I’ve been told I come across “less superficial” in French. I speak fluently enough to hold my own in philosophical conversation and even land the occasional witty remark. Still, my silences project a certain naiveté: I smile at nihilistic men on the metro in a way that indicates
Somewhere there must be a vibrant not grey but orange and violet arena in which passion can rear its beautiful laughter and no one feels anything but alive and happy and grateful about it.
Aug 7, 2023·edited Aug 7, 2023Liked by Alicia Kenworthy
I like Beigbeder already: he sounds like my kind of guy. I should love to attend your talk but it's a bit of a trek (I live in London). Will it be livestreamed or recorded, Alicia?
Haha, he's great. And yes! No livestream but it will (or at least should...) be recorded. If I'm satisfied with the sound and lighting I'll probably post the video here in a few weeks.
That would be marvellous. For some reason your post reminded me of a conversation I had with a French lady I know (in her 30s, in case that's relevant).
Me: How do you always manage to look so incredibly elegant and sophisticated, even when wearing jeans and a pullover.
Her: Because I am French (with an elongated 'e' pronunciation )-- it really made me laugh!
How gallant of you! It is a shame. At least the cheek kisses are still going strong. Though it can be awkward to know which side to start on and how many kisses to give, depending on where you are in the country.
"Gallant". Thank you! Very awkward. This lady always did both sides. In the UK, it seems to be mainly older women who do it, but I haven't carried out extensive scientific research on the matter in case I get locked up.
Alicia! I have news for you. A beautiful twenty-something girl does not need technique or an exposed bra strap to seduce a Frenchman...or any other straight male not currently under vows of chastity. Hell, you could probably do it even if you weren't beautiful! I'm no Francophile, but I think that Frenchmen are pretty normal healthy males, to your point that perhaps in this country Me Too has gone a bit overboard.
Somewhere there must be a vibrant not grey but orange and violet arena in which passion can rear its beautiful laughter and no one feels anything but alive and happy and grateful about it.
Somewhere! France used to feel like that place to me, but they're now as deep in the weeds of navigating desire as we are.
Ah, people!
Thank you so much for this post that is a lightning bolt to the heart. And for introducing another fantastic writer to read. Merci, Alici-a!
Je t'en prie David ! The pleasure is all mine.
💜
I like Beigbeder already: he sounds like my kind of guy. I should love to attend your talk but it's a bit of a trek (I live in London). Will it be livestreamed or recorded, Alicia?
Haha, he's great. And yes! No livestream but it will (or at least should...) be recorded. If I'm satisfied with the sound and lighting I'll probably post the video here in a few weeks.
That would be marvellous. For some reason your post reminded me of a conversation I had with a French lady I know (in her 30s, in case that's relevant).
Me: How do you always manage to look so incredibly elegant and sophisticated, even when wearing jeans and a pullover.
Her: Because I am French (with an elongated 'e' pronunciation )-- it really made me laugh!
Lol, and she's right! French women always seem to have that je ne sais quoi.
Absolutely! We bumped into each other at a conference once, so I kissed the back of her hand in greeting.
Me: I had to do that because you're French.
She laughed her head off and said "French men don't do that any more."
Well, I think that's a shame. I mean, whatever happened to chivalry and romance?
How gallant of you! It is a shame. At least the cheek kisses are still going strong. Though it can be awkward to know which side to start on and how many kisses to give, depending on where you are in the country.
"Gallant". Thank you! Very awkward. This lady always did both sides. In the UK, it seems to be mainly older women who do it, but I haven't carried out extensive scientific research on the matter in case I get locked up.
Alicia! I have news for you. A beautiful twenty-something girl does not need technique or an exposed bra strap to seduce a Frenchman...or any other straight male not currently under vows of chastity. Hell, you could probably do it even if you weren't beautiful! I'm no Francophile, but I think that Frenchmen are pretty normal healthy males, to your point that perhaps in this country Me Too has gone a bit overboard.
If only someone had told me this before I spent all my savings at writing retreats trying to diagnose my book’s problem 😂