The New Paris Podcast

Making sense of your identity when you live abroad can be a fraught endeavour. For third culture kids, identity is even more complex. My friend and fellow creative who goes simply by the name Pushan, understands this especially well. He’s French, Basque, Indian, and American and has lived even further afield for his work as a photographer and videographer. He joins the show today to talk about growing up between France and the US, Indian culture in Paris, and our favorite topic of conversation whenever we see each other: food.

Without question, Paris and the arts go hand in hand. The density of public museums and galeries small and large make Paris one of the most enriching artistic capitals to visit. In recent years, that has expanded to include private collections in shiny, multi-million euro spaces that have the potential to change the French art world permanently. Today’s guest, Susan Taylor Leduc, is an art and garden historian, tour guide, and former arts educator who joins me to talk about some these institutions, such as the Louis Vuitton Foundation and the Pinault Collection, as well as the city’s many changes and its impact on visitors.

When I think of women in the food media, I instantly think of Victoire Loup, a French-born writer and consultant who goes between Paris and Los Angeles. For a time she was the communication director for Le Fooding and has written for a number of international magazines and newspapers. More recently, she has published two cookbooks in French and consulted for an international network of chefs. She joins the show today to talk about changes to the food scene, what Los Angeles gets right about cooking, and being involved in mission-driven food projects wherever she finds herself.

It’s been a while since I’ve done a France news update but there are so many pressing issues facing the country now besides Covid that it was time to jump back in. And this time, I’m joined by Yasser Louati, a human rights and civil liberties activist, a community organiser, and political analyst. He also co-founded the NGO CJL, a transnational human rights and civil liberties organisation. A fellow podcaster at Le Breakdown and Les Idées Libres, I couldn’t think of anyone better to join me to discuss the status of France’s controversial security bill, racism, Islamophobia and the historic sources of many of the countries troubles.

Talking to strangers is a part of my job. I interview people for work, most of whom I don’t know personally in advance, but is generally arranged. I know what I’m about to do and so does the person I’ll be speaking with. But approaching strangers on the street to learn bits of their story is something else altogether. That’s why I’ve been fascinated by the work of Stéphanie Pfeiffer, a photographer in Paris whose project Les Gueules de Parisiens, is the result of serendipitous encounters and storytelling. And in a city like Paris where rules and categories are sacrosanct, Stéphanie is a non-conformist in the most refreshing of ways. Here we talk about her upbringing, her love for funky fashions, and of course, Les Gueules de Parisiens.

Have you ever found yourself endlessly fascinated by something, to the point of obsession? For me, that’s probably coffee and chocolate but for others deeply passionate about food and the way it is made, that might be bread, cheese, or even wine. Those are the three loves explored by my friend Katie Quinn in her new book "Cheese, Wine, and Bread: Discovering the magic of fermentation in England, Italy, and France." As she puts it: it’s the story of one woman’s obsession with some of humanity’s most ancient and essential foods. And she takes readers on an incredible tour of three countries in order to share the stories, recipes, and science behind these favorite fermented foods. She joins me from southern Italy to talk about the process as well as a focus on the France-focused piece all about bread.

How important is travel in our lifelong education? For Kévi Donat, founder of Le Paris Noir walking tours, it’s a crucial element to understanding a place, a culture, a past, and a present and above all, builds empathy. He chronicles chronicles the city’s connection to Africa, the Caribbean, and the United States, covering critical themes from colonization and immigration to the literary, political, and artistic figures that have influenced the course of French history. And today, we talk about what sparked his work, the ongoing tensions around discussions of race and identity in France, and the books and films you can watch to foster understanding while travel is on hold.

Le Paris Noir

Le Paris Noir on Instagram  

Victor Schoelcher

Michel Zecler

Marianne et le Garçon Noir book

Tout Simplement Noir film

Le Tchip podcast 

Lous and the Yakuza