Discover more from All's Well by Nadine Zylberberg
Whenever I spent more than a minute on Instagram this past week, I caught a glimpse of the buzz emanating from Paris, a magical city year-round, but especially exciting now that the Olympic Games have officially kicked off. The Opening Ceremony uniforms (Mongolia and Portugal for the win!), the Louis Vuitton medal trays, the behind-the-scenes look at how it all came together, that Celine Dion performance… It’s a good time! And a great excuse to stay inside, where the air conditioning is strong, and watch other people achieve crazy things with their bodies. Let the games begin!
Ps. Resurfacing some Paris recs, if you need them, from a few months back.
Well Read
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I’m an extremely casual Olympics viewer and am only now realizing how little I know about the games. During the entire Opening Ceremony, I wondered things like: Where does the Olympic torch begin? What determines the number of athletes a country sends? Who gets to be a flag bearer? How did they clean up the Siene? Where are all the cars in central Paris? (I’m a lot of fun.) For anyone like me, here’s a thorough, visual history of the Summer Olympic Games.
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Off theme here, but: I love reading about how writers write. Stephen King did it best with his book, On Writing. But even brief moments, like in this interview with New York art critic Jerry Saltz, fill me up in some way. To write is to be alone with your thoughts; there’s comfort in hearing that other people do it, too. When Cultured Editor-in-Chief Sarah Harrelson asks, “What is your writing routine?” Saltz responds:
“The life of a weekly and daily critic is a tunnel life. I am not part of the social world. I only go to shows, take walks, and write. That is my life. I would not change a thing. That said, nothing on this earth is worse than writing. Deadlines are sent from hell, via heaven. Thank God that I trained myself to write to music. I can listen to anything and write, even Norwegian death metal.
For a weekly and sometimes daily critic, there is very little time for research. Still, I try to be my own assistant—I prepare legal pads filled with things I’ve heard or read, dates and quotes. I set up these pads in front of me, then I write as hard as I can. I go all out for hours. When feeling lost or terrified, I might look up and see a word or idea on one of the notepads and plug it in, seeing how far I can run with that until I have to do it again, usually three or four times.”
Read the full interview here. And find Saltz’s 78 favorite Instagram accounts here. Oh, and read his wonderful essay about his eating habits here. An all-around interesting guy!
Well Watched
For the next few weeks (thanks to Coby), I anticipate the Olympics will be running on our living room TV around the clock. That said, some Olympics counter-programming is welcome, too. To stay on theme, I’ve rounded up five solid movies based in Paris to make us feel like we’re there (unless you indeed are—lucky you!).
Amélie: Amélie is a young woman who discretely changes the lives of the people around her. When she finds an old toy chest hidden in her apartment walls, she’s compelled to return it to its owner. It’s the quintessential movie about Paris and it’s just charming. (Stream on Prime)
Before Sunset: Before Sunrise, the first in this Richard Linklater trilogy, might be the best, but this sequel really does pick up where the first leaves off, in tone and energy. Nine years after Jesse and Celine first meet, the two spend a day together in Paris, recounting how their lives have changed, but their strong feelings for one another remain.
Hugo: Granted, I haven’t seen this one in a while, but I still remember the feeling of magic when I did in theaters. Directed by Martin Scorsese, it follows a young boy who lives in the walls of a train station in 1930s Paris, keeping the clocks running. Scorsese uses 3-D beautifully here, telling the story of the early days of cinema through a toy maker (and early film director) Georges Méliès.
Breathless: A suave crook, an aspiring journalist, a murder. This Jean-Luc Godard movie is classic film school fodder, but a genuinely great ride for anyone willing to read subtitles. (Stream on Max)
Marie Antoinette: Not my favorite of Sofia Coppola’s movies, but the Frenchest of them. Coppola was granted permission to film at Versailles and she took advantage, filling the space with opulent costumes, frothy confections, and a pair of infamous blue Converse. As it turns out, equestrian Olympic events will be held at Versailles, making this a great movie reprieve when you’ve watched too many sports.
Well Worn
If you happen to find yourself watching sports outdoors these days, this one might be useful: I’ve found lately that most sunglasses are either too expensive to feel good about wearing in the water and getting sunscreen all over (nevermind a baby grabbing them off your face a dozen times a day) or they’re cheap and flimsy and don’t feel stylish whatsoever. I’ve been on a quest for decently priced frames that I love but don’t need to feel too precious about and I’ve landed on a few goodies. Here they are:
Izipizi is the Parisian answer to Goodrs, cheap bendy frames that come in an endless array of colors. Izipizi is a step up: these yellow round ones feel summery and these square pink ones offset a good neutral outfit.
Another French brand, Jimmy Fairly, sells styles that feel of-the-moment. For example, this oval pair and this hexagonal pair.
The Stockholm-based brand CHIMI has a solid range of classic shapes that I can vouch for.
I forget where I came across the Portuguese brand Fora, but I love this Mafalda Patricio-designed shape so much, I might just order a pair. I’m not opposed to this woven cord either.
Ray-Bans, always. I like the State Street model, now 30% off.
See you next week! 😎