The Seine: The River That Made Paris

The OLLI Distinguished Speakers Series presents
Elaine Sciolino on

 The Seine:
The River That Made Paris

In the spring of 1978, as a young journalist in Paris, Elaine Sciolino was seduced by a river. In The Seine: The River That Made Paris, she tells the story of that river through its rich history and lively characters—a bargewoman, a riverbank bookseller, a houseboat dweller, a famous cameraman known for capturing the river’s light. She patrols with river police, rows with a restorer of antique boats, discovers a champagne vineyard, and even dares to swim in the Seine.

Lauren Collins, Paris staff writer for The New Yorker, calls The Seine: The River That Made Paris “a soulful, transformative voyage along the body of water that defines the City of Light. Elaine Sciolino is the perfect guide to the world’s most romantic river.” 

Elaine Sciolino  is a contributing writer and former Paris bureau chief for The New York Times, based in France since 2002. Her previous book, The Only Street in Paris: Life on the Rue des Martyrs, published by W.W. Norton & Company in 2015, was a New York Times best seller.