Inside a Pearl: My Years in Paris - Softcover

"Publishers Weekly" Top 10 Memoirs for Spring "White proves once again, like a scopophiliac in a hall of mirrors, that he is the unrivaled master of nailing down a time, a place, a mood, and its walking, talking, erring, outrageous denizens... White's grand banquet comes with a delicious roster of cameos--Michel Foucault, Ned Rorem, Milan Kundera, Mary McCarthy, Lauren Bacall, Julian Barnes, Nigella Lawson, Dominique Nabokov, Alain Robbe-Grillet, Azzedine Alaia, Paloma Piccaso...But "Inside a Pearl" is also a dedication to the lovers and companions and night-time cruisers who get equal footing in the sweeping, Bank-to-Bank narrative...Early along the way, White tests positive for AIDS, and a trace of flinching mortality underlies the extravagance and dizzying spree that makes "Inside Pearl" such an exhilarating ride. White has set to page the ins and outs of Paris before--particularly in his literary walking guide, "The Flaneur," in 2001. But he's never written about the city with such an expert mix of anthropology and vulnerability." - "Interview""What is fascinating about "Inside a Pearl" [is] its game effort at self-examination and its commitment to warts-and-all sharing about sexual aging, social arrivism, and the brutal sadness caused by AIDS...His portrait of Marie-Claude de Brunhoff...is one of the most affecting depictions of the contours of friendship between a gay man and a straight woman in recent literarature." - "Bookforum""The memories of high-profile artists, fashion designers, actors and socialites are loose-lipped, uproarious tales of the louche and famous." - "T, the New York Times Style Magazine"

"A gossipy and enlightening account of living as a gay man among the French intelligentsia . . .White's skillful writing rescues the book from being just another account of an American in Paris." -"Library Journal""White is an acclaimed novelist, essayist, biographer of Genet and Proust, and a self-described 'archaeologist of gossip.' . . . [He]

"Publishers Weekly" Top 10 Memoirs for Spring "Edmund White might be a rare person of letters in an old-fashioned sense." - Rachel Kushner, author of "The Flamethrowers" "[White is] one of the most prominent gay writers in the United States, a position he occupies gleefully . . . Yet White is wonderfully tender about his lovers, whom he treats with uniform respect, even melancholy. Indeed a sadness infuses his story . . .This narrative unfolds, for all its frenetic pleasure-seeking, in the shadow of AIDS . . . [A] beautifully written memoir. . . 'Inside a Pearl' refers not only to Paris, with its mists and mysteries. This pearl is somehow a kind of snow globe as well, a transparent sphere that encloses a miniature world. White shakes this luminous object. Snow shimmers everywhere. And then the snow settles." - Jay Parini, "New York Times Book Review" "White proves once again, like a scopophiliac in a hall of mirrors, that he is the unrivaled master of nailing down a time, a place, a mood, and its walking, talking, erring, outrageous denizens... White's grand banquet comes with a delicious roster of cameos--Michel Foucault, Ned Rorem, Milan Kundera, Mary McCarthy, Lauren Bacall, Julian Barnes, Nigella Lawson, Dominique Nabokov, Alain Robbe-Grillet, Azzedine Alaia, Paloma Piccaso...But "Inside a Pearl" is also a dedication to the lovers and companions and night-time cruisers who get equal footing in the sweeping, Bank-to-Bank narrative...Early along the way, White tests positive for AIDS, and a trace of flinching mortality underlies the extravagance and dizzying spree that makes "Inside a""Pearl" such an exhilarating ride. White has set to page the ins and outs of Paris before--particularly in his literary walking guide, "The Flaneur," in 2001. But he's never written about the city with such an expert mix of anthropology and vulnerability." - "Interview""What is fascinating about "Inside a Pearl" [is] its game effort at self-examination and its commitment to warts-and

"[A] beautifully written memoir. . . "Inside a Pearl "refers not only to Paris, with its mists and mysteries. This pearl is somehow a kind of snow globe as well, a transparent sphere that encloses a miniature world. White shakes this luminous object. Snow shimmers everywhere. And then the snow settles." --"New York Times Book Review""" "Stealthily affecting . . . With a feather dipped in acid, White recounts his off-page encounters with a glittering 1980s beau monde . . . Characteristically vivid when it comes to eros White is just as unsparing when the pleasure-seeking gives way to the loss (including the death of his lover, Hubert, of AIDS), and to his own increasing sense of vulnerability and mortality." --"The Washington Post""" "This rumination on his beau monde cohorts finds the writer acclimating to a slightly more sober lifestyle, but the memories of high-profile artists, fashion designers, actors and socialites are loose-lipped, uproarious tales of the louche and famous." --"T, the New York Times Style Magazine""" "What is fascinating about "Inside a Pearl "[is] its game effort at self-examination and its commitment to warts-and-all sharing about sexual aging, social arrivism, and the brutal sadness caused by AIDS . . . His portrait of Marie-Claude de Brunhoff . . . is one of the most affecting depictions of the contours of friendship between a gay man and a straight woman in recent literature. --"Bookforum" "A memoir that engages on a number of levels, as a pivotal literary figure recounts his production Parisian years." --"Kirkus Reviews""" "White is renowned for the purity of his style and for his frank depictions of sex, and he is in peak form here . . . He is wise in his portrayal of the French." --"Booklist" "Edmund White is the preeminent gay man of letters of our time . . . Revelations come wrapped in revelations . . . The book is a joy ride from first to last." --"Bay Area Reporter" "A glittering, delicious, tender, and funny memoir about his fifteen years in Paris." --"Nashville Scene"

[A] beautifully written memoir. . . "Inside a Pearl "refers not only to Paris, with its mists and mysteries. This pearl is somehow a kind of snow globe as well, a transparent sphere that encloses a miniature world. White shakes this luminous object. Snow shimmers everywhere. And then the snow settles. "New York Times Book Review"

Stealthily affecting . . . With a feather dipped in acid, White recounts his off-page encounters with a glittering 1980s beau monde . . . Characteristically vivid when it comes to eros White is just as unsparing when the pleasure-seeking gives way to the loss (including the death of his lover, Hubert, of AIDS), and to his own increasing sense of vulnerability and mortality. "The Washington Post"

This rumination on his beau monde cohorts finds the writer acclimating to a slightly more sober lifestyle, but the memories of high-profile artists, fashion designers, actors and socialites are loose-lipped, uproarious tales of the louche and famous. "T, the New York Times Style Magazine"

What is fascinating about "Inside a Pearl "[is] its game effort at self-examination and its commitment to warts-and-all sharing about sexual aging, social arrivism, and the brutal sadness caused by AIDS . . . His portrait of Marie-Claude de Brunhoff . . . is one of the most affecting depictions of the contours of friendship between a gay man and a straight woman in recent literature. "Bookforum"

A memoir that engages on a number of levels, as a pivotal literary figure recounts his production Parisian years. "Kirkus Reviews"

White is renowned for the purity of his style and for his frank depictions of sex, and he is in peak form here . . . He is wise in his portrayal of the French. "Booklist"

Edmund White is the preeminent gay man of letters of our time . . . Revelations come wrapped in revelations . . . The book is a joy ride from first to last. "Bay Area Reporter"

A glittering, delicious, tender, and funny memoir about his fifteen years in Paris. "Nashville Scene""

[A] beautifully written memoir. . . Inside a Pearl refers not only to Paris, with its mists and mysteries. This pearl is somehow a kind of snow globe as well, a transparent sphere that encloses a miniature world. White shakes this luminous object. Snow shimmers everywhere. And then the snow settles. New York Times Book Review

Stealthily affecting . . . With a feather dipped in acid, White recounts his off-page encounters with a glittering 1980s beau monde . . . Characteristically vivid when it comes to eros White is just as unsparing when the pleasure-seeking gives way to the loss (including the death of his lover, Hubert, of AIDS), and to his own increasing sense of vulnerability and mortality. The Washington Post

This rumination on his beau monde cohorts finds the writer acclimating to a slightly more sober lifestyle, but the memories of high-profile artists, fashion designers, actors and socialites are loose-lipped, uproarious tales of the louche and famous. T, the New York Times Style Magazine

What is fascinating about Inside a Pearl [is] its game effort at self-examination and its commitment to warts-and-all sharing about sexual aging, social arrivism, and the brutal sadness caused by AIDS . . . His portrait of Marie-Claude de Brunhoff . . . is one of the most affecting depictions of the contours of friendship between a gay man and a straight woman in recent literature. Bookforum

A memoir that engages on a number of levels, as a pivotal literary figure recounts his production Parisian years. Kirkus Reviews

White is renowned for the purity of his style and for his frank depictions of sex, and he is in peak form here . . . He is wise in his portrayal of the French. Booklist

Edmund White is the preeminent gay man of letters of our time . . . Revelations come wrapped in revelations . . . The book is a joy ride from first to last. Bay Area Reporter

A glittering, delicious, tender, and funny memoir about his fifteen years in Paris. Nashville Scene

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"[A] beautifully written memoir. . . Inside a Pearl refers not only to Paris, with its mists and mysteries. This pearl is somehow a kind of snow globe as well, a transparent sphere that encloses a miniature world. White shakes this luminous object. Snow shimmers everywhere. And then the snow settles." --New York Times Book Review

"Stealthily affecting . . . With a feather dipped in acid, White recounts his off-page encounters with a glittering 1980s beau monde . . . Characteristically vivid when it comes to eros White is just as unsparing when the pleasure-seeking gives way to the loss (including the death of his lover, Hubert, of AIDS), and to his own increasing sense of vulnerability and mortality." --The Washington Post

"This rumination on his beau monde cohorts finds the writer acclimating to a slightly more sober lifestyle, but the memories of high-profile artists, fashion designers, actors and socialites are loose-lipped, uproarious tales of the louche and famous." --T, the New York Times Style Magazine

"What is fascinating about Inside a Pearl [is] its game effort at self-examination and its commitment to warts-and-all sharing about sexual aging, social arrivism, and the brutal sadness caused by AIDS . . . His portrait of Marie-Claude de Brunhoff . . . is one of the most affecting depictions of the contours of friendship between a gay man and a straight woman in recent literature." --Bookforum

"A memoir that engages on a number of levels, as a pivotal literary figure recounts his production Parisian years." --Kirkus Reviews

"White is renowned for the purity of his style and for his frank depictions of sex, and he is in peak form here . . . He is wise in his portrayal of the French." --Booklist

"Edmund White is the preeminent gay man of letters of our time . . . Revelations come wrapped in revelations . . . The book is a joy ride from first to last." --Bay Area Reporter

"A glittering, delicious, tender, and funny memoir about his fifteen years in Paris." --Nashville Scene

The celebrated author of The Flâneur traces his relocation to 1983 Paris in spite of his unfamiliarity with the language and culture, tracing how he established intimate, intellectual relationships with the city and new friends while advancing his literary career.