Beth Arnold : MyBlogHer Profile

I'm a journalist and award-winning writer, living in Paris, who has written for such print venues as Rolling Stone, GQ, InStyle, Self, American Way, Premiere, and Mirabella. Online, besides my regular blogging for The Huffington Post (where I now produce the “Letter From Paris” branded column and podcasts), I have also written for Salon.com and Vogue.com. My prime journalistic topics are politics, culture, people, and travel.

I have been interviewed on Air America, and my online commentary has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, The Hotline, Der Spiegel, BuzzFlash, The Satirical Political Report, Daily Kos, AlterNet, Democratic Underground, PoynterOnline, and USA Today Online. During its coverage of President Obama’s inauguration, BET (Black Entertainment Television) used my video of election night in Paris.

My work has also been recognized by my peers for its excellence: During the presidential campaign, www.betharnold.com was named “Political Blog of the Week” on Blog Catalog. I was also included in one of the most prestigious books on the whole blogging phenomenon, The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging (Simon & Schuster, 2008).

While I have wholeheartedly made the leap to New Media, I also continue to write for print. In 2007, I contributed a chapter on Living in France to the book "Retirement Without Borders" (Scribner, 2008). At present, I'm putting the finishing touches on a nonfiction book called "Picking the Bones," a memoir about family, identity, and loss. And I'm organizing my blogs from the website www.chasingmatisse.com (written in 2002-2003 to chronicle my and my husband’s great adventure of selling our house in Arkansas, putting everything in storage, and uprooting ourselves to France) into a book I call "Jours of Our Lives."

To get more scoop on our move to France, go to: www.chasingmatisse.com.

And, for those who want a little more info:

In a previous life, I earned a Master of Social Work (MSW) and was a therapist in a community mental health center as well as a consultant. Democratic politics were an essential part of my childhood home training and family life. I received more of my political education on Capitol Hill--where I worked for the late Arkansas Senator John McClellan during Watergate--and from my uncle, who was a powerful Washington lobbyist.

I was a finalist for a Bunting Fellowship at Radcliffe (for a novel) and a semi-finalist for a Nicholl Fellowship (screenplay) through the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. I produced the website for my husband’s book "Chasing Matisse," for which I was an early blogger recording my point of view of our journey across France chasing art, artists, a creative life, and a fresh way to see the world.

I am wild about Paris but miss Target and my two terrific daughters. Ah, but thanks to Skype video, they're just a screen away.

Check it out. I'd love for you to leave comments here on any pieces where you feel the urge. And you can reach me by email at beth@betharnold.com.