Best book in Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan trilogy?

Just finished Elena Ferrante's "L'Amica Geniale," just started the second book in the trilogy, "Storia del Nuovo Cognome."

Already read "Storia di Chi Resta E Di Chi Fugge."

So what's the best book in the trilogy?

I would say NOT the first book.

The last book is amazing (last one, at least so far).

And I think book #2 is off to a good start.

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"L'Amica Geniale" (Ferrante...again)

I'm reading "L'Amica Geniale" di Elena Ferrante and sometimes I stop myself because the pleasure of reading in Italian is so intense, I need to take a breath!

Here's to cultivating passions....Cin-cin!

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Air Force One? All In A Day's Work

I meant to post this photo a few weeks back. Every now and again, you pull an odd assignment in journalism.

Mine, the day I took this picture, was to wait for Air Force One to arrive in Atlanta with Pres. Obama, and then wait for it to leave, all in the hopes he would toss off a comment as he was arriving or leaving.

He didn't. But I did see him jog up the stairs to the plane and then turn around to wave goodbye to Atlanta.

So there was that.

Actually it was cool. Watching airplanes take off is always exhilarating, and the wind on the runway even on a hot day cools you down.

Medieval Salento!

Just discovered this book on a Web site for the CENTRO PRIMO LEVI ONLINE MONTHLY:

"Medieval Salento
: Art and Identity in Southern Italy" (University of Pennsylvania Press).

Look at the cover art!

And the title!

They had me at Salento.

Fibonacci

Non sapevo che il matematico Fibonacci si chiamo' Leonardo!

Greatest book title ever?

"Storia Di Chi Resta E Di Chi Fugge" by Elena Ferrante.

Although I will say Calvino's "Se una notte d'inverno un viaggiatore" is also in the running.

I've finished "Storia Di Chi Resta E Di Chi Fugge" and am now reading the first book in Ferrante's Neapolitan trilogy, "L'Amica Geniale."

#chebellalettura

Did I show off Isla de Mujeres?

I realized recently I have all of these great photos of Isla de Mujeres on my phone that I never bothered to post here.

It's an island off of Cancun and a world away. It's also gorgeous, and we did our research so we wound up at a really laidback duplex painted a sunny yellow color that fronted the beach. As in, if you live in a typical suburban neighborhood, our tiny apartment was as far away from the water as you are from your neighbor's house across the street. Which is to say, pretty darn close.

At the tip of the island is a quirky sculpture park surrounded on all sides by crashing waves. Like I said, paradise!

Italian Words at the Guggenheim (Futurismo)

They also had art at the Guggenheim's just-closed Futurismo exhibit (including works by Umberto Boccioni, whom I love) but I found myself drawn to anything that showed Italian words.

The Guggenheim is such a wonderful exhibit space. You can look back at what you've seen from a distance and see the work in a different way.

There were lots of books and posters and manifestos with Italian words and I was in heaven. There must be something about seeing words in a language you love that lights up the happiness part of your brain. It winds up being like a little festish.

"Mexican" coffee break

When I need a break, I remember I vacationed here this year.

Where, you ask, is paradise? In my opinion, it might just be Isla de Mujeres, off of Cancun.

Words-Parole-Palabras-Mots

Another chapter from the Leo journal.

Today: An inventory of the words Leo knows how to say:

Mamma, Da-da, water, ball, bath, duck, hello, more, outdoors, all done, bye-bye, no, oh no, truck, snow (!), blue, red, dog, cat, yellow, milk, toaster, bike, up, down, row, rock, bowl, flower and last but not least, thank you!

He's also said agua.....but let's hold off on the foreign word inventory for now.

Elena Ferrante Fest (in my mind, at least)

Just got a slew of Elena Ferrante titles to work through. I've done things a bit backward; I read "Storia di chi fugge e di chi resta" first. Now I need to read the first two works in the trilogy.

Oh, and I threw in "La Frantumaglia" for fun. It's a collection of interviews with Ferrante and nonfiction pieces about writing authored by her.

For anyone in New York who's interested in Ferrante, there will be an amazing talk at the Center for Fiction on Sept. 16 featuring Ferrante's American translator, Ann Goldstein, and two novelists, discussing her work.

For more information on this event, go here:

http://centerforfiction.org/calendar/on-elena-ferrante-ann-goldstein-roxana-robinson-and-stacey-derasmo/

Chat Hat, Chat Hat

"Chat Hat! Chat Hat."

It sounds like a foreign language, and I guess it is. But it's one I'm slowly becoming fluent in.

The phrase means: The Cat in the Hat. You know, the children's book by Dr. Seuss.

I don't know why -- I don't need to know why -- but that's how Leo pronounces the book's title. Chat -- the French word for cat, which he would never have heard from me. And then the word hat, which he knows.

He loves certain sentences from the book. For example, the sentence where the Cat says, “We can have fun that is funny.” He shouts “Funny!” He sort of stammers it, like he's having trouble containing himself, that's how entertaining he finds the phrase.

He also likes his Bob the Builder book. And he picks up the book and says one word over and over: “Bob.” He says it so sweetly, as if Bob were our friend, our neighbor, someone we know well.

I'm recording him often but not often enough. You'd simply have to press "on" every morning and every evening.

Which is probably not possible. But I hope my brain is recording it. All of it. Every little second.

"I got ya!"

“I got ya!”

That’s a subject followed by a verb and then an object. And as first full sentences go, I would say it’s good one!

Leo can string two or three words together now, no problem. But I think this is the first time I’ve heard a complete sentence.

I’m mildly embarrassed that he’s parroting what he heard me say as I chased him around the house, giggling and shouting. But it warms my little heart to hear him say it. You got me? Sounds good to me.

2? 2! Yes 2!

Happy birthday e tanti auguri to Leonardo oggi e sempre!

How to scare a cat

If for some reason, you need to scare a cat, here’s a sure-fire method.

Yell, "Ha!" as soon as you catch sight of the cat.

Then run toward it. And then, as you steadily approach the cat, yell, “Ha! ha!”

It helps if you stand about three-feet tall and grip something in one or both hands: a cookie, a sippy cup, your security blanket.

Fuggire o sfuggire?

Non so perché ma stamattina sono dovuta controllare il significato di queste due parole (fuggire e sfuggire), le quali uso da sempre.

E mi è sorpresa quando ho scoperto che secondo il vocabolario, hanno lo stesso significato senza la minima sfumatura.

Ma è possibile?

Io avrei detto che si può dire, "La parola mi sfugge," ma non si può dire: "La parola mi fugge."

A Growing Vocabulary!

An inventory of the words Leo knows how to say:

Mamma, Daddy, water, ball, bath, duck, hello, more, outdoors, all done, bye-bye, no, oh no, truck, snow, blue, red, dog, cat, yellow, milk, rock, bike, up, down, up and down, cold, hot, bowl, flower, airplane, baby, fish, book, star, car and outdoors.

(End) (For now)

African (violet) queen

Not sure why, but I have a green thumb specifically for African violets. This is one of four I have in bloom right now at home!

Mamma on TV

Not a great photo but here's Leo watching Mamma on TV.

I appeared on On The Story, a public affairs show broadcast by my employer, Georgia Public Broadcasting, to talk about the state's new gun law.

Ahhhh.....Mexico!

A few more photos from our little piece of paradise in Isla Mujeres. First, my foot and the deep blue sea.

Next: father and son explore the beach. Look at the sun reflecting off of the water. Gorgeous!