the great Polly Platt has left us

Sometime between 1994 and 1996 I heard a short segment on NPR that made a big impact on my life. The segment featured a book called "French or Foe" which was about French culture and everyday practical French etiquette. The author was an American named Polly Platt. The NPR correspondent (Michael something?) was in Paris testing Platt's recommendations such as: When asking for help don't smile, use your eyes, phrase the question in a certain way, etc. It worked like a charm and for some reason this completely caught my attention and I had to have the book.

I had studied French in high school and college but I was NEVER a good student and could barely Bon Jour my way out of a wet paper bag. Up to that point, I never had any strong feelings for Paris, France, the French language or the culture. But that NPR piece really flipped my French switch. I bought the book the next day and spent the next few days reading "French or Foe" as though my life depended on it. Francophilia had settled in my brain for good and it was all due to that funny little book.

I'm writing this because I just found out Polly Platt passed away in December.

http://www.pollyplatt.com/

What a terrible loss for American francophiles! I know "French or Foe" wasn't perfect. I'm aware of some of the criticism it has received (thank you Amazon comments section) but any American French-nut owes a great deal to Platt's research and insight into the nearly impenetrable world of Frenchness. Because of her, I know the phrase "Excusez-moi de vous deranger, mais j'ai un problème." and I owe my good experiences in Paris to her. Well, I wouldn't even have considered going to Paris at all if it weren't for her.

Anyway, here's the book on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/French-Foe-Getting-Visiting-Working/dp/0964668424/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233428252&sr=8-1

Au revoir Mme Platt.