This book brings together some of the rich and varied voices that continue to place Paris at the cutting edge of European cultural and intellectual life. From François Truffaut to Jean-Paul Sartre, from Eugène Ionesco to Marguerite Duras, from Jean-François Revel to André Malraux, the book covers a wide spectrum of figures involved in areas such as film, theatre, poetry, philosophy, and political commentary.

British journalist Melinda Camber Porter interviewed her subjects between 1975 and 1985, aiming to reveal the people behind France's highly cerebral and complex ideas. Through her interviews, she tested the authenticity of their views and challenged the "speakers" to make their thoughts and theories accessible to a general audience. This kaleidoscopic array of portraits vividly showcases the dominant trends in French artistic and political thought: the rise and fall of structuralism, the birth of moderate feminism, ambivalence towards America, French xenophobia, disillusionment with communism, the role of café life, cross-cultural influences, the prominence of the French film industry, and much more. The various "speakers" often appear to be in dialogue with each other, disagreeing on many issues and discussing each other's work and contributions.

Alive with the insight, wit, and occasional outrageousness for which Paris is famous, this book evokes the experience of living in a city that retains its historical role as a major international cultural capital and demonstrates why it still nurtures the creative spirit.