/
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
PARIS
I always try to get out of Paris as soon as possible. The Paris of movie and unearned memory is a warm, romantic place. The Paris of reality is something else—not necessarily uninviting, just not designed for you. The tourist Paris has been eaten up and stomped down into a superficial, smooth commodity that involves long lines and overheard English. The “real” Paris you glimpse in flashes as it disappears around the corner; it’s an elegant hairstyle, an exquisite highball glass, a familiar name like Veronica Lake spoken in the midst of a dense, melodious conversation. Paris feels overwhelmed and vaporous, on the verge of being trampled to ruins. A city best enjoyed when far away, when memory commingles with your imagination.