Paris in Mind

Seeking to offer readers""pleasure and variety,"" Lee (who has edited anthologies on martial arts and urban lifestyles) compiles 29 essays and book excerpts on the City of Light. The collection covers various subjects such as seduction, eating,""the art of living"" and tourism; yet all the essays share one trait: they're written by Americans. The usual suspects are here--James Baldwin, Art Buchwald, Ernest Hemingway, David Sedaris, Gertrude Stein and Edith Wharton (though no Diane Johnson or F. Scott Fitzgerald)--as are some surprising voices, including Dave Barry (who discusses how he learned to pronounce the infamous French""R"") and Langston Hughes (who reflects on hearing""the cream of the Negro musicians"" play at the Grand Duc). A good overview of expatriate writing, Lee's offering works well as a springboard to other, more in-depth anthologies of Paris-themed essays and works that feature the city as their backdrop.