Orhan Pamuk

a bit of good news: last week, the case against writer Orhan Pamuk was dropped by the Turkish government. Pamuk faced charges of "insulting Turkishness", largely because he has dared to write of the 20th century Turkish genocide of Armenians and Kurds. Pamuk is one of Turkey's best-known novelists, and his case drew criticism in the EU. it's probably because of EU pressure that the case has been dropped - but Turkey currently has eight other freedom of speech trials coming up, so Ankara shouldn't get any bouquets of flowers just yet.

on the café table today...a box of kleenex from monoprix (i have a cold), Hugh Kenner's The Elsewhere Community (which i read a few years ago & am finding, on rereading, that it's every bit as brilliant as i remembered, pulling in Ezra Pound, the internet, modernism, travel, Paris expats...) and Nikki Giovanni's poems, Those Who Ride the Night Winds (the first half is so good that the dated second half of the book doesn't change my enthusiasm).

and if you are celebrating Chinese new year, happy year of the dog!

kodjo

went to the PA magazine launch at the hipster shop/gallery KODJO (54 rue Letort) just around the corner from my house. are artists the shock troops of gentrification? what with dj amigo playing remixes of stuff i hadn't heard in eons, and all the free vodka and champagne, i have to admit that for once, i didn't really mind being gentrified... my friend helen bought an amazing jacket designed by artist Nico (part of the PA collective), the usual photographers turned up, and smokers thoughtfully congregated outside, yippee! KODJO is the brainchild of the suave Victor; his north-Paris take on rue saint-honore's Colette means there's artwork, fashion shows, jewelry and books for sale, plus free events to pull in people from our 'hood as well as hip visitors. stay tuned at www.kodjo.fr

dégonfleurs

saw a huge shiny SUV with its tires deflated yesterday evening: the dégonfleurs have been at work, shrinking the egos of those who drive immense vehicles through the tiny streets of Paris. surely even parking the thing is a nightmare, let alone actually driving it through Montmartre on a weekend... so leave your SUV at home & take the metro tonight to the Highlander Pub (just across Pont Neuf on rue de Nevers) - I am reading some poems with Jonathan Wonham and Amy Hallowell.

good luck

went to see "Good Night, and Good Luck."--an impeccably-tailored film that's as firm an indictment of the current W era as it is of McCarthyism. exciting to see a nuanced appeal for intelligence and empathetic reason--qualities in such short supply these days!

listening to "In the Heart of the Moon" from Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté, in an effort to counteract the incredible grey outside the window. looking forward tonight to a play-reading...the new in-progress translation of "Whiskey Bars" from Bremner Duthie. it'll be a good reason to get me out of the house (well, that and les soldes, which started in Paris yesterday...anybody else notice the great piles of shopping bags crammed onto the metro last night?)

january mysteries

what is so attractive about murder mysteries? i didn't used to read them much, maybe i felt superior or more likely i was just afraid of the dark. but lately my admiration for Raymond Chandler & Dashiell Hammett has led me to get into some wonderful contemporary murder mystery writers...something about the fact that the plot is more or less an excuse to examine the world--politics, history, human psychology--all the big issues, framed in a relatively predictable package that allows the quirks and personal beliefs of the writer to shine through. a few mystery writers who come to mind are Donna Leon (Euro-politics wrapped up in Venetian ambiance), Jake Lamar (more insight into the current banlieu crisis than most French journalists can offer), and Yasmina Khadra (a pseudonym through which author Mohammed Moulessehoul bitterly describes contemporary Algeria). any other recommendations?

and as a complete aside, Canadian poet & stubborn bon vivant extraordinaire Irving Layton died yesterday, January 4th. appropriately enough, this note can be found on his website: "The Irving Layton Site strongly encourages students to consult their teachers, professors and their local library for assistance with essays and term papers. Dr. Layton is not available for assistance to students at this time." R.I.P.

state of

the state of emergency declared in france back in november should be lifted tomorrow...six weeks ahead of schedule. good. on sunday morning i walked up to Sacré Coeur listening to the bells ringing for the new year. flashes of blue sky inspersed with silvery rain, typical january view of all of Paris. people from everywhere on the steps...coming home from new year parties (a guy holding a silver wig under his arm), or going to work in the neighbourhood (sketchbook artists, postcard sellers, croissant vendors), or coming to church at the basilica, or taking pictures of each other and laughing in twenty different languages. it didn't look much like a state of emergency. but maybe it is...for the environment, for freedom of the press, for civil rights... so now that the state of emergency is being lifted, perhaps we can institute a state of awareness, for 2006. bonne année!