Field Notes from Paris

July 24, 2026

FIELD NOTES

What a week it's been so far.

I can't say enough wonderful things about the Writing Workshops Paris program led by Blake and Mike. From walking tours to bike rides, workshops to restaurant recommendations, they are incredibly knowledgeable, wonderfully organized, and just so much fun.

And, of course, the actual writing workshops! Such a talented group of authors leading the workshops and sharing their work within the sessions. I have been blown away this week.

Now, I'm off to dinner and a ride on the Bateaux Mouches, but I wanted to forever memorialize today's bookshop visits.

First, I stopped by the San Francisco Book Co. What a selection. Walking through the shop felt like stepping through decades of literary history, the shelves lined with secondhand books from across the twentieth century to today.

A street-facing view of San Francisco Books Co. storefront on a beige stone building, with a bright red awning, orange shelving, book displays on the sidewalk, and a gray street in the foreground.

Then I wandered into Grim'Art—a dangerous place for someone like me, who can't resist beautiful paper and journals. Of course, I left with a journal.

A real-world street market scene with a yellow building with a hanging sign reading 'Grimart.'

Finally, I made my way to the historic Shakespeare and Company, where I couldn't resist getting The Selected Poems of Emily Dickinson and a T-shirt.

There's something incredibly inspiring about walking the cobblestone streets of the Latin Quarter and knowing so many of the literary greats once walked them, too.

Until next time, happy reading.

Looking for your own gorgeous copy of The Selected Poems of Emily Dickinson? You can find it here.

Disclosure: The link above is an affiliate link through Bookshop.org. If you choose to purchase a book through it, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Every purchase also helps support independent bookstores, which is one of the reasons I choose to partner with Bookshop.org. Thank you for supporting Poplar & Prose and the stories we share.