Bonjour from Paris! I’m here on a month-long retreat—toute seule (by myself)—to rest and reflect while immersed in beautiful spaces. Here, I can be alone without being lonely. It’s a retreat in every sense – a chance to regroup and reconnect with my inner creativity. I have long dreamed of spending a month in a city like this, but the time was never right. I began to realize that there would never be a perfect time. And, as I approach the end of my 50s, I have increasing awareness that I am not getting any younger. Life doesn’t last forever. So last winter, during a particularly difficult period, I “put on my oxygen mask” and booked this trip.
Many have asked me what inspired this trip. Without hesitation, my answer is The Artist’s Way. And that provides a great segue into this summer’s reading list. As always, you’ll find a feminist thread throughout much of what I recommend. In addition, I’m weaving in some books about journeys, a topic that appeals to me since I find myself at an inflection point in my own journey.
I hope you enjoy these books as much as I have!
The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron
This book has had a profound effect on my life, as it has for many others. It’s meant to put you in touch with your “inner creative spirit,” which many of us doubt we have. The author, Julia Cameron, assures us we are all innately creative, but our voice and creative energy have too often been silenced. Designed as a 12-week program, it ended up taking me 12 months to complete, due to the many competing priorities in my life. I had to pause midway through the program, but I stuck with it and completed it a year later. I’ve become devoted to the daily practice of “Morning Pages.” And through the author’s exercises, I dared to dream. I dared to dream of a month in Paris. And I dared to commit to writing another book. Thank you, Julia Cameron!
A Room of One’s Own, by Virginia Woolf
No trip to Paris for an English speaker is complete without a visit to Shakespeare & Company on the Left Bank. I made it one of my first stops when I arrived and picked up several books, including this classic. It’s hard to believe it was written in 1929! Its themes, including patriarchy and the suppression of women’s creativity, are powerful and still timely. While we’ve made progress, the struggle is still so real.
Eleanor, by David Michaelis
You may notice a theme here – I’m seeking perspective and answers from strong women in history. This epic biography of Eleanor Roosevelt helped me better understand that the societal forces we are grappling with today have been with us for a long time. Spanning major upheavals like the Great Depression and World War II, this book illuminates the politics and societal challenges of gender, race, and inequality. Eleanor, more progressive than her husband (President Franklin D Roosevelt), tried to steer his leadership in a more egalitarian direction. She found her own path when he couldn’t go where she wanted. Throughout her life, she continued to evolve and develop her own voice. At once sobering and inspiring, I highly recommend this book as a lens for understanding today’s world.
You Are Here, by David Nicholls
This is a beautiful story that unfolds during a walking journey taken by two introverts on a long “blind date.” Forced to set aside their smartphones, they embark on a series of conversations as they navigate the terrain and the weather. Set in northern England, they form an unlikely duo, finding ways to pass the time in all kinds of weather. Nicholls is the author of One Day (another great book), and I love his writing style, including his humor and emotional range.
Absolution, by Alice McDermott
This richly atmospheric novel beautifully captures a daughter’s effort to understand her mother – and, in doing so, make sense of the generation that came before her. Set primarily in the confined lives of American wives who were expats in Vietnam in the early 1960s, it raises hard questions: Can one break out of the societal mold and, if so, at what cost? The wives’ uneasy, often discriminatory relationships with their Vietnamese servants expose the tension between the era’s social norms and the protagonist’s moral compass. This book offers an intriguing counterpoint to the Vietnam War era that was so skillfully depicted in The Women by Kristin Hannah.
A bientot! (See you soon!)
