About Me

I am a writer, in the sense that I type words onto a screen and then try to make them look pretty. Not, however, in the sense that I am being paid for this work.

Still, I would very much like to be paid for this work one day, which is why I have spent the last *not quite three years* of my life writing a novel. I’m currently in the process of trying to get people to A) read this novel, B) like this novel, and C) give me money in exchange for this novel. Sounds simple, but it’s actually rather challenging.

For the past 17 years, I have lived in Providence, RI, and blogged about it here. Now, at last, after many false starts, I have abandoned the town of my youth and lucked into a whole year in Paris, where I will be, you guessed it, writing.

I can also be found in these places, usually under the name donutgirl, or some variation thereof:
43Things
LibraryThing
Flickr
Last.fm
Squirl.info
Facebook
Myspace (if you insist)

Subscribe to this blog on livejournal here .

contact me at lapetiteamericaine at gmail.

12 Comments »

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  1. Ooh, PS. I’m gonna put you on my Paris blogroll – which name should I use? x

  2. so it’s nice to find you and all but have you left the advice business altogether? also how do you explain leaving a smashing site that catered to the everyman for a new one that is rather stilted and froo froo? I know you alluded to technical issues but did you just grow tired of spending your free time entertaining an audience? Great sites (donut) tend to fall apart when the blogger gets sick of doing it or when their life changes materially (rebecky). at any rate, you are a gifted humorist and writer and i am disappointed to see the other one go. take good care.

  3. Hi Jorel,

    I’m very sorry that you miss Dear Donut — it’s nice of you to say so. Unfortunately, it’s a case of too little, too late. I’d been doing dear donut for three years, and I can count the number of positive responses I got on one hand. Also, unlike you, I had access to the blog stats page — so, even if you thought dear donut was reaching “everyman”, I can tell you truthfully that it was a not a very popular site.

    When I started Dear Donut, it was because I wanted to help people, but I also wanted to help myself. I thought if I worked hard enough and diligently enough at it, eventually it would become popular, it would inspire lively comment threads, people would link back to my articles… And maybe, after all that, I might one day be paid for my efforts. A book deal, or a regular column in a magazine, say.

    I suppose it was naive. But in any case, none of that materialized, and I got a bit demoralized. Hosting a site like deardonut costs money and time, and what was it bringing me? A lot of the asinine questions, and a few genuinely offensive ones. That would have been fine, if there had also been a sense that I was helping people, or at least entertaining them. But if people were entertained, they hardly ever told me.

    The truth is, I’ve already gotten way more positive response with this blog than I ever did with deardonut. No, it won’t ever make me money either, but at least it doesn’t cost money, and it’s a lot easier to write. Believe it or not, answering questions (even the dumb ones) is reasonably hard work.

  4. Hello Donut (should it be capitilized?),
    I’m enjoying your stay in Paris, please keep telling me more. Your descriptions are enlightening and funny. Is the French food everything wonderful we hear? So far everything you’ve photographed looks delicious. Do you desperatly miss something from your home in Providence (Al Forno)?
    What a trooper you are to write a book, (I hear one of the hardest professions known to man). I guess you just have to meet that ‘right person’ to get it published. Good luck. Looking forward to future blogs. (oh yes, this is the first time I’ve submitted to a blog.) Jolli

  5. Jolli –

    Welcome to the blog, thanks for stopping by!

    I went to Al Forno’s just before I left Providence, so I don’t think I miss it quite yet. Mostly what I miss is autumn in New England. Halloween is kind of a joke here, there’s no squash soup or roasted pumpkin, the leaves go straight from green to brown…

    But of course, there are compensations: cheese, wine, bread, fabulous new exhibits opening every week, the smell of the pavement after a good rain… It’s fair to say I’m having a good time.

  6. Hi there. I’m trying to email you with an invitation for something on Saturday, but your address is nowhere to be found! Email me back and I’ll send you the details.

    Cheers,
    Meg

  7. hi — interesting blog. If you are interested in a resolutely LoFi picture of Paris (like listening to the radio in black and white I guess) you might want to check out insolublepancake.blogspot.com. After glancing through your blog I am inspired perhaps to add one or two pictures in there– by maybe only one or two!

    cheers
    henry (as in ‘Henry Fool…’)

  8. I think you have a picture of hot pastrami somewhere in your many websites. Where can I get it in Paris? I’m hungry.

    Thanks for the tip,

    DR

  9. […] About Me […]

  10. Dear Petite Americaine,
    I am new to the paris blog scene and have been enjoying reading your posts. I was hoping you might be able to list my blog on your links? I am an American as well, recently relocated to paris…thanks. email me with any questions, best, blaire.
    http://deuxfrontieres.blogspot.com

  11. Hi Amy,
    And thanks for your comments on my blog. Glad to share this fascinating side of French – American history. I’ve added you to my blog roll as well.

    If you come our way, call me for a tour!

    Ciao,
    Julia
    Walking The Spirit Tours

  12. I found your blog by googling deardonut (it was a random memory that surfaced as I thought about eating, and advice. This happens often.). I liked deardonut, I’m sad to see it defunct. I swear, there aren’t any good blogs or advice columns these days!


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