Category Archives: Books

Gadda’s Mess

Part I It was George Santayana, Spanish philosopher, who wrote “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” And it looks like some of us missed out on a few history lessons. Especially those related to fascism. … Continue reading

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Pietro Citati & Cristina Campo

The summer of 1993, I was in Venice for the Biennale. For the train ride back to Tuscany, I’d been given a first-class ticket and eagerly went to my compartment. There was still some time before departure so I sat … Continue reading

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Tribunal of Souls

Feltrinelli’s book store, towards Piazza della Repubblica, Roma When we go to Feltrinelli’s at Piazza della Repubblica, I immediately head for the English language section. That’s where I discovered Donato Carrisi’s “The Lost Girls of Rome” (2011), the English translation … Continue reading

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A DIY Tour of Parioli

It’s Palma‘s fault. Reading her biography (“La regina di quadri, vita e passioni di Palma Bucarelli” by Rachele Ferrario) made me wonder about the effects of Fascism on a woman’s image of herself and on the possibility of her ever … Continue reading

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Mileva Maric’

During the 1970s, feminists were animated and the ladies were asking a lot of questions. Linda Nochlin, in her essay “Why have there been no great women artists?” asked a question she already knew how to answer. There have been … Continue reading

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