Buongiorno Venezia

the strange story of a new santa claus delivering a present to Venice, Italy by mistake - instead of Venice, Florida. misunderstandings and odd situation, invented characters that do not look so invented: this builds up the plot of “Robert star in Venice”, illustrated story by Daniele Scarpa Kos on exhibit in Venice (ITALY!), Fondamenta Rio Marin 2427/a (Ponte delle Latte) from 6 to 22 July (open 9.30-11.30 PM monday to saturday). Very creative painter and illustrator, in the writer’s humble opinion.

the messy (santa) Robert Claus is able to communicate with Venetians using the only words he knows in italian, that is the lyrics of the song “Con te partirò” (remember it? by Andrea Bocelli). The best part of the story, for the gossipy and humor people, is maybe the one where a strange “El Barba” (The Beard in an unlikely  spanish-italian) builds bridges everywhere because “there’s a bridge for every problem”, and creates “Bridge and Breakfast” accommodations. (Does this guy remind us of someone? :-))

i’m not sure that Cat Bauer is just a woman. or a red Cat. or a novelist. i think she IS the living contemporary American dream: leave all behind you, come to italy, enjoy life and be yourself. too bad that we italians are not always so good at being italian, and so proud.

9 years in italy. she landed in venice without speaking or understanding a word of italian o venetian dialect. without knowing anyone. sometimes people do that, and not because they are crazy. Cat is so honest as to admit it: it was a challenge. finding herself crying in the middle of St. Mark’s after some months, was part of the game. very unplesant, but necessary to get stronger. and to fall madly in love with this controversial town.

after 9 years in venice, Cat gave a presentation of her last novel at the Mondadori bookshop (the most fashionable and important bookshop in venice and one of the biggest publishing houses in italy). in english. and there were people listening at her. i’m not sure i would have bet this would have happened, when i first met the red Cat, about 8 years ago. but it happened. Cat’s  character - the sixteen-year-old Harley Columba - will fly to venice and live here in the world of contemporary artists for… some novels. we’re eager to read her stories.

btw: Cat is no more isolated, she’s now one of the “local people in the know”. her story is very encouraging to the ones who email us about their wishes and the ones who are just beginning to follow their American-Italian dream. it’s not so important that you know “someone” in venice: it’s important “whom” you know. And “yourself ” is a very good beginning.

Read more on Harley’s Ninth by Cat Bauer

Franco Filippi is more than a publisher, author and bookseller. He is a “piece” of living Venetian history. In a past issue of Buongiorno Venezia we had mentioned his latest book “Anche Questa è Venezia” , and we hear it has become a case study: no direct advertising, just word-of-mouth. In Italian. Slowly but steadily, with the second reprint the book has already sold  7.000 copies to single buyers (which is much for a niche book in Italian),  and - the Author says - its content has been often been copied by other writers and journalists, without the source even being mentioned. E-mails, letters (”even handwritten” Franco smiles) are coming in hundreds.

This is not a paid review: it’s a post to answer inquiries from our readers. How to order the book? they ask. Visit him in his bookshop - you’ll learn something - or write to him: in Italian. If you can’t speak the language, start learn it! Or you’ll miss the book.

The bookshop: Libreria Filippi - Castello, Caselleria 5284, 30122 Venice. Phone and fax +39 0415236916.
The book: Filippi Franco, “Anche questa è Venezia.
Cronaca di una passeggiata ed altre cose che so di lei.”
cm.14×9, pp 448 ill. - Euro 15.00 euro

I’ve been asked to re-launch these little news on our blog. with pleasure.

UNIVOC (the Italian Union of Voluntary Workers for the Blind) organises a dinner “in the dark”. The event will take place on 8 May inside the Taverna Ciardi restaurant in Calle dell’Aseo near the Rialto bridge, all lights will be switched off, and service will be provided by men and women who are blind. For that evening,
the people at the tables will experience what sightless individuals encounter every day. It is expected that this innovative initiative will be more instructive and thought-provoking for everyone present than any verbal explanation could ever be.

let me add that, besides experiencing the difficulties of living “in the dark”, the people at the tables may also experience the importance of trusting each other, beyond misunderstandings. life is based on trust, though we often live in suspect.