ReadingFashionably: Author Interview with Kirsten Lobe

July 15, 2011 by Fifi Flowers

Kirsten Lobe, also known as Kiki, the author of PARIS HANGOVER and FRENCH TRYSTS has begun a new Parisian adventure in her memoir of la vie enceinte, pregnant life. PARIS, BABY! marks Lobe’s trials and adventures as a single, glamorous parent-to-be in the City of Lights. But what will Kiki do when the persistent pull of home, Wisconsin, promises so much for her and the new bébé?

PARIS, BABY! carries the reader through, adding a new twist to a genre previously focused on finding love or the right baguette; another one of life’s love stories, motherhood. Kirsten's poignant and honest dialogue is richly textured and full of the heartbreaking realities of being a single mom in a city where chic is stringently effortless and breastfeeding, among other maternal instincts, is a horreur. With ceaseless humor, Lobe explores the reactions of her Parisian world. As she becomes visibly enceinte her local patisserie refuses to sell her morning croissants (“C’est pas tres elegante, Madame!” exclaims the patissiere, casting an eye down to Lobe’s waistline) and a married man in the baby department of the Bon Marché flirtatiously attempts to seduce her at 8 months along.

Yet, Paris is full of delights for a new mom—from the Luxembourg Gardens to baby boutiques—but as Kiki imagines her baby boy immersed in the sometimes cruel and promiscuous Parisian culture, the Midwest looks all to promising. Can a tall blonde with a designer-stuffed closet and free spirit ever make it in the land of mom jeans and Happy Meals? Does the harsh culture of Paris outweigh the beauty? As Kiki takes hold of the true meaning of motherhood she mustdecide if she can change her life completely to raise her son in the kinder Midwest surrounded by family. Along with a child-friendly Paris glossary at the end of the book, Kiki has written a winning memoir encompassing the wonders of Paris, motherhood, and making it on one’s own.

Check out our Exclusive Interview with the author here:

What scene or bit of dialogue in the book are you most proud of and why?

I think the scene I included with my mother as she was fighting her losing battle with Alzheimers, and spoke her last words with me, is the most poignant scene I have included in a book. As it was, of course, very personal and also about something as important as having a child, it's a scene that I hope captures her wisdom and in sharing it, I pass on some of her wit and how vital a mother's words are to her children.

Thinking back to the way beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?

I would definitely say "honesty". After my first book , PARIS HANGOVER (which was a thinly veiled memoir) I received a lot of messages and letters from readers around the world, expressing their connection with the character and how her braveness at following her dreams inspired them. I also often heard that the emotional conflicts that I wrote frankly about really resonated with readers. They enjoyed sharing the truth of the tale, the heart break, adventure in spirit, the perseverence, longing, grief and disillusionment as much as reveling in the delights of living in Paris. I learned quickly that despite the anxiousness that one might have in revealing so much, it's far outweighed by the notion of connecting with the reader on many human levels, not simply entertaining them.

When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer? Have you had other jobs along the way?

I have kept a journal every day since the age of 7 and it's always been a delight to document the day, the joys and the rough patches, as it gives me clarity, a sounding board, and a moment to reflect. But it only became a career after I turned 35 and chased every other dream career I could conjure up. I went to Parsons Design School intending on being a fashion designer for my life and after 6 years of working on 7th Avenue for the likes of Calvin Klein and Oscar de la Renta, I soon became disenchanted with the inner workings of the industry. Thus I moved on to designing home furnishings which were sold to Barney's, etc. And then 2 years later, I really went for it and began a career as an artist, making enormous abstract oil paintings and bronze sculptures. Then at age 34 I moved to Paris and followed my dream to paint and write in the City of Lights. Finally, I sent 3 chapters to US agents at age 35 and got a book deal in a month by amazing luck!! I still have the rejections from 3 agents and laugh a bit at that, as they arrived after my book deal was signed!

When you got that first phone call announcing you had sold a novel, how did you react? How did you celebrate?

(Living in Paris) - It started with my sending out 3 chapters of Paris Hangover to 12 US agents, sent in a tube with a small bottle of champagne, french aspirin and a mocked up cover that captured the theme - a photo of me in a black dress (just torso), open Cristal champagne in one hand and the other either tugging the dress hem down or up - showing a lot of leg but not clear which gesture...

Within a few days, an agent sent me a fax that arrived at 2 in the morning Paris time. I dashed to the fax machine, reading it as it printed and unrolled. "I love your chapters, let's make a book, I know who to send it to... St. Martin's Press!" A month later, with 10 more chapters written by hand (I didn't have a computer until the second book!) I had a book contract. Thrilled, I instantly called my father and mother, despite their 5am time. And with cell phone in hand, sharing the great news, I set off to the best florist in Paris, Olivier Poitou, and bought myself a big bouquet of lavender long stem roses - a splurge of my dreams to match the dream coming true!

What fictional character would you like to have coffee with?

Unquestionably, "Marcel" from 'SWANS WAY' by Marcel Proust! The book is utterly fascinating, enchanting and my favorite work ever. Not to mention, the lead character Marcel is the ultimate Frenchman, fascinated by art, architecture, an avid reader, lover of theater, painting and music. He loves to walk around Combray alone, admiring the lovely Hawthorn blossoms that inspire him to become a writer... A complicated man, tender and romantic, yearning for love. Sadly, after losing himself in books and his imagination, he is ultimately disappointed by the "real world" and the women he adores. This is a man I would want to converse with, hear his dreams and observations, and implore to understand.

About The Author:

KIRSTEN LOBE is a former fashion designer, and the author of the novels Paris Hangover and French Trysts. She has lived in Tokyo, New York, Paris, and Lake Geneva, and is now a citizen of the world. Read about the Author here!

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Merci Beacoup to Kiki for allowing this exclusive interview

and for donating a copy of PARIS, BABY! to GIVEAWAY!!!

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Fifi Flowers has painted a bookmark to go with the book...

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