Orphic Paris

This impressionistic paean to Paris from poet Cole (Nothing to Declare) bypasses conventional memoir or travelogue to give readers a captivating collection of his memories. Born to an American father and a French mother, Cole discusses family recollections of occupied France, his first trip to Paris as a small child, and a long-ago Christmas dinner in Marseille with his uncle’s family, along with more recent travels in Paris. He shares conversations with friends, notably the late biographer James Lord, and observations on artists and poets, such as Paul Cezanne and Rainer Maria Rilke, but his love of Paris remains the main note. Smitten with the city, Cole is as comfortable taking the reader to off-the-beaten-path spots like a taxidermist’s shop, “where one can buy a butterfly, beetle, baby lamb, or black bear,” as to landmarks like the Pompidou Center or Montparnasse Cemetery. In one of the most memorable passages, he celebrates France’s legalization of same-sex marriage by drinking champagne, while “on the horizon, the top of the Eiffel Tower kept me company with its sparkling lights that suggest freedom.” Paris lovers and Cole fans will rejoice, but so will any reader who delights in fine writing. (Apr.)