Edith Piaf article in current New Yorker

[Dr Doran]

Lovely, long article about Edith Piaf in the current issue of the New Yorker (June 25, 2007), by Judith Thurman and entitled "French Blues." One nice photo. It defines la chanson realiste as "a Gallic version of the blues made popular at the turn of the last century by melancholy music-hall artists," an interesting conceptualization I had not considered. Apparently there is a new film biography, rather predictably entitled La Vie en Rose, although I thought that title (in addition to being the name of one of her songs) had been used a few years ago for a film about a homosexual boy. The article also brings in other things like French racial nervousness, discusses Edith's father (a contortionist -- really), her utterly socially low origins, her training into a proper chanteuse, her many loves, her drinking. I've always been a big fan of Piaf, and this article intrigued me even more.

 

[Harp]

Rose is here in Chicago, meant to catch it this week.
I'll look for the New Yorker instead, thanks for the tip.

 

[Dr Doran]

It sounds like the movie will be good. I'll see it.

 

[Harp]

The Chicago Tribune review was negative; being most critical of the film's lack of biographic accuracy.