January 29, 2025

Good morning!

It’s Wednesday. Yesterday was “take your American friend to work day” here in Paris, or at least it was for me. A very old friend invited me to Radio France for a behind-the-scenes look at the immense broadcasting hub where she works. All day, I got to play the role of fascinated observer as I was whisked from auditorium to studio, control room to control room.

I say “fascinated” because I had no clue who any of the people were—not the beloved host, not the famous actress talking about playing a thief in her upcoming film, not her famous co-star reciting his favorite Paul Valéry poem, not the famous comedian making everyone in the control room laugh, and not the famous garden writer describing how, on the island of Gomera in the Canary Islands, they still communicate via whistles, and isn’t that rather fitting, since what is language if not just another form of music?

It was a lot, just keeping up with the rapid-fire banter and trying not to make a fool of myself when being introduced.

But it all paid off in a brief moment of multinational glory. One interviewee’s repeated throat-clearing caused panic in the control room—and I was able to valiantly produce the necessary throat lozenge to save the day.

“All is ephemeral—fame and the famous as well.”

—Marcus Aurelius

Onwards,

Clara