Elisabeth Lagelée
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Narration meet-cute

2/16/2024

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What to hear my narration meet-cute?

I discovered this sapphic Beauty and the Beast retelling while browsing on Amazon. The cover caught my eye and I immediately connected with the lyrical prose, Austenesque dialogue, magical creatures and awkwardly earnest character of Celeste Rossan who has a penchant for French pastries :).

I was hooked.

Now, I had never dared reach out to an author before. Lack of experience, impostor syndrome, whatever you want to name it, I just didn't do it. But I was compelled to contact the author, Ceinwen Langley through her website offering to bring her story to audio. I poured my heart into a sample, sent it to her and… she said YES 💕

This story defined me as a narrator, and I am forever grateful to have Ceinwen in my life ✨

Seek out the stories you love and take a chance 🎶

And if you're looking for a pro narrator,
🌟 let’s chat!

Listen to the audiobook

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Diaries of a French expat - The 7 year itch

9/13/2023

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It was so hard to leave Paris and head back to San Francisco after my summer break this year.
My closest family and childhood friends live there, I miss the pace and walkability of Europe... and don't get me started on the baguette. 
So why did I leave? And why do I stay?

Au revoir Paris!
I left Paris in 2016 to explore my American side after living for most of my life in Paris. At the time I was working in marketing for a Japanese skincare company and doing community theater on the side. As fun and comfortable as it was, I felt I was stagnating and craved a new adventure. I looked to California where I already had some family and fell in love with San Francisco's energy, It seemed like the perfect place for a new beginning. I quickly immersed myself into the history of the city through SF City Guides. I developed a new circle of friends and learned a new artform thanks to the Leela improv company which eventually led to my career shift into audiobooks.

​
Fun fact: this year, I got to record a story for Tantor Media about Eleanor Dumont aka "Madame Moustache", a French woman who moved to San Francisco during the Gold Rush to reinvent herself. 
=> click here to hear an excerpt.


I left my heart in....
Paris will always be the city of my heart.,,, but I don't want to go back to living there full time. I actually love experiencing Paris as a tourist (check out my updated Paris restaurant list). I love going back to a whirlwind of joyful family and friends' reunions. And to be honest, I also love being French in San Francisco. I've always been in between two cultures and the more I start to meld into one of them the more I feel pulled in the opposite direction. Being different makes me happy and gives me room to grow. I am still in awe of San Francisco's nature and culture and I feel in a stronger position to advance my voice and audiobook career from the US. I do plan to spend more time in Paris in the coming years (if you have any tips on local recording studios, please let me know!) but I still have much to explore and learn from in San Francisco. In the meantime, I am fortunate to keep my connection to France alive through the magic of whatsapp and my audiobook projects. 

Have you moved far away from your hometown? Do you think you will ever move back one day?

Enjoy my summer 2023 Paris photo dump!
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Audiobooks set in France
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Do you have a creative base camp?

7/20/2023

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PictureHow I celebrate!
Mountain climbers set up a base camp at an intermediate point on a mountain range so they can rest, eat, and prepare for their next ascent at a base camp. As my improv mentor Diana Brown taught me, artists should also establish a creative base camp by celebrating their achievements and learnings. That way, when the going gets rough or life happens, you will always have that base to fall back on. 
​
​So, what do I have in my creative base camp for the first half of 2023?
 
Milestones:
  • I have now recorded over 90 audiobook titles and started working with Harper Collins and Simon and Schuster - my work is 80% in English and 20% in French which is a great balance for me. 
  • I got my First Audiofile review for The Invention of The Restaurant
  • I launched a new pseudonym Luna Rey for my romantica work separate from my Parisian/European brand.
  • I attended my first in-person APAC where I finally met my colleagues and producers in person!
  • I officially launched my new French language consulting services for authors and narrators.
  • I have a new professional booth with more soundproofing. I will do a separate blog post to share all my gear.
  • I started producing French audiobooks with Audiobook Empire.

Learnings:
  • Investing in my health and vocal care - A physical therapist has been helping with my booth setup and I consulted with a singing instructor, speech therapist and an ENT to develop healthy vocal habits.
  • Be more intentional with social media - I coached with Heidi Dean to audit my socials and work on my strategy. I am now using my blog as my news central and pulling social media post ideas from it which makes me feel more in control.
  • The importance of having an accountability and support group: my career took off when I started checking in weekly with the amazing Kaleigh Kirby, Sandra Churchill and Laura Horowitz. Other colleagues I am super grateful for: Claudia Dunn, Andre Santana, Kristina Rothe, my Bay Area Narrator Group (named BANG by the acronym queen Erin Grassie!).

Resources:
  • Jennifer Jill Arraya's podcast - starving artist no more - great for solopreneurs working on their mindset and business strategies.
  • To set up your finances for success as an entrepreneur: Profit first by Mike Michalowicz.
  • To organize information and learnings - Building a Second Brain by Tiago Forte, read by Andre Santana.
  • Andi Arnt narrator.life group on clubhouse which always provides great insights for audiobook narrators.
  • Christa Lewis who has been helping me work on a voice over strategy. My big goal for the second half of 2023 is to take on more voice over work especially in French.

I hope this post can help you think about your own creative base camp and especially how you celebrate your milestones. I would love to hear about your recent successes or what has helped you this year in your audiobook or creative career. Please leave me a line in the comments so I can celebrate with you! Thank you for reading.


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I was on French radio!

6/20/2023

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Listen to the replay / Ecoutez la rediffusion!
Élisabeth Lagelée narratrice de livres audio à San Francisco (radiofrance.fr)


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So you want to create an audiobook?

11/12/2021

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With double digit increases in sales annually, audiobooks have become a staple in the publishing industry. Bringing your stories to life on audio is the best way to maximize your potential audience and create a wonderfully engrossing experience. Whether you are just gathering information or are ready to dive in, I hope this Q&A will help demystify the audiobook creation process. Note: I will focus solely on audiobook production using ACX (Audible’s audiobook marketplace owned by Amazon) but I am happy to chat about all the other options 😊

Audiobook jargon:
  • RH (Rights Holder): the person or entity that owns all rights required to make a book available for production and distribution as an audiobook. This may be the book’s author, a publisher, a literary agent, or the author’s estate.
  • PFH: Per finished hour payment. Fixed fee based on the final (i.e. retail ready) audiobook length.
  • RS / RS+: Royalty Share / Royalty Share Plus (a hybrid of RS and pay PFH)

How long does it take to produce an audiobook?

It takes about 6 hours to produce 1 finished hour of audio
  • Recording: 2 hours for 1 finished hour
  • Editing/Mastering: 3 hours for 1 finished hour
  • Proofing: 1.2 hours for proofing

So a 10 hour book will take around 60 hours to create (without including prep work). If your book contains complicated character names, numerous foreign words or phrases, or other text which requires additional research before narrating, it will take longer for the narrator to produce that one finished hour.

How to approximate the number of finished hours in my book?

The average number of words that can be read in one hour is 9000.
=> Number of finished hours = number of words in your book / 9000
For example: 63,000 words = around 7 hours of finished audio

Where will my audiobook be distributed?

ACX lists the audiobooks on Amazon, Audible and iTunes for retail sale. If you would like to distribute to other channels (libraries, schools…), you can select a non-exclusive contract with lower royalties.

How much does it cost to create an audiobook?

With ACX, your expenses are largely dependent on what you choose to pay your narrator. Rates for narration can be structured in three ways: pay-per-finished hour (PFH), royalty share (RS) and royalty share plus (RS+).

PFH: In a PFH scenario the RH buys out the audiobook production for a fixed fee (based on the final audiobook length) and retains all net royalties. ACX has tiers of payment from which the rights holder can choose. An experienced narrator will start at around $260PFH.

RS: There are no upfront costs for the RH. The RH and the narrator share a percentage of the profit from the audiobook sales. This can be up to 40%, split between the two (meaning the narrator and the rights holder each get up to 20% of the profits). Keep in mind that many audiobooks are purchased from Audible with credits – meaning lower net royalties. Because the Narrator has to make the upfront investment in time and production costs, the RH should make sure they communicate about their sales perspectives (ebook sales are a useful indicator) and marketing plan in order to attract the most qualified talent.

RS+: A hybrid of PFH and RS where the narrator agrees to perform the audiobook for royalty-share plus an additional pay per-finished-hour rate – typically to cover post-production costs (editing, proofing, mastering) – which can range anywhere from $75PFH to $125PFH

How can I find the right voice for my story?

An RH can list an audition on the ACX marketplace but they should be prepared to be swamped with offers. The more specific you are with your project description, the better, especially if you are looking for a specific accent or background. A more strategic approach is to seek out the right voice either directly on ACX's narrator list or even on social media. If your ideal narrator is not available, they are usually happy to give you alternative recommendations from their own network. 

Even if you work through an audiobook publisher, you can request your favorite narrator to be considered :)

Where can I find more information?

  • APA – the Audiobook Publishers Association. 
    • 5 Reasons Audiobook Sales Are Booming And How You Can Be Part of This Growth
    • 9 Tips for Producing Your Own Audiobook with a Do-It-Yourself Platform
    • 15 Top Tips For Self-Publishing An Audiobook
  • Karen Commins Narrators Roadmap has a fantastic list of resources for authors including marketing tips and tutorials.
  • A fabulous author website: https://www.kimrichardsonbooks.com/
  • The Guide to Publishing Audiobooks: How to Produce and Sell an Audiobook – by Jessica Kaye 
  • AudioFile magazine.
  • Indie (ACX and others) Audiobook Producers and Narrators group on Facebook
  • ClubHouse also has an active narrator community always happy to answer your questions.
 
Please feel free to contact me with any questions! I am always happy to jump on a call or send you a short complimentary audio sample of your material
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My Paris shortlist

10/21/2021

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My favorite places to hang out and eat when you're in the "Ville Lumiere" (city of lights :)
Note: I lived in the 5th arrondissement and worked in the 7th arrondissement for over 30 years so a lot of my addresses are concentrated in those areas.

Best for "apéro" and people watching
  • Peniche Marcounet - Drinks and jazz music on the Seine Saint-Germain area - 6th arr.
  • La Rhumerie - rhum cocktails just like Hemingway liked them, 6th arr.
  • Les Deux Magots - quintessential Parisian terrasse, 6th arr.
  • Rosa Seine - Popular happy hour spot close to the musée d'Orsay. Wine and charcuterie boards on the riverbanks. Three other adresses throughout the city. 
  • La Felicità - Halle Freyssinet in the 13th arrondissement- great brunch option!
  • 61 - 19th arrondissement - Bar with excellent charcuterie and veggie boards and themed expos.
  • La Buvette - drinks and light food in the courtyard of a public library! 2, Place Baudoyer, 4th arr.
  • Le Pavillon des Canaux - traditional house with different themed rooms overlooking the canal - 39 Quai De La Loire, 19th arr.
  • Cafe Odilon - 16 quai de la Marne, 19th arr.

Get your crêpe fix!
  • Galette Café - 2 rue de l'Université, 7th arr.
  • Le Bac a Glace - 109 rue du Bac, 7th arr.
  • Rue d'Odessa and Rue de Montparnasse - creperie des cormorans, creperie Josselin, and more! 14th arr.

Sweets and chocolate
  • Des gateaux et du pains - 89 rue du Bac, 7th arr.
  • Angelina - 108 rue du Bac, 7th arr.
  • Chocolat Chapon - 134 rue du Bac, 7th arr.
  • Christian Constant - 40 rue des Ecoles - chocolates and mind-blowing ice-cream, 5th arr.
  • VG Patisserie - 123 Boulevard Voltaire (Vegan), 11th arr.

Restaurants and Take-out
  • La Fourmi Ailée - delicious French food in a private library setting - 8 rue du Fouarre, 5th arr.
  • Auberge Bressane - Traditional French - 16 avenue de la Motte Piquet, 7th arr.
  • Aux Perches - Normandy cuisine close to the Luxembourg gardens - 25 rue Servandoni, 6th arr. 
  • Auberge de la Reine Blanche - Traditional French - 30 rue saint Louis en l'Ile. 4th arr.
  • Pasta linea - Italian - 9 rue de Turenne, 4th arr. TIP: grab to go and find a spot on the grass Place des Vosges.
  • Ciasa Mia - Italian - 19 rue Laplace, 5th arr.
  • Le coq et l'elephant - French Thai fusion - 47 bis rue Poliveau, 5th arr.
  • Pamela Popo - French cuisine in a retro-chic setting - 15 rue Francois Miron, 4th arr.

In my "want to go" list for my next visit:
Des gars dans la cuisine - 72 rue Vieille du Temple, 75003 Paris
Bofinger | Brasserie - 5-7 Rue De La Bastille, 75004 Paris
Le Dome du Marais | 53 Bis Rue des Francs Bourgeois, 75004 Paris

Best views
  • Montmartre - view of Paris
  • Pont de la Tournelle - view of Notre Dame (the cathedral is still under construction)
  • Tour Montparnasse - view of Paris. TIP: don't buy the pass for the observation deck but go get a drink at the bar. Same view but with a cocktail in hand :)
  • Pont Alexandre III - view of The Eiffel Tower

Where to daydream
  • Ile de la Cite
  • ​Jardin des plantes
  • Jardin du Luxembourg
  • Place des Vosges 
  • Parc des Buttes Chaumont
  • Boulevard Paris 13 - fantastic streetart

Fun museums
  • Musee des Arts et Metiers - founded in 1794 as a repository for the preservation of scientific instruments and inventions.
  • Galerie de Paleontologie - Paleontology and comparative anatomy gallery. The setting and beautiful displays are worth a visit alone. 
  • Musee Carnavalet - dedicated to the history of Paris in a Renaissance setting.
  • Musée des arts Forains - a collection of curiosity cabinets, carnivals, incredible gardens and Belle Epoque funfairs.
  • La Villette - interactive science museum for all ages.

Theatre and Improv 
  • Colors - Theatre des Mathurins 
  • Theatre Gaiete Montparnasse
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Love and tears under the sun

2/7/2018

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audiobook sneak peek - With summer's Songs by Janice cole Hopkins

How far would you go to protect your loved ones?
This is exactly what single-mom Tara Kildare has to ask herself when her parents in law try to claim full custody of her little boy, Ricky. Should she marry Sean, the handsome cruiseship officer she just met in order to strengthen her court case? But how can she take this leap of faith when she is still struggling with the trauma of her abusive ex-husband?

Fun facts 
1. With Summer’s Songs was my first ever solo audiobook project and is a sweet romance novel written by Janice Cole Hopkins.
2. I went on a sailing trip in the Caribbean around the time of the recording which also happened to be the setting for half the story. Did I hear "commitment"? Well, more lucky coincidence really  ;)
3.  We decided to mix in some music at the beginning of each chapter and for point of view changes to honor the musical thread of the story - each chapter is named after a famous song. 

Takeaways
This project took me a LOOONNNNGGGG time to complete. I probably spent 11-13 hours of work for each finished hour of audio. I was reading several books on voice acting at that time and the biggest takeaway was how the positioning of your body influences your voice and can help reinforce different emotions. For Sean, the eternal optimist, I would always keep an open body posture which gave him a brighter, warmer tone. For Tara, the sensitive young widow, I would adopt a closed posture. There were a lot of other female / male  characters and I had fun finding different voices for each of them, including the sleezy Lucien.  
Another takeaway is the crucial role of the author throughout the production process. I have to say that Janice was the most supportive and dedicated author I've ever worked with and I am very proud of the final result. With Summer's Songs is perfect for lazy day at the beach... or if you're dreaming of one 😉

About the author
Janice Cole Hopkins grew up in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. She learned to love stories before she could read, started reading at age five, wrote her own stories in third grade, and had published poetry by eight grade. As a teacher, she mainly wrote for magazines, because they didn’t take as much time, but she always wanted to write a historical novel. After she retired from teaching and became her mother’s caregiver, she wrote her first novel, and she’s still writing. To date, she’s published ten inspirational novels with more on the way. She also loves to travel and has gone to all fifty states, on fourteen cruises, and to forty other countries. All her profits go to a scholarship fund for missionary children. 

Give your eyes a rest!
Here is the link to download the audiobook on Audible. Remember, your first book is free!
Would love to know your thoughts about it 😊
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2018, here I come!

1/4/2018

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​So here we are, a fresh New Year full of promise and soon to be forgotten resolutions is upon us! I hope you all spent some great holidays with your friends and loved ones.

2017 was definitely fun but challenging as I embarked on this voice acting journey. Luckily I met some wonderful mentors and friends that helped me kick things off!

Some 2017 stats :
+ 40 auditions.
+ 30 audiobooks (23 already available on Audible).
+ 100 hours of finished recording.
​
I have also recorded TV ads, IVR systems, eLearning modules, one fantastic video game trailer and taken part in a swashbuckling TV pilot read! Check out all the videos and voice samples in my portfolio.
​
Here are the key takeaways that I am focusing on for 2018:

CLARITY
Reading a book or ad goes beyond enunciation techniques and vocal warmups. It’s about making clear and strong character voice choices. 
For example in the With Myth Wildfire series by Alexandria Clarke, I had to find unique voices for over 10 different female characters. The easiest way to do this – just like in an improv scene – is to “cheat”, i.e. base your characters on people you know. For example, Adrienne was a delightful mix of twisted and femme fatale and always brought to mind Charlize Theron in "Snow White and the Huntsman". On the other hand her daughter Nora had a pure yet sparkling quality which I associate with Kirsten Dunst in a role like "Marie-Antoinette".

CONSISTENCY
One of the biggest challenges for any audiobook reader is consistency – both of audio levels and character voices – especially on long projects. 
On the technical side, the most useful tool in my belt is my setup which has graduated to include some sweet new headphones that make every single little mistake pop out crystal clear as well as a piano bench which help keep my posture straight and level during long recording sessions. On the acting side, commiting to character voices can be tricky when the character’s appearances are few and widespread throughout a story – like the nasty inspector in the French adaptation of Once Gone by Blake Pierce. Once again, associating the character with a person you know is my most useful tip to keep track of things.

RHYTHM
Rhythm and pacing are key to an enjoyable listen. I took this very literally in my first audiobook project –  With Summers Songs  by Janice Cole Hopkins – where I added music  to keep with the story’s musical thread.
Even when stories are not as musically inclined, I've always noticed that the rhythm of the voice makes a huge difference in my attention and retention of a story. For example, marking a clear tone change at the beginning of a paragraph helps to better follow the structure of a story. The same goes for properly “closing” your sentences (finishing in a downward tone for sentences other than questions). Chapter ends are also interesting depending on whether you want to give a cliff-hanger feeling or if there is a sense of finality in the text.

CARING
Probably the most important thing to producing a good audiobook is to care about the content, no matter whether you are reading a book summary, some puppy dog training techniques... or playing a runaway alien on a mission to save humanity. 
To quote my improv teachers: “believe It and they will see it”

Finally some audiobook recommendations from other narrators which I really enjoyed (and learned from): 
  • We Are Legion (We Are Bob) ​by Dennis E. Taylor, Narrated by Ray Porter.  
  • ​A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, Narrated by Jennifer Ikeda
  • Demain j'arrête ! by Gilles Legardinier, Narrated by Ingrid Donnadieu (FR)

Would love to hear from you ! Have you listened to any of my audiobooks or come across my voice on a voice messaging system? Remember, the first book on Audible is free :)
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1 Voice over a day keeps the doctor away!

9/13/2017

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I tend to go for jobs that give me more than just a paycheck at the end of the month. During my marketing years in Paris for SHIGETA I learned the benefits of aromatherapy and massages with the masseuse goddess herself, Chico Shigeta. But since I started voice acting and especially long-form narrations, I've discovered a whole new realm of practices essential to this career and with the lucky side-effect of benefiting my overall health. Below are the top 5 most helpful practices I'm taking away from this career so far.

1. Hydration 
If there was only 1 mantra for voice actors I believe it would be hydration. It's amazing the amount of water you go through during recording sessions! The one in my profile pic - recording the role of Yvette for an exciting video-game set during the French Revolution - was a 1.5 liter / hour ratio. Besides the fact that your body and cells just needs regular water replenishment (especially in a hot and airless recording box...), proper hydration is essential to keeping those vocal cords supple and reducing annoying mouth noises.

2. Diet
Exit the salty and spicy, hello light and digestible. This doesn't mean you should starve yourself - stomachs can get very vocal as well - but just that you should pay more attention to how some types of food impact your performance. I do my recordings in the morning and my go to breakfast is a bowl of fruits with nuts. Dairy is known to be a big no no... but I'm French so can't totally get rid of that one. 

3. Dental hygiene
No I did not start brushing my teeth when I started into voice acting. What I did do is start brushing more often during the day. I've found this to be the most effective tool against mouth noises (them again!).

4. Daily workout
Sirens, keys, tongue twisters ("red leather, yellow leather")... you name it. These are all part my morning vocal workout to get the best enunciation and sound. I also stretch for about 10 minutes just to get the blood flowing and keep a good posture. No matter how good you are, hunched shoulders are going to make your character sound defeated (I actually use this for some teenager roles in an ongoing project). I've learned I sound most energetic when my head is nice and straight with a slight upward tilt.

5. Breathing
Well...duh!
Actually breathing is kind of a controversial subject in the audiobook world. Should you hear your breaths? Should you erase them? After much trial and error as well as many hours spent listening to veteran narrators, I have decided to embrace them. One, I am not a robot and it just sounds more natural to hear some breathing. Two, if you are trying to avoid them, you either have to stop breathing - again, I am not a robot - or erase the breaths out of your recordings which is incredibly tedious and time-consuming. Now, with each book I work on, I am increasing my breathing capacity and refining my pace and flow... while also toning my abs! Love this job )

So what do you think? Would the "Voice over Detox" make it to the NY Times bestselling list? 
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Paris of the PACIFIC

3/8/2017

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I recently went on a free City Guide Walk called: "San Francisco, Paris of the Pacific". The walk was conducted by the delightful Gilles - also a private tour guide in French, check out his website here.

Well, you can imagine my state of mind! Here was finally the missing link between my hometown and adoptive city. Here was proof that my coming to San Francisco made sense in the grand scheme of things (imagine dramatic music here... probably by Howard Shore).
The walk focused on the period running from 1849 to 1853. During this time, 3 waves of French people undertook the grueling 6-month journey to San Francisco and achieved the popularity that coined the term "Paris of the Pacific". 

So to what extent does that influence still hold true today? Can San Francisco still be considered the "Paris of the Pacific"?

Let's first consider the population and language.
At the highest point in the 1852-53, there were 8,000 French people living in SF, compared to around 30,000 today while the overall population has been multiplied by 20 over the same period. However, even though the population did not grow proportionally, it is uncanny how I tend to hear French speakers everywhere I go in SF and French institutions, groups and libraries abound in the city*. In the 1850', the French people were called "Kesskeediz" (Whats-he-sayin') because of their patent unwillingness to learn English. Well, that statement certainly does seem to hold true today! Although, now I wonder if this is not intentionnaly done to capitalize on the appeal of the French accent... 

Second, let's look at the business side, 
I was surprised to learn that far from the rugged adventurers I had imagined, the initial French settlers were actually bourgeois Parisians, disillusioned Republicans, Bonapartists, journalists, aristocrats... who were the only ones to be able to affoard the steep boat fee of 1000 Francs (roughly $3000 today but probably 10-20 times that in actual purchasing power). When these elegant "Messieurs" set foot in San Francisco (fashionably late of course... 18 months after gold was first discovered) they decided that they would rather set up shop in the city itself and recreate a home away from home. Apparently, if you walked around Commercial Street in 1853, with its wine shops, bakers, butchers, dressmakers, laundries, theaters and gambling houses it was easy to imagine yourself on it's Paris namesake. Now, I must say that even though there are some streets and shopfronts that openly lay claim to their roots - cafe Plouf and cafe Bastille in Belden place for example or the innumerable bakeries like Thorough bread and Pastry, Tartine, Boudin - the majority of French businesses are much less visible today, having removed themselves to that elevated and ethereal place known as "the cloud".
​
Finally, my review would not be complete without a look at the San Francisco mentality, 
Probably the most lasting influence of French people in SF is the "art de vivre" that you find here, the love of culture, good food and drink. A French bon vivant called Louis Alfred Pioche was apparently so appalled at the culinary situation of SF in the 1850' that he brought back chefs from Paris to shape up the local hotel and restaurants scene. Nowadays, I find it telling that SF is rated number 1 for alcohol and book consumption in a study by the Bureau of Labor statistics (as seen on sfgate.com). I am constantly amazed at the daily cultural offering here (see a list of museums with Free entry dates here). One could also argue that the city's love of demonstrations bears a great resemblance to the French spirit of protest. The only area where French influence seems to have (somewhat) abated is in fashion as the inhabitants of SF have surrendered to the more practical constraints of winds, hills and yoga mats.

All in all I think that San Francisco can still be called the Paris of the Pacific. Actually France of the Pacific would probably do more justice to the diversity of the population today but I will pay hommage to my Paris snobbery here and just assume that "Paris, c'est la France"!

Further information and resources about the French in SF:
- I highly recommend taking Gilles entertaining tour to learn more about the colorful French characters of Gold rush SF. See next available dates.
- French consulate website 
​- Alliance Francaise de San Francisco
- An interesting report about the presence of the French in the tech industry.
​- Books that I am reading on the subject:
Claudine Chalmer
​French San Francisco
Annick Foucrier
Le rêve californien

Now it's your turn!
Have you noticed other traces of the French influence in SF I have missed out? Or similar traces in other foreign countries? Let me know in the comment field below!
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