About Janet Hulstrand

Janet Hulstrand is an American writer, editor, writing coach and teacher who lives in France. She is the author of Demystifying the French: How to Love Them, and Make Them Love You and A Long Way from Iowa: From the Heartland to the Heart of France, and coauthor of Moving On: A Practical Guide to Downsizing the Family Home. Her essays and articles have been published in Bonjour Paris, France Today, France Revisited, the Christian Science Monitor, International Educator, and Smithsonian.com among other publications. She blogs at Writing from the Heart, Reading for the Road.  

Since 1997 she has created, directed, and taught literature courses for the Education Abroad programs at Hunter and Queens Colleges of the City University of New York in Paris, Hawaii, Florence, and Cuba: she also teaches online literary and cultural classes for Politics & Prose Bookstore in Washington DC, and has led book groups at the American Library in Paris.

You can learn more about Janet’s past work at wingedwordseditorial@wordpress.com, and you can reach her via email at janet.hulstrand@gmail.com

19 Comments Add your own

  • 1. Barry Louis Polisar  |  March 29, 2009 at 8:22 pm

    Hi Janet,

    I just wanted to say hello and send you best wishes. I hope things are good for you.

    Barry

    Reply
    • 2. Janet Hulstrand  |  April 1, 2009 at 11:05 am

      Hi Barry,

      All is well here…thanks for your good wishes!

      Reply
  • 3. David Comp  |  February 9, 2010 at 2:58 pm

    Janet ~ I just discovered your blog and really like it. Would you be okay if I add your blog to my International Education News & Blogs site (essentially one large blogroll)? You can check it out at http://www.internationaleducationblogs.blogspot.com/

    Reply
    • 4. Janet Hulstrand  |  February 9, 2010 at 4:30 pm

      Sure David, I would love that. And thanks for your interest/support!

      Reply
  • 5. Nilda  |  July 17, 2010 at 2:03 am

    Hello Janet,

    I am a doctoral student at Walden University. For my current course, I must research international blogs and post comments. The purpose of this assignment is to establish ties with other colleagues in higher education or learning organizations. This sharing with others will contribute to my identifying ways to contribute to global initiatives in issues regarding diversity, adult learning and positive change.

    I have selected your blog as one of the three to post and check on. I look forward to reading more of your comments and experiences.

    Thank you.

    Nilda Gonzalez

    Reply
    • 6. Janet Hulstrand  |  January 2, 2011 at 1:50 pm

      Hi Nilda,

      Happy New Year, and please accept my apologies for not having responded to you way back in July! You caught me at a very busy time, when I was en route to teach in Paris and juggling other assignments as well. I’m sorry that I lost sight of your message.

      I’m honored and delighted that you have chosen to follow my blog and I hope it has been helpful for you. I haven’t been very active in posting entries in the past few months, but I hope to get back to writing more frequently soon. If you have any ideas for topics you’d like to see in posts, let me know! I would be most receptive to your suggestions.

      With all best wishes for the New Year,

      Janet Hulstrand

      Reply
  • 7. Stephanie  |  October 31, 2017 at 6:48 pm

    Hello, I just discovered your blog, and really enjoy it. I am a Kansan doing a doctorate in French in Boston by way of Angers, Paris, Clermont-Ferrand, and Picardy. It seems we might have something in common . . .
    Keep writing!

    Reply
    • 8. Janet Hulstrand  |  October 31, 2017 at 7:01 pm

      Thank you, Stephanie! Yes, I’m sure we do have a lot in common. Starting with a love of France! Thanks for your enthusiasm, I’m glad you’re enjoying my blog. 🙂

      Reply
  • 9. Emma Dean  |  April 7, 2018 at 12:38 pm

    Dear Janet,

    I am a final year student at the University of St Andrews. I am writing my dissertation on Camille Claudel and really enjoyed your interview with Reine-Marie Paris, and find your blog very informative!

    I know that this is quite a push but I am becoming a little desperate. I plan to use Octave Mirbeau’s quote: “And who is not left on their knees before such an artist?… If we were living in another time, a woman like Mademoiselle Camille Claudel would be covered with honors, and well rewarded.” in an epigraph but I cannot find the source anywhere, do you still have it?

    Best Wishes
    Emma Dean

    Reply
    • 10. Janet Hulstrand  |  April 8, 2018 at 9:09 pm

      Hi Emma, Glad to know scholarly work is being done on Camille Claudel, what a magnificent artist she was! As to your question, well my source of the quote really is Reine-Marie Paris. Since the interview with her was conducted in French and then I translated it, it’s possible that that quote hasn’t been translated before, and if it were it would probably not be translated in precisely the same way (such is the nature of translation!) So that may be why you can’t find it. Can you use the interview in France Revisited as your source?

      Reply
  • 11. Vernetia  |  January 26, 2019 at 1:10 pm

    I learned about you through Harriet W. Rochefort’s blog. My name is Vernetia. I would like to know if you will have a book discussion of your book “Demystifying the French” in Paris.

    Reply
    • 12. Janet Hulstrand  |  January 26, 2019 at 1:15 pm

      Hi Vernetia, I certainly hope to have some events scheduled in Paris, probably not before late spring, though. But I will be sure to announce any events that are scheduled. If you follow my blog you will automatically find out about them. Thank you for your interest! Janet

      Reply
  • […] waiters who never deliver the bill on time. Writer, editor, writing coach and France aficionado Janet Hulstrand knows this cultural gulf well, and wants to help close this gap through her newest book, […]

    Reply
  • […] still don’t understand the locals. Writer, editor, writing coach and France aficionado Janet Hulstrand knows this cultural gulf well, and wants to help close this gap through her newest book, […]

    Reply
  • 15. The Importance of Being Interesting | More to Come...  |  December 9, 2019 at 11:39 am

    […] editor, writing coach, France aficionado, and family friend Janet Hulstrand produced a delightful little book earlier this year entitled Demystifying the French: How to Love […]

    Reply
  • 16. Naima  |  November 17, 2021 at 6:23 pm

    Hello our names our Ava and Naima we go to Anthony Acres Charter School we are working on a project about Ka’iulani and we have a few questions. First off what were the strategies that she used to get rid of the English? Also, what arguments was she in?Also can you tell us more about her? Bye thanks, get back when you can.

    Reply
    • 17. Janet Hulstrand  |  November 20, 2021 at 8:01 am

      Hi Ava and Naima, I think it’s wonderful that you are taking an interest in Ka’iulani. She was a very interesting and impressive person. I really don’t know how to answer your questions, but they are good ones. I assume you have already read my article in Smithsonian, but if you haven’t here’s the link. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/kaiulani-hawaiis-island-rose-131796275/ There are a few good books about Ka’iulani that you could read to find out more about her life and what she did. Here is a link to a few of them. I only know the book by Sharon Linnea, and I thought it was quite good. Good luck with your project, and if you have the time, let me know what interesting things you learned about her after doing your project. https://www.indiebound.org/search/book?keys=Kaiulani+%2B+Princess

      Reply
  • […] Red Wheelbarrow bookstore on our recent trip to Paris, having been directed there by dear friend Janet Hulstrand. And I’m very glad I […]

    Reply
    • 19. Janet Hulstrand  |  June 22, 2022 at 11:06 am

      Great post, David. (As usual 🙂 ) I’m so glad you made it to The Red Wheelbarrow when you were in Paris. Penelope really is the quintessential bookshop manager. And has become a good friend. All through the love of books! 🙂

      Reply

Leave a comment

Trackback this post  |  Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed