biographer John Baxter, and cookbook author Charlotte Puckett.”

Whitney McKnight is a frequent mediabistro.com contributor. She blogs about writing-for-hire at The Thought Shops.