Book Review

32 Section Book Review BOOK REVIEW

for love

by Hayley J. Egan

FOR LOVE by Cristina Neri Lake Press, January 2021

Released in January 2021, For Love is a children’s book set in the Aeolian Islands, written and illustrated by Cristina Neri and published by Lake Press. The story begins as a child awakes in a bedroom overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. The rich descriptions of the child’s world reflect a dreamy state as she slowly arouses, eats a peasant’s breakfast and moves slowly into the day with her father, who takes her to work on the land where the rhythm of his hoe (baboom) punctuates their philosophical conversation. “Why does the bee exist?,” asks the child. “For love,” her father responds, and the child continues to explore the natural world while asking similar questions of her father, to which the answer is always the same. An emotional climax is reached when the child hurts herself falling into a prickly pear, and through her tears, asks her father, «Why do spines exist?» «For Love», he replies. Children will enjoy the lilting prose and the repetition which conveys the book’s message. «For Love!,» they will anticipate the father’s constant reply, and will recognise the simple rhythms and rituals that hold a child’s day together. Waking up, having breakfast, exploring the garden, watching the sun rise higher and higher in the sky, and

returning home when the day is done. A good picture book is illustrated in a way that compliments the text, offering something more than the mere reflection of the action as it is described in words. For Love certainly does this: while the text carries the story, the illustrations are filled with details that tell the reader more about the characters, their lives and their surroundings. The illustrations, ink on clayboard, are intricate and detailed in a style reminiscent of wood etching or lithography. A limited, muted palette is used, giving the book a calming minimalist style. Some details of the drawings are realistic, others are deliberately naïve, in a style that evokes the screen-printed, mid-century style made popular by Maurice Sendak. For Love is an exploration of the relationship between father and daughter, connection to land and pain in the many ways it presents in life. The prickly pear becomes a simple metaphor for life’s hurdles, presented in a way that any child is able to understand; a tumble and the subsequent shock and physical pain. The gentle message is that pain exists so that we might experience comfort, a beautiful sentiment to share with the little ones in your life.

The Red Thread

that Connects

by Gabriel Arata

The precautions of social distancing and lockdowns have cost us a lot when it comes to art and culture. Theatres have remained tightly shut all over the world for the past year and a half, which compelled lovers of the performing arts to remind themselves that the Renaissance followed the Dark Ages. One Italian theatre company, however, didn’t want to wait for the next Renaissance to put on a show. The Franco Parenti Theatre in Milan found that 2020 was the perfect time to put on an insightful, bold and creative work titled Il Filo Invisibile. Directed by Corinna Grandi, and written by Andrea Rizzolini and Marco Morrone, this ground-breaking piece reimagines the way the world experiences theatre. Andrea Rizzolini explains, «The show comes from the perennial question: What is distance? Is there really such a thing? Where did it come from? To what extent does it deny us our humanity?» Il Filo Invisibile is a study of distance. «You’re asked to leave everyday life behind, and to inhabit for an hour and a quarter, a space that is on the border between reality and fiction, where you can rediscover firsthand what it means to be human in the light of the experience of wonder,» says Rizzolini. The idea for Il Filo Invisibile comes from the Japanese legend unmei no akai ito (which translates literally as “red string of destiny”), according to which all of us come into the world bound by a thread that connects us to our soul mate. This red thread of destiny keeps shortening day after day until our destiny is fulfilled. When tickets for the show have been purchased, 26 of the audience members are sent an envelope wrapped in a red thread, containing instructions to follow and a particular object. The 26 people represent the 26 letters of the alphabet. Andrea randomly picks five letters that will correspond to five people who will take an active role in the show. Inside each envelope there is an object, each of which represents a metaphorical invisible thread that will link the protagonists of a story. The theatrical space is, of course, Zoom. The absence of a stage in a theatrical space allows Il Filo Invisibile to play on the illusion of distance. And it works because when we’re in this “space” called Zoom, as spectators distance no longer exists. We’re all in the same non-space. When we are close in soul and in story, distance is an illusion and closeness is real. Andrea likes to think that if this invisible thread really exists, it is a thread that unites us as human beings and therefore makes us share the joy and suffering of every other person around us, allowing us to gather, even for a moment, and even at a distance.

a Close-kNIt CommUNIty

by Martina Badiali

During the pandemic, Italy (and the rest of the world) rediscovered an ancient medicine for the soul and for the hands. A craft that is present in almost everyone’s life, yet sometimes forgotten. Knitting is a craft which, until a few years ago, was part of the collective memory linked to elderly hands, to the intimacy of the home, or perhaps to the semi-industrial manufacturing that has guaranteed the economic development of many areas in central and northern Italy. So much Italian excellence in textiles involves knitting (just think of the highly-prized yarns of brands such as Loro Piana, and the colourful timeless creations of Missoni). Today knitting is flourishing as a craft and as a hobby. Covid gave both men and women the impetus to learn something new, to keep their minds busy during long lockdowns, and to find ways to reconnect with each other. The success of companies such as the Spanish We Are Knitters or the Italian Bettaknit, which supply kits consisting of yarn, needles and patterns, is telling of the rising trend. Il Sole 24 Ore, one of Italy’s most prominent newspapers, published an article in March titled “The Sweater of Happiness: The Knitting Boom as an Antidote to the Pandemic,” noting the very strong cultural and economic impact that knitting is having on a global level. Loretta Napoleoni, author of the book The Power of Knitting: Stitching Together Our Lives in a Fractured World (2021), in which she traces an autobiographical history of knitting, is an authoritative economist, journalist and lifelong knitter. Loretta argues that knitted garments can represent the antidote to fast fashion. A hand-made garment, whether knitted or crocheted is now perfectly acceptable in work, recreational or cultural contexts. I started knitting in 2015, after learning

(and forgetting) the basics as a child. This quickly became an obsession, thanks to the discovery of Ravelry, the huge online portal for knitters throughout the globe, difficult to navigate, but full of treasures. In 2019, I started recording a podcast titled Parliamo di Maglia (Let’s Talk about Knitting), which I work on in my free time, trying to connect with the best of Italian and international knitting culture. This passion led me to discover important characters in the world of knitting and beyond, such as Elizabeth Zimmermann and Barbara Walker. It has also meant my family is dressed with increasingly intricate and satisfying creations. However, in the past six years I’ve not managed to find a knitting group that is a perfect fit for me. As Rachel Matthews tells in her book The Mindfulness in Knitting: Meditations on Craft and Calm (2016), a knitting group that suits us is not a simple thing. There are groups for all tastes, all ages, all stages of life. One of the most moving moments in her book (which I recommend to anyone who wants to bring mindfulness to their knitting), is when the author recounts her experience of joining a knitting group to deal with grief. For me, after trying various social knitting gatherings, I just never found the right fit. But then I found the International Virtual Knit Night, an international knitting group, ideal for English speakers, which I really enjoyed. Then, with the onset of the pandemic, and Italy was one of the first countries to go into nationwide lock-down, I felt the tremendous need to connect to people in my own country. I founded the virtual knitting group connected to my podcast. Twice a week (and even more depending on availability), we meet to knit, keeping each other company, providing mutual support and courage through one lockdown after another, even if only through videoconference, but in the hope of one day meeting together in person. Knitting even in its extreme simplicity, (two sticks and a thread of any kind are enough to produce a piece of fabric), has not only dressed people for centuries, it has kept people connected. Today, thanks to new communication tools, it returns to keep communities and people together - and with surprising benefits. I can only conclude with a pearl of wisdom from Elizabeth Zimmermann, the Grandmother of modern knitting, written during the oil crisis of the 1970s and dedicated to her readers: “Knit on with confidence and hope through all crises.”

www.ravelry.com Ravelry www.parliamodimaglia.it Parliamo di Maglia @ivirtualknitnights/ Instagram International Virtual Knit Night

We’Re IN tHIs togetHeR, bUt sepaRately

iNteriOr desiGN ClOses tHe dOOr ON OpeN-plAN liViNG

by Hayley J. Egan

When Italy went into lockdown a little over a year ago, newly married couple Fabio and Margherita bought a paintbrush and a tin of paint and set about transforming their Roman apartment. «We hadn’t really spent much time at home before then,» says Margherita. «You just get into the habit of going to work, stopping for a drink or something to eat on the way home, and you’d only come home to sleep.» Even as the vaccine rollouts across the world are giving some of us a glimpse of a post-Covid world, there is no denying that the pandemic changed the way we view the home. Our bedrooms have become offices. Time previously spent commuting can be spent in the kitchen, which may now seem a little smaller since we’ve mastered that perfect shortcrust from scratch. We are spending a bit more time in the dining room than we used to, so ideally there should be space in the lounge room for an exercise mat. «Eighteen months later and I am still working from home,» says Fabio. «I spend all day here and I’m glad I took that time to refresh my home and make it a welcoming space.» So how is it, exactly, that the pandemic has influenced interior design? The most noticeable change in design trends has been the decline of the open plan. After decades of large, wall-free, loft-style spaces, according to Justina Blakeney of Jungalow, the internal door is finally making a comeback. «The need for rooms with doors, windows, and some privacy will start to make a reappearance,» says Justina. Fabio agreed. Known in Italy as the cucina all’americana, his open plan kitchen has seemed a bit less appealing lately. «Margherita is always making these elaborate cakes and tarts now, even when we are not in the red zone, she is in the habit. The mixer is going all day,» he laughs. Though he hasn’t completely closed the kitchen in, Fabio has built a frame that separates the kitchen from the lounge and dining room, and also houses an indoor vertical garden-another trend we can expect to see more of. Danielle Blundell of Apartment Therapy says that indoor plants are a way of “bringing the outdoors in,” and adds that this idea can be reversed by adding comfortable lounges to outdoor spaces on patios and balconies, creating an extension of the indoors.

Concept by Tommaso Spinzi

Green walls are also expected to be prominent in 2021, possibly because of the soothing qualities of the colour that reminds us of nature and the outdoors. Whatever trends we choose to embrace, Italian designer Tommaso Spinzi says that a home should «tell a story through furniture, art and objects.» According to Spinzi, design trends are secondary to the idea that people create a home that reflects their personality and their specific needs. «The goal is not to impress people, but “to recognise [oneself] in every detail of the space.”» Fabio agrees. «It’s not that we want to change who we were before the pandemic,» he says, «we are married, but we are two people with different passions, different jobs, different hobbies, different lives.» «The world has changed», Margherita adds, «and the fact is we are both at home more now. We want to be able to comfortably live together, in a home that reflects who we are.»

an Imagined JoURNey

by Martina Badiali

from the safety of home, martina Badiali connects with the beauty of Valle dei mocheni through her friend’s posts on instagram, and dreams of the trip she will take when travel is possible again.

On my list of places to see when travel is again a part of our lives is Valle dei Mocheni. Not far from the city of Trento, it has kept its charm intact, preserving a profound, authentic, and intimate dimension. For several years now, I have come into contact with this wonderful territory through Vea Carpi, a woman who changed her life in the early 2000s,

seeking a return to the simplicity and slow rhythms of a country lifestyle. Vea tells about her work and her territory through her Instagram profile and her website, filled with stories and images of the local cuisine, as well as the arts and crafts made from the fleece of the sheep. After years of looking at Vea’s photos and reading her stories of the valley, I have been longing to completely immerse myself in this unique Alpine atmosphere. Through a local guidebook kindly sent to me by Vea, I begin an exploration of the place I’ve only known through words and images, and prepare for a trip that I hope will come alive as soon as the pandemic subsides and we are allowed to move freely between regions. The mountains of Valle dei Mocheni can be seen from the city of Trento, which, according to the guidebook, can be reached in about half an hour by car. I can also expect to come upon an environment different from other alpine valleys - that is, uncontaminated by mass tourism. The people, culture, traditions, language, architecture, vegetation and the geographical characteristics contribute to the valley’s uniqueness. Valle dei Mocheni has been inhabited since 1200, a period in which il maso - the regional word for a typical farm - was defined. Most of them include a traditional farmhouse and consist of about 20 hectares of land dedicated to cultivation and the raising of livestock. The self-sufficient characteristics of the farm, an isolated micro-world, have contributed to the area’s cultural isolation, preserving over the centuries the customs, traditions and local language. Rich in ancient traditions linked to the cycle of the seasons, the valley offers visitors evocative moments linked to local folklore and traditions. Culinary traditions are never lacking in Italy. The cuisine of Valle dei Mocheni is strongly linked to peasant life and is based on simple ingredients like milk, cheese, potatoes, meat, sauerkraut and turnips. Although the produce is basic and simple, when wisely cooked, complex dishes are born from them. The food is often cooked on woodfire, maintaining a delicious, nostalgic, smoky aroma. I am pondering what the best season to visit the valley would be. For me, each season has its attractions. Winter is a time of peace and silence in the snow and ice. Spring is the ideal time to discover traditions and enjoy the awakening of nature. In the summer there is maximum activity: all the museums are open and there are many events. In autumn, the foliage would provide a picturesque backdrop to a hike. Whenever it may be, I’m looking forward to discovering Valle dei Mocheni and its seasonal rhythms, its traditions and authentic cultural peculiarities.

frOm A NAtiONAl disGrACe to Italy’s best-kept seCRet

by Angelo Pallotta

Matera - Baslicata

As an Italian immigrant in Australia, people sometimes ask me which part of Italy I am from. This happens not only with Australians, but also when meeting fellow Italians for the first time. Now I would never say Carbone, a tiny village of 500 inhabitants, as not even people from the same region might know where this is, let alone Australians or other non-Italian citizens. I wouldn’t even say a village in the Potenza province, as this might still be too narrow a description. I usually say “from the south”, keeping it quite vague and general, but still giving an idea as to my approximate place of origin. Depending on the interlocutor, I might then be asked to specify which region in the south. This is when I proceed to tell them the name of my region, Basilicata, often adding a visual description along the lines of «if you picture Calabria, right at the bottom of the “boot”, I am from the next region up». While it is perfectly understandable that non-Italians not know where Basilicata is, I find it disconcerting that not even Italians do! Therefore, to remind Italians of their own country’s geography, as well as to introduce everyone else to this beautiful southern region, I have taken the liberty of compiling some interesting information about Basilicata. Basilicata, or to use its ancient Roman name, Lucania, is a region in Southern Italy bordered by Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south. For those needing a more visual description, it is the arch of the foot in Italy’s boot shape, with Calabria as the toe and Apulia as the heel. It has two coastlines: to the west, a small stretch of the Tyrrhenian Sea (approximately 30 km, on which is located the wonderful town Maratea, home to the imposing statue of Christ the Redeemer); and to the east, a much longer stretch of the Ionian Sea. The region is made up of two provinces, Potenza and Matera, with Potenza being the capital city. Apart from the beautiful coastlines (white sand beaches to the east and picturesque rocky bays to the west), it is the most mountainous region in the south, with notable mountains and ranges such as the Pollino massif, the Dolomiti lucane, Monte Vulture and Monte Alpi. Matera, once dubbed a “national disgrace” by Alcide de Gasperi (the Prime Minister of Italy from 1945 to 1953), was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993 and elected European Capital of Culture in 2019. With its

picturesque and other-worldly sassi (rock caves used as dwellings), this town, one of the oldest in Italy, has often been chosen as the setting for many movies, such as The Passion of the Christ (2004), Quantum of Solace (2008), Ben Hur (2015), Wonder Woman (2017), Mary Magdalene (2018), and No Time to Die, the new James Bond movie to be released this year. And long before Matera was heritage listed, it was also the location used for Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Il vangelo secondo Matteo (The Gospel According to St. Matthew, 1964), and Francesco Rosi’s Cristo si è femato a Eboli (Christ Stopped at Eboli, 1979), both of which are classics of Italian cinema. While rich in natural resources and beauty, the region has historically been rather poor, especially when compared to the north of the country. During the reign of the Borboni in Italy’s south from the early-to-mid 1800s, the State confiscated and sold off much of Basilicata’s territory, which had formerly been owned by the Catholic Church. These lands became the property of a handful of wealthy aristocratic families, with the average family not seeing any economic or social benefit after Italy’s unification (prior to 1861 Italy was divided into ‘kingdoms’). This resulted in civil unrest and insurrection which came to be known as “brigandage” (brigandaggio), with the Borboni sent into exile and the Church encouraging the peasants to rebel. Basilicata experienced mass migration during this time and, much later, after World War I and World War II, mainly due to poverty and lack of growth opportunities, towards the Americas and Australia. In more recent times, Basilicata has undergone a sort of revival, generating much interest for its natural beauty (national parks, beaches, historic and “ghost” towns used as movie settings), but also, over the past decade or so, for its ever-growing truffle industry. While not as well known as the northern variety (from the region of Piedmont), the tartufo of this region is certainly just as prestigious and highly-appreciated by connoisseurs and the wider community alike. Pristine national parks, breath-taking seascapes, delicious food, historic towns, churches, castles and cathedrals - Basilicata has it all. This region went from a “national disgrace” to what The New York Times described as Italy’s “best-

kept secret”. Basilicata acknowledges its humble origins and past hardships while venturing into the future with renewed optimism, holding steadfast on to its ancient customs and traditions while opening its doors to a new, more prosperous era.

Sassi di Matera

CaRNIval

is a serious thing

by Francesco Bufarini

Rumit

Rollate As soon as the Italian Carnival is mentioned, what immediately springs to mind is Venice and its wonderful 18th century style masks. Carnival is, by definition, the overturning of convention: from the time of ancient Rome it was a period celebrating experimentation and suspension of the rules. Its appearance has changed and adapted over time but the spirit of experimentation survives to this day - and not only in Venice. Carnivals are prevalent throughout Italy, so let’s take a look at some of Italy’s lesser-known, but wonderfully outrageous carnivals. Years ago I was invited as a musician to play in Basilicata at the carnival of the small town of Satriano. The town is very quaint, with dozens of handcrafted murals representing ancient local legends. One of these is the Rumit, a tree with arms and legs. On the day of the carnival, hundreds of these figures descend from the forest in an incredible scene that evokes the Lord of the Rings. The Rumits, with their cowbells, invade the town, creating a sea of leaves, music and joy. It made me think that there was more to this festival than masks and dressing up. The costume highlights the link with Mother Earth and launches an ancient ecological message: nature gives us life and food, and we are a part of it. We are the forest. Another carnival that deserves recognition is that of Montemarano in Campania, which has music as its main focus. In fact, this town has its own special Tarantella that is played only at carnival time. Hundreds of local musicians compete to see who can play the loudest, the longest, and the most cheerfully, creating almost a month of frenzied dancing and joy. A very unique experience. If we go up in the Alps of northern Italy to the small town of Sappada, we find a completely different carnival. Here, mysterious and somewhat grotesque

Carnival of Montemarano (Avellino). Photo by Emiliano Migliorini

figures called Rollate appear on the streets of the village. Tall men dressed in furs, and hoods with wooden masks over their faces, and who walk around armed with brooms and noisy cowbells. They take every opportunity to scare you and knock you over the head with their broomsticks. There is a saying, “at Carnival, every joke counts”. We next land in Le Marche, a region rich in secrets and curiosities and home to another peculiar carnival. The ancient carnival in Fano, dating back to 1347, has as its centre a parade featuring allegorical floats up to 16 metres high. The floats represent famous people or news events. In fact, every year there is a different guiding theme, demonstrating how much such an ancient festival is also capable of making you think about current events. from these Rio de Janeiro-style floats over a tonne of candy is thrown down onto the crowd. It is not uncommon to see people with umbrellas upside down collecting as many sweets as possible! Another unique and almost unknown carnival in Le Marche is that of the "Castagnolo Festival" in my home town of Monte San Vito. The party begins days after the rest of Italy has concluded the festivities. Castagnolo is a fried cream cake typical of the region and is cooked in the streets during the festival. All normal enough, you might say, except that at dinner time, from the windows of the town castle dozens of sausages are launched with a parachute, and a flashing spaceship loaded with salami is dropped from the town tower. You can only imagine the crowds and the human pyramids that are created to grab at least one of these flying sausages. These are just some of the strangest examples of carnival in Italy, an ancient festival from which we still have important lessons to learn - such as getting involved, overcoming our limits, being brave and, above all, remembering every now and then to stop and have fun.

Castagnolo