It’s been rough in these parts over the last ten days. I apologize for not having updated the site with my thoughts (or whatever coherent expression I could make out of the jumble in my mind) and I appreciate your many emails, tweets and Facebook posts sending your support.
In truth, it was a whirlwind from the start of the attacks and I was interviewed on BBC radio twice*, interviewed for the Philly Voice and contributed my account to Quartz, all within 36 hours of the attacks. By the end, unless it was to police the ignorant on Twitter and Facebook who fell right into the trap of Islamophobia, I barely wanted to speak about it anymore. I was reading everything I could get my hands on until the point of saturation. My heart ached, my eyes burned and my stress levels were through the roof.
But what worries me now more than anything are the livelihoods of my favorite restaurant and shop owners, chefs, designers and artists whose businesses stand to take a hit if travelers cancel their plans or avoid visiting Paris in the wake of this tragedy. High-end hotels saw a 30% drop in occupancy following the Charlie Hebdo…
