Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/43043
irsten Lobe breezes into Madison's La Brioche True Food bakery and restaurant, smiling as she nabs a seat at a sunny table near the front counter. For the next hour, over diet soda and good conversation, she alternates between laughing aloud and sinking deep into thought. The fodder for the day's discussion is her time in Paris—the dreamy locale that served as her home for eight years and the setting for her first two novels, "Paris Hangover" and "French Trysts." Her debut novel, published in 2006, offers a playful, fictionalized account of Lobe's early years in Paris, including how the Madiso- nian arrived across the pond in the first place. She was 33 and living the high life in New York City—having worked her way from Madison through the famed Parsons School for Design and into a lucrative career as a fashion designer for the likes of Calvin Klein and Oscar de la Renta—when she left it all behind. Packing her bags, Lobe bid au revoir to America and boarded a plane to chase her dream of living in the City of Lights. It was a spur-of-the- moment decision she would never regret. Lobe's second novel, a steamy chick-lit romp chronicling the life of a Parisian courtesan, followed in 2007, and was published just as she was adding another title to her résumé: mother. Lobe had long yearned to start her own family, a desire she detailed through her character's eyes in "Paris Hangover," and ventured into parent- hood solo from the outset. Today, the 44-year-old is the proud mother of a beautiful 4 ½- year-old boy, Oscar, and the proud author of, "Paris, Baby!" a memoir in which she's turned her stream-of-conscious writing style inward, reflecting openly (and humorously) on the journey from jet-setting single woman to suburban single mom—and the heady decision to leave Paris to return to her Midwestern roots. Now proud to call Wisconsin home, Lobe reflects on the path that brought her back, and the life lessons gleaned from her ad- ventures—from chic style tips to personal realizations and all the laughs she's had in between. Welcome to Kirsten Lobe's witty world. Let's start with your most recent book. You wrote "Paris, Baby!" while adjusting to life as a new mom and adjusting to life in Wisconsin after more than 20 years away. Which was the more life-altering change, the baby or the return to the Midwest? Hmm, what a fine question. 'Life-altering' can mean many things. Though one might think becoming a mother (and a sole parent at that) after decades of total freedom would be more life altering, it hasn't been difficult a transition in the slightest. So, the answer would have to be, by default, moving to the Midwest. It brought so much ease and joy to be near family, but a surprising amount of emotional adjustment. I think anyone moving from a big city as ex- traordinary as Paris would endure the same culture shock in reverse. Your first two books were fiction, though "Paris Hangover" was heavily influenced by your own story. What made you go the memoir route with "Paris, Baby!"? By amazing luck, 'Paris Hangover' was a bestseller and I was for- tunate to receive feedback from readers all over the world. They 42 BRAVA Magazine September 2011 responded that what touched them most was the honesty and the inspiration to chase your dreams. I think it resonated with readers [because] it wasn't a conjured up tale but a real life adventure, with the highs and lows we all have in common—love, passion, betrayal, discovery, self questioning, success, failure. You put it all out there in your books—from sex to taking on single motherhood to your parenting choices. Have you had to cope with much criticism of your work, your life or even your parenting? I wouldn't say that's something very much on my radar. Criticism is inherently negative and I am an eternal optimist. I have seen an occasional tough review, and it's true that the critical ones linger longer then the adoring ones, but I'm not trying to please every- one—it's not realistic or even possible! As for 'criticisms of my parenting,' I don't get many, thank the lord. [laughs] Any advice or a rare critique I hear is generally from people without children, so I more or less let them roll off my back. No one is on the same journey, has the same situation, same chal- lenges or hurdles, and I'd like to think, parent or not, we are all trying our very best. Bottom line: Oscar knows and loves his daddy enormously, has legions of adoring relatives, and is a boy full of love and laughter. I am so proud to be his mommy. Your career has taken you down several different paths—model, fashion designer, furniture designer, jewelry designer, artist and now, writer. Did you ever imagine you would be 'Kirsten Lobe, author' one day? [pauses] I think I grew up knowing I would be creative. I didn't an- ticipate being an author, but I have been keeping a journal every day since age 7, so it's something I clearly seek, enjoy, and is natural and fluid to me. What led you to write "Paris Hangover"? Truth? I had saved about $300,000 from my fashion days—and what is a 'savings' for if not to finance a dream? After several years in Paris not working a 'proper' job, the funds dwindled and I thought, what could I embark on that would have no real start-up costs and either be a success out of the gate, or not? Writing was my choice, so I got a copy of the 'Writer's Guide to Agents and Publishers' and sat down to write three sample chapters. I know this is slightly odd, but in my Paris life, I chose to not have a television, radio or computer, so I wrote the whole first book by hand! Then I hired someone to type the pages out. Within a week or so I got a fax in the middle of the night from an agent who said she loved it, that I should write the rest and she would take it to St. Martin's Press when it was done. So, I sat at my tiny desk in Paris and wrote every day until my hand ached. I finished it in four weeks, sent it to my new agent, and within a week or so, I got a book deal. Completely lucky. And I'm aware this is beyond rare. Let's step back to how you landed in Paris in the first place. Why Paris? I fell in love with Paris when I was 16 and went to model there for a summer. The culture was overwhelming at first. But quickly I was swooning over every landmark, the cuisine, the way everyone was so different from what I'd known—how they dressed, spoke, their manners.