I'll Always Have Paris

Art Buchwald's delightful romp through 1948 Paris is a witty tribute to the city he fell in love with. Existing on the GI Bill's munificence (until he's docked for skipping school and must work for the Herald Tribune instead), Buchwald recounts his youthful quest to become a great writer. He tells of when he met Hemingway (who asked if he'd ever wrestled a bear), lauds the pissoir as one of France's most civilized monuments, pays tribute to the café life, and writes of his hobnobs with James Thurber, Gregory Corso, Lauren Bacall, and Lena Horne (who found the priest who married him to Ann). From his Montparnasse garret to his induction by the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, he's a consummate storyteller, and his Paris is a witty gift.