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15.5.2008
Letting one's opinion of a
work of literature be swayed by it's appearance is a famously unwise thing to
do, but with The Piazzas of Florence by Lisa McGarry it was love at first
fondle. From the lushly textured terracotta cover, via the tasteful crimson
embellishments within, to the fold-out watercolour maps this is one gorgeous
piece of printing. Even the stitched-in bookmark is a lovely colour. As to
how the content lives up to the presentation (and there is text aplenty - this
is no mere gift book) watch this space.
12.5.2008
Location porn is a
new phrase on me, but
an
article in the film supplement of The Observer last week was all about a
love of films for their locations. It mostly mentions films set in parts
Mediterranean, leaving the unhealthy obsession in films which revel in Venice,
Florence and London to these here parts.
7.5.2008
Longer term readers of
these posts will know that I'm usually a positive and optimistic sorta guy but
it's hard to look on the bright side after last week's election of Boris Johnson
as London's new mayor. He's a buffoon, you see, who was only voted in because
his predecessor, Ken Livingstone, had the temerity to try to make central London
a bit less of a smoggy and congested drivers' paradise, and make the place
better for pedestrians. He had had some success but powerful business interests
and the newspapers they control put their corrosive might behind the idiot Boris
and now we have a wacky cartoon character running our city. My only bright
thought is hoping that he'll soon be forced to resign over some new and
spectacular examples of the gaffs and incompetence he's famous for.
26.4.2008
And regarding them links I
mentioned last time - we now have an answer to the question of the number of
bridges in Venice. Contradictory totals have reigned so far, but it turns out
that some engineers from the Worcester Poly have been out to Venice, counted
them, numbered them, and made a map. Go engineers!
The total? 473, including private bridges and the Ponte di Calatrava, the new
one.
21.4.2008
An email today presents a
fascinating flurry of links, and some ambitious projects. The source is the
Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts and the impressive
Venice-related projects that their students have undertaken. But the fingers
and pies radiate out from here, and include a Wiki (online encyclopaedia)
devoted solely to Venice, starting
here, and a
project/site setting out to identify and preserve
Venice's street art - all
the impressive stone plaques and statues and such that are such a joy to find on
Venetian rambles. There's also some talk of some fruitful collaboration between me
and my sites and them and theirs - I'll keep you posted. A highlight of last
week, and my life so far, was starting to read the third book in a series (see
below) and finding a review of mine of a previous volume quoted on the back
- a first!
Reading:
Linda Proud The Rebirth of Venus
The third book in
the Botticelli trilogy
and the gritty details of renaissance philosophy are presented just as digestibly and
enjoyably as before,
with art and intrigue and a good story too.
Watching: Cloverfield
Don't believe the reviews - gripping and exciting and impressive.
Listening:
New CDs by
the B-52s and Was (Not Was)
A sudden and surprising 1980's wacky-funk revival.
4.4.2008
I write today of the Garden
of Eden. Back in 2003, after discovering it on my trip of 2002, I made one of my
digression pages (here it is) devoted to this
fascinating place. It's fascinating because it's the biggest private garden in
Venice, has a reputation for dilapidated splendour, and yet remains an
inaccessible mystery. I was reminded of the place last week by an e-mail from
Polly Higgins, who is visiting Venice this week and had also stumbled upon the
place and been fascinated. The years since I created the page have not seen any
news slip out as to the place's fate or owners - if you Google garden eden
venice my small page is your first and best option. Some feelers have been
sent out this week, though, and so let's hope.
Reading:
James Meek We are now beginning our descent
If you loved The people's act of love you'll
certainly want to read this, the new one, but be prepared for something very
unlike - much less strange, but just as compulsive.
Watching: Blowup
What a weird film!
Listening:
Elbow The seldom seen kid
Reviewers are sounding all surprised at how good this one
is. Where have they been?
more
news...
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5.2008
S. M. Peters
Whitechapel Gods London
5.2008
Edward Sklepowich Death in a serene city Venice
4.2008
Linda Proud
The Rebirth of Venus
Florence
4.2008
Fellini's Casanova Venice films
4.2008 Carmina Burman
The Streets of Babylon London
4.2008 Blowup and
The London Nobody Knows London films
3.2008 Grace Brophy A deadly paradise
Venice
3.2008
Salman
Rushdie The Enchantress of Florence
Florence
3.2008 Lisa Jean Murphy The Red Priest of
Venice (play) Venice
3.2008
Donna Leon
The girl of his dreams
Venice
3.2008 Nicholas Woodsworth
The Liquid Continent Volume 2: Venice
2.2008
Don Taylor Daughters of Venice
(play)
Venice
2.2008 Moonraker Venice films
2.2008 The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles:
Florence, May 1908 Florence films
2.2008
Tiziano Scarpa
Venice is a fish
2.2008 Bidisha
Venetian Masters Venice
2.2008 Edward Sklepowich
Frail Barrier
Venice
2.2008 Mark Wernham Martin Martin's on the other side London
1.2008
Boris
Starling Visibility London
1.2008 André Romijn Hidden harmonies:
the Secret Life of Antonio Vivaldi
Venice
1.2008
Thomas Quinn
The Sword of Venice
Venice
12.2007
Predrag Matvejević
The Other Venice Venice
11.2007
Belinda Starling
The Journal of Dora Damage London
11.2007 A room with a view
(2007)
Florence films
11.2007 Emmanuelle in Venice
Venice films
10.2007 Christi Phillips
The Rosetti Letter Venice
10.2007 Sukhdev Sandhu
Night Haunts London
10.2007
Barbara Quick Vivaldi’s Virgins
Venice
9.2007 Susan Hill The man in the picture Venice
9.2007 Arnaud Delalande
The Dante Trap Venice
8.2007
Michael Dibdin
End games Related works
8.2007 Clare Clark The nature of monsters
London
7.2007 Michele Giuttari
A Florentine
Death
Florence
7.2007 Senso
Venice films
6.2007 The Siege of
Venice Venice films
6.2007 Lovejoy -
Death and Venice Venice films
6. 2007 Michael Allen Mr
Fenman's Farewell to His Readers Venice
6.2007 Tempesta
Venice films
5.2007 Tom Becker Darkside
London
5.2007 Tuscany Trip 2007 Florence
4.2007 Judith Martin No Vulgar Hotel:
The Desire and Pursuit of Venice
4.2007 James Ringo Uncle Theodor
Venice
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