Name: Natalie Ehalt
Provenance: Minnetrista, MN
Now: Minneapolis, MN
Profession: Lead teacher at Joyce Bilingual Preschool, a nonprofit
A Woman’s Paris: Senior editorial manager and writer
Currently reading: Trying to finish The Invisible Line, by Daniel J. Sharfstein. Excited to start Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter, by Mario Vargas Llosa.
Creative stimulus: A clean slate—in the kitchen without a recipe, an empty closet, a blank page on a clean desk.
Great escape: The Tigre Delta in Argentina, where the land is spongy and crisscrossed with tributaries. We take a riverboat to a shanty on stilts and borrow electricity from a neighbor.
Project: Writing a children’s book based on my mother’s first job giving pony rides in St. Paul.
Name: Michelle Hum
Provenance: Waukesha, WI
Now: Minneapolis, MN
Profession: Student (Psychology and Advertising)
A Woman’s Paris: Digital manager and writer
Currently reading: French Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork, and
Corkscrew, by Peter Mayle.
Creative stimulus: People
Great escape: Books or travel
Project: For my honors thesis in Psychology, I will be doing research focusing on the
intersection of relationships, food and consumer behavior.
Name: Michelle Schwartzbauer
Provenance: Rochester, NY
Now: Minneapolis, MN
Profession: Graphic artist at Whole Foods Market
A Woman’s Paris: Graphic design and illustration
Currently reading: Could Atlas, by David Mitchell
Creative stimulus: Browsing ELLE‘s runway photos
Dream escape: Daydreaming of a fall trip to New York City with a dear friend.
Project: Contributing creative consultant and illustrator for A Woman’s Paris®, creating illustrations for a Canadian non-profit event, The Snowflake Ball.
Name: Lydia Fusco
Provenance: Indianola, IA
Now: Minneapolis, MN
Profession: Student (illustration, MCAD 2013)
A Woman’s Paris: Illustrator
Currently reading: Watchmen, a graphic novel by Alan Moore
Creative stimulus: Disney movies and R&B music.
Dream escape: A month-long trip to Florida so that I could go to as many theme parks as I wanted.
Project: Creating the character and scenic designs for a visual development project called The Water of Life.
Name: Bénédicte Mahé
Provenance: Brittany, France
Now: Paris, France
Profession: Student in cultural management in philanthropy for cultural institutions
A Woman’s Paris: Writer and translator and French advisor on France
Currently reading: Italian novels in Italian (Gli amori difficili by Italo Calvino) and Stern Men, by Elizabeth Gilbert (in French)
Creative stimuli: Tap dancing, cooking, reading
Great escapes: Shopping
Projects: Now finishing her studies in Management of Cultural Goods and Activities and is completing this program with an internship in a French bank’s.
Name: Flore Der Agopian
Provenance: Clamart, France
Now: Clamart, France
Profession: Student in European and International Studies in Paris
A Woman’s Paris: Writer and French advisor on France
Currently reading: The Great Gatsby, Francis Scott Fitzgerald
Creative stimuli: Discover new places all over the world and meeting different people; listening to all sorts of music to create different moods; and watching good movies.
Great escapes: Travels around the world.
Projects: Preparing to spend time abroad for my studies.
Name: Hicham Sbaa
Provenance: Tiznit, Morocco
Now: Marrakech, Morocco
Profession: ESL Instructor at the American Language Center (a nonprofit organization)
A Woman’s Paris: Writer, translator of French and advisor on Morocco
Currently reading: A Time for Courage, by Kathryn Lasky.
Creative stimulus: Inspiring books and movies
Dream escape: Teaching and writing
Project: Working on my new short story.
Name: Abby Rodgers
Provenance: Pittsford, NY
Now: Paris, France
Profession: Student, nanny, gallery assistant
A Woman’s Paris: Writer and advisor on Paris
Currently reading: L’amour dure trois ans, by Frédéric Beigbeder.
Creative stimulus: The streets of Paris.
Project: Studying French at the Sorbonne and finishing a degree in International Relations at Schiller International University, moving into my new apartment by Galeries Lafayette!
Name: David Lundin
Provenance: Chicago, IL
Now: Minneapolis, MN
A Woman’s Paris: Film critic
Currently reading: Peckinpah: The Western Films, by Paul Seydor
Creative stimulus: Watching movies and endless conversations with friends
and family
Great escape: Riding my bike and going to museums
Project: Trying to finish a 90-100 page screenplay for a horror movie.
Name: Eva Izsak-Niimura-Fourcans
Provenance: Transylvania, Hungarian-speaking province of Romania
Now: Paris, France
Profession: Attorney and writer
A Woman’s Paris: Writer and advisor on Paris
Currently reading: Books about recent advancements
in genetics and anything by Walter Isaacson and Kazuo Ishiguro.
Creative stimuli: Exploring new cultures and cooking.
Great escapes: Travel
Projects: Writing her first novel.
Name: Alan Davidge
Provenance: London (East End), England
Now: Rural Normandy, France
Profession: Retired from education. Former college director/assistant principal.
A Woman’s Paris: Contributor on travel and history matters and enthusiastic story teller.
Currently reading: Innocent Traitor, by Alison Weir (story of Lady Jane Grey, “The nine day queen”) and anything about France that I can lay my hands on.
Creative stimulus: Living in rural Normandy with Carol and doing as we please (for the most part) and wondering how we ever survived without a log fire, a vegetable garden and an old bread oven.
Great escape: The beautiful island of Sri Lanka (been there four times) then a plane across to The Maldives.
Project: Researching D-Day and escorting visitors around the beaches and battlefields while my wife Carol prepares a delicious three course meal for our homecoming.
Name: Lauren Ernt
Provenance: Minneapolis, MN
Now: Minneapolis, MN
A Woman’s Paris: Writer and editorial advisor
Currently reading: Balthazar by Lawrence Durrell and Kamouraska by Anne Hébert
Creative stimuli: Problems and puzzles that need to be solved; questions that need to be answered.
Great escapes: Urban photo safaris, crowded bars with live music, quiet libraries, horseback riding.
Projects: Writing for A Woman’s Paris and planning dream vacations to exotic destinations.
Name: Elyse Rozina
Provenance: Waukesha, WI
Now: Minneapolis, MN
Profession: Student
A Woman’s Paris: Translations Manager, Global
Currently reading: The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway, and Notre Dame de Paris, in French.
Creative stimulus: Experiencing different cultures, broadening my horizons by knowing how other people move through their daily lives.
Great escape: One day climbing Triglav, the highest mountain in Slovenia, with my Dad (my relatives tell me that you are not a “true” Slovenian until you make it to the top).
Name: Bailey Roberts
Provenance: St. Cloud, Minnesota
Now: St. Paul, Minnesota
Profession: Student of Linguistics, French, and Japanese at Macalester College
A Woman’s Paris: French translation
Currently reading: A delightful fantasy novel called Guild of the Cowry Catchers.
Creative stimulus: Music—but it has to be just the right song to fit the mood.
Great escape: Any place with cozy blankets, books, and hot cocoa.
Project: Preparing to go abroad in the fall, and hopefully live to tell the tale.
Name: Bethany Olson
Provenance: Edina, MN
Now: Mobile, AL
Profession: Environmental non-profit work
A Woman’s Paris: Editorial Manager: Food / Book Reviews
Currently reading: A Casual Vacancy, by J. K. Rowling
Creative stimulus: Friends, food, and fresh snow
Great escape: Hot tea, fuzzy socks, and a cuddly cat
Project: Saving the world by day, learning to make the world’s best crepes by night.
Name: Alyssa Glawe
Provenance: Peoria, IL
Now: Grenoble, France
Profession: English au pair and private tutor
A Woman’s Paris: Writer
Currently reading: A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini
Creative stimulus: As a little girl, I remember meeting my parents at the airport gates after their numerous business trips. They always came back with stories and little surprises for each of us children. These memories always inspire me to travel and write.
Great escape: If I get the chance, Paris is always my favorite destination. And if that is not possible, a kitchen with baking supplies always brings me happiness.
Favorite thing: I can spend days walking Les Bouquinistes (Bookstalls) of Paris.
Project: Concentrating on finding the right graduate school for a degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speaker of Other Languages).
Name: Andrea Johnson
Provenance: Alborn, MN
Now: Minneapolis, MN
Profession: Pace Analytical Services at 3M
A Woman’s Paris: Editorial Manager: Science
Currently reading: Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut.
Creative stimulus: Incredible people and magical places.
Great escape: Traveling or at my house in the lake in Alborn.
Project: Volunteer position at University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital Emergency Department and preparing medical school applications.
Name: Melissa Larson
Provenance: Round Lake Beach, IL
Now: St. Paul, MN
Profession: Student (International Studies, Community and Global Health, Japanese, and English)
A Woman’s Paris: Social Media Manager
Currently reading: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Creative stimulus: A new pen and notebook
Great escape: Traveling within the U.S. and around the world is always fun and exciting, but reading a new book is always an adventure.
Project: Working for A Woman’s Paris and the Minnesota Department of Health, as well as attempting to prepare for life after graduation next year.
Name: Allison Haberstroh
Provenance: Springboro, OH
Now: Minneapolis, MN
Profession: Student at the University of Minnesota studying French and Urban Studies.
A Woman’s Paris: Editorial Manager
Currently reading: Casino Royale by Ian Fleming
Creative stimulus: Listening to music and walking around to explore new places.
Great escape: Going to a bookstore or cafe to enjoy books and a big cup of coffee.
Project: Surviving classes and trying to make time to read an ever-growing pile of books.
Name: Ichigo Takikawa
Provenance: Corvallis, Oregon
Now: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Profession: Student at the University of Minnesota (Journalism, Sustainability Studies, and Design)
A Woman’s Paris: Editorial Manager: WordPress
Currently reading: The Birthday of the World, by Ursula Le Guin and Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
Creative stimulus: Listening to classical music loudly, especially music by Kenji Bunch.
Great escape: Going camping at the Oregon coast and cooking food by the fire at night.
Project: Working as a photographer at the Minnesota Daily and planning on studying abroad in Italy Spring 2014.
Name: Jane Campbell
Provenance: Madison, WI
Now: Minneapolis, MN
Profession: Student (Journalism, French, Design)
A Woman’s Paris: Editorial Manager: Media
Currently reading: No One Belongs Here More Than You, by Miranda July. Excited to start Grace Coddington’s memoir, Grace, soon!
Creative stimulus: Exciting, vivacious environments full of new people and new ideas and 1960s French films.
Great escape: Anywhere I can be with good friends and good music.
Name: Tim Wilkerson
Provenance: Fort Wayne, IN
Now: Springfield, OH
Profession: Associate Professor of French, Wittenberg University
A Woman’s Paris: Supervisor of WU student interns translating for A Woman’s Paris
Currently reading: Recent winners of the prestigious Prix Goncourt for a course I’m teaching this spring: Jonathan Littell’s Les Bienveillantes, Gilles Leroy’s Alabama Song, Atiq Ramini’s Syngué Sabour, Marie N’Diaye’s Trois femmes puissantes, Michel Houellebecq’s La Carte et le territoire, Alexis Jenni’s L’Art français de la guerre, and François Garde’s Ce qu’il advint du sauvage blanc (Prix Goncourt du premier roman 2012).
Creative stimulus: Hunger and crisis. Living out here in the boonies, I’ve become a great home chef and have always been a problem solver.Great escape: Gardening and cooking.
Project: Rebuilding the French program at Wittenberg—a departure from the traditional composition-conversation-culture-and-literature programs at other institutions.
Name: Sara Horsley
Provenance: Wilmington, Ohio.
Now: Springfield, OH
Profession: Student studying French and Dance at Wittenberg University
A Woman’s Paris: French translation
Currently reading: Several books for my academic classes, however in my spare time I’m reading The Detox Miracle Sourcebook, by Dr. Robert Morse.
Creative stimulus: Fresh air in the woods—there’s nothing like a walk amongst the trees to get my thoughts flowing.
Great escape: Anywhere there is untouched nature. I haven’t traveled much but I hope to someday. I will be in Arles, France for the summer of 2013. Perhaps southern France will become my great escape.
Project: Working towards graduating in December of 2013 and transitioning to a 100% fully-raw vegan diet.
Name: Ashley Steele
Provenance: Minneapolis, MN
Profession: Sociology graduate and entrepreneur
A Woman’s Paris: Writer
Currently reading: The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. Also anything about small business ownership.
Creative stimulus: People, nature and cooking—without a recipe.
Great escape: A trip to visit my family and friends in Sénégal, where I studied abroad. Despite the poverty in Sénégal, there is real beauty: its ocean, people, beautiful traditional clothing, delicious food, and a welcoming culture.
Project: I am starting an online social networking business with my sister, Jamie, that is geared towards women of color; their hair care and beauty needs.
Name: Thyra Helgesen
Provenance: Long Island, New York
Now: Long Island, New York
Profession: Freelance Illustrator and Designer
A Woman’s Paris: Illustrator
Currently reading: The Interpretations of Dreams: The Illustrated Edition, by Sigmund Freud.
Creative stimulus: Checking out books in the library and looking through my favorite illustrators’ art books, such as Ernst Haeckel and James Jean; searching the web for illustration inspiration and following my past classmates websites.
Great escape: Surfing, taking walks on the beach, going to the gym, bicycling, drawing, traveling to visit friends when I have the time.
Project: Currently looking for more freelance work and improving my drawing and painting skills.
Name: Jenny Jorns
Provenance: Bellevue, Nebraska
Now: Marquette, Michigan
Profession: Illustrator, designer, bookbinder
A Woman’s Paris: Illustration
Currently reading: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke
Creative stimulus: Standing on the shore of Lake Superior.
Great escape: A train ride through the mountains.
Project: Restoring old books and illustrating a children’s story due out in June.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE
About giving your time, talent or treasure to A Woman’s Paris, please contact Barbara Redmond, Publisher at Tel. 612.669.1331 or via e-mail at barbara@awomansparis.com
A Woman's Paris 