Author Talk: Paris Lost and Found–Scott Carpenter in Conversation with Dawn Reiss

We are delighted to welcome author Scott Carpenter back to the Alliance Française de Chicago to present his newest book, Paris Lost and Found!

Scott will be joined by award-winning journalist Dawn Reiss for a conversation on his work, his inspirations, and the experience of being a Midwesterner in Paris. 

The program will be followed by a reception and book signing in the Eleanor Wood Prince Salon, featuring complimentary French wine. Copies of Paris Lost and Found as well as Scott’s other work will be available for purchase.

🚪Doors open at 6:15 p.m. Program at 6:30. Please enter via 54 W Chicago St.

About Paris Lost and Found

“Honestly, the funniest book I’ve ever read that also made me cry."

• Heather Stimmler, editor of Secrets of Paris

“The best travel book I’ve read all year.”

• Gillian Kendall, Perceptive Travel

“Carpenter takes us on a deeply personal journey, illuminating with poignant humor the City of Light, andloss, and love.”

• Don George, author of The Way of Wanderlust

“A nuanced memoir about loss, starting over, and embracing a new home abroad.”

• Foreword Clarion Reviews

Following his hilarious introduction to Paris in French Like Moi, Midwesterner Scott Dominic Carpenter returns to the scene of the crime with more tales of intrigue. This time, though, the story starts with sorrow as the author’s wife struggles with dementia. Humor may be the best medicine, but even the antics of a vandal in their building can’t cement the tiles of her memory for long. Before he expects it, Carpenter finds himself alone in a capital that is also blighted by the pandemic. It’s against this backdrop that the city comes roaring back to life. From bizarre encounters on the Metro to comical clashes with authority figures, and even a quixotic battle against a flock of migrant parrots, Paris Lost and Found unveils sides of the great city that are as quirky as they are authentic. With his unique blend of wit, insight, and wistfulness, Carpenter charts a path through his new labyrinth of solitude—only to emerge on the other side, squinting into the bright light of hope and new beginnings.

About Scott Carpenter
Scott Dominic Carpenter teaches French literature and creative writing at Carleton College (MN). Winner of a Mark Twain House Royal Nonesuch Award (2018), he is the author of French Like Moi: A Midwesterner in Paris (winner of a Next Generation Indie Book Award), This Jealous Earth: Stories, and Theory of Remainders: A Novel (a Kirkus Best Book of 2013), which is currently under option with a major film production company. Carpenter splits his time between St. Paul and Paris. His website is sdcarpenter.com.

About Dawn Reiss
Dawn Reiss is an award-winning journalist who has written for major outlets like TIME, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. She has reported on diverse topics, from dog sledding in Alaska to eating crickets in Cambodia. Reiss has interviewed figures such as Maya Angelou and Justin Bieber and covered stories ranging from the deaths of Race to Mackinac sailors to Chicago Public Schools inequities. A former president of the Chicago Headline Club, she won a Peter Lisagor Award for her coverage of Rod Blagojevich’s trial. Reiss enjoys exploring Ernest Hemingway’s Paris and taking cooking classes at the Ritz Paris. More at DawnReiss.com.