‘Reading is changing wildly’

Frances Gendlin, a writer who served on the board of trustees of the Library  a few years ago, has been living more recently in Mexico – but thinking enough about her former haunts to write and publish a new book,  the fictional Paris, Moi, and the Gang: A Memoir…of Sorts. The publisher’s blurb says it’s “more than a romp through the streets of the most beautiful city in the world. It is a paean to the rich and fascinating history that sets Paris apart. Calling on her knowledge of Franco-American history and weaving this richness into the daily lives of Fran and her ‘gang’ of friends, Fran offers the past and the present, and a way of experiencing Paris that most tourists might never see on their own.” The book is available at the Library.

Gendlin is in town this week and will be speaking Friday not about her book but about the future of the book. She comes to the topic not just as a writer, but as the former editor and publisher of Sierra magazine and former executive director of the Association of American University Presses. “Reading — and the way we read (write, sell, buy, publish) — is changing wildly and this change is spreading its broad tentacles throughout the world. Changes in the publishing world, in writers’ options, in higher education’s approach and in the public’s perceptions” will be among the subjects Gendlin will discuss Friday at 18h30 as the guest of the Paris Alumni Network, an evening open to non-members for €5. For reservations and information about location (near la Muette in the 16^th), please contact Patricia Monacelli at monacelli@orange.fr