The Pursuit of Happiness – Part 3. Posted by Serena on Mar 21, 2014
Here’s a poem by the Italian poetess Ada Negri (1870 – 1945), which reflects the phrase ‘Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero’, ‘seize the day, trusting as little as possible in the future’ (Horace, 65 – 8 BC), quoted by Geoff in part 1 of this series. I feel an affinity for the message in…
The Pursuit of Happiness – Part 2. Posted by Geoff on Mar 19, 2014
I’m going to tell you a story … a very old story … a story about two young lovers called Amore and Psiche … Psiche era bellissima, di una bellezza così rara e sorprendente che nessun uomo si sentiva all’altezza di corteggiarla. Psyche was beautiful, she possessed a beauty so rare and surprising that no…
The Pursuit of Happiness – Part 1. Posted by Geoff on Mar 17, 2014
I’m not generally a big tattoo fan, but every now and then I see one that I like. Yesterday morning was sunny and warm, my friend Luca had his shirt sleeves rolled up, and I noticed for the first time an intriguing tattoo on the inside of his right forearm: The Pursuit of Happiness I…
What Are You Reading? Posted by Geoff on Mar 13, 2014
Two for the price of one today … a short conversational blog which also doubles as a mini book review! Author Niccolò Ammaniti was born in Rome in 1966. He has written three novels and a collection of short stories. He won the prestigious Italian Viareggio-Repaci Prize for Fiction with his bestselling novel Io Non…
Now, Where Did I Leave My Glasses? Posted by Geoff on Mar 12, 2014
Ho cercato dappertutto, ma non li trovo! I’ve looked everywhere, but I can’t find them! Here’s a list of all the places I’ve looked highlighting the words that describe position: Ho cercato … dentro tutti i cassetti = in all the drawers sotto il divano = under the sofa/couch sopra l’armadio = on top of…
Una Grande Bellezza? Posted by Serena on Mar 10, 2014
It won an Oscar for best foreign language film of 2014, The Golden Globe Award and the BAFTA, but is really all that good? Let me state right here and now that I haven’t actually seen La Grande Bellezza (The Great Beauty), directed by Paolo Sorrentino. But after it was screened at the Cineforum here…
Cat Chat, A Conversation with Mimì la Gatta Posted by Geoff on Mar 7, 2014
Eccomi … sono Mimì la Gatta! Geoff: ti ricordi la prima volta che ci siamo incontrati? do you remember the first time that we met? Mimì: certo che me la ricordo, eravamo giù in parcheggio, vero? of course I remember, we were down in the car park, weren’t we? Geoff: infatti, tu e Cocò eravate…