To celebrate the publication day of Penelope Rowlands’ fabulous Paris Was Ours, we’re giving away three copies. Just leave a comment here or on our Facebook page to enter. The anthology features essays by David Sedaris, Stacy Schiff, Judith Thurman, Joe Queenan, Lily Tuck, Diane Johnson, and more. An essential volume for any Francophile or armchair traveler. Below is a recap of the publication party held at Idlewild Books.
Très chic. That’s how I would describe the crowd that packed into NYC’s travel-themed bookstore, Idlewild Books, on Friday night to support Paris Was Ours, the recently-released anthology edited by Penelope Rowlands.
After a little French wine, Penelope and Algonquin’s publisher, Elisabeth Scharlatt, took the stage to introduce contributors Lily Tuck and Joe Queenan, who read excerpts from their Paris Was Ours essays. Both charmed the crowd:
Lily with her essay about the difficulties of majoring in American Literature while studying abroad in Paris as a divorced mother of three (she, appropriately, stumbled over the word “heterodiegetic” while describing the trials of diagramming the 59 chapters of Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying for a sadistic professeur);
and Joe Queenan with descriptions of his hilarious encounters trying to pick up Parisian chicks with the same lens prescription he had after losing his (too-expensive-to-replace) glasses while living in France.
It was the parfait way to spend a Friday evening!
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–Emily Parliman, Publisher’s Assistant
Tags: David Sedaris, Diane Johnson, Elisabeth Scharlatt, Idlewild Books, Joe Queenan, Judith Thurman, Lily Tuck, Paris Was Ours, Penelope Rowlands, Stacy Schiff






Margaret says...
I’d love to win a copy!
February 8, 2011@ 7:07 PMAparatchick says...
I’ve been looking forward to this book – thanks for giving us the chance to win a copy.
February 8, 2011@ 3:59 PMJon says...
I love Paris and Algonquin Books. I would love to win a copy of this book. Thanks for the contest.
February 8, 2011@ 1:24 PMSuju says...
I’d love to win this. Paris is my favorite place in the world and with a 4-year old son I don’t know when I’ll next get to go! The last time was when I was pregnant
February 8, 2011@ 1:15 PMKari says...
I don’t know how this event flew under my radar! Idlewild is my favorite bookstore; I’m there frequently for their book club! And I have a copy of this book waiting to be read. Would’ve loved to attend the party.
February 8, 2011@ 12:43 PMLauren S. says...
Sounds delightful!
February 8, 2011@ 11:34 AMJohn says...
I’d love to win a copy… three of my daughters are quite addicted to Paris, I’m afraid
February 8, 2011@ 11:22 AMTonya Faye says...
I’ve never heard of these authors or this book before,but it sounds interesting…
February 8, 2011@ 11:20 AMHere Be Dragons says...
I’d love to read this!
February 8, 2011@ 11:03 AMamanda says...
it looks like a really good read
February 8, 2011@ 11:00 AM