One of the things that glues you to the people of your nation is shared childhood experience. It’s always an odd moment for me when I...

My maternal great aunt Hermine is a spitfire who has always amazed the family with her abundant energy and stubborn streak. She is tiny....

The paternal grandfather and his family owned a factory outside of Paris and he and his siblings traveled the world selling their...

Gothic horror, film noire, and melodrama will frequently feature a scene with a spooky portrait. Here are a few examples off the top of...

Many nations have rules around how much broadcast television must be in the native language. This was of particular concern in France...

My mother and her parents were the first members of my family to immigrate to the new world, and they did it with their usual glamor....

My grandmother, Helene, in a studio-style portrait with the family dog. In the time before Owen Mills and malls, we still found a way to...

These people. They make even the hideous fashions of the late 60s look chic. Maria Baroni & Helene Lasserre 1970 Verdon, France. Helene...

My people, going way back, must be a seafaring people. I want to discover pirates in my family tree. No, I probably won’t. I’ve always...

Governor’s Island, New York City hosted a vintage French carnival this summer. I rode a  Vélocipèdes and took in the sights and sounds...

The French have developed a friendly sort of relationship with fleas. Of the many creatures that historically live around humans, the...

My great-grandfather, Hector Lasserre, on the left with my grandmother, Hélène, in the 1930s. Libourne, France. Here is a sketch she made...

When we first decided to have kids, I knew I needed a super lightweight stroller because I’d be hauling that sucker up and down subway...

Great aunt Marthe and the thoroughly modern controversy As part of the research for my memoir I’ve been in contact with family members...

My maternal great-grandfather had many hobbies. One of the things he was known for was his horsemanship skills. Hector Lasserre was a...

Maternal grandmother Hélène was often enlisted to do the portraits of performers over her long career. Here’s one she did of the French...

In the south of France, the Rroma people were seasonal workers hired every autumn to pick the grapes for the vineyards. My family’s...

Even at the airport, my mom and I were fancy. #vintagephotographs #fancy #sunglasses #MothersDay #matching #airport #France #MariaBaroni...

I’m writing my memoirs and hoping to finish them by the end of the year. The memoirs are a different product than this novel I finished a...