Etta’s experiences teaching Italian university students as a William J. Fulbright scholar, teaching US university students abroad, and her onsite research in Italian archives feed her love for All Things Italy. Gain a taste by subscribing to her newsletter and blog and following on social media.
All Things Italy January 2022
Dear Friends: It’s that time in late January when many of us lose our late-December aspirations for the New Year. How are your resolutions holding up as we slouch toward February? What more can we do...
All Things Italy December 2021
A sunset view near Sorrento on the Bay of Naples Dear Friends: I am a little later than I had planned in writing to you. It’s that time of year, you know? Schedules sometimes go...
All Things Italy Fall 2021
An autumn view of Ragusa Ibla, Sicily Dear friends, Here we are, deep into autumn, past Halloween and approaching Thanksgiving. I missed October in writing to you, and here’s why: ...
Writing Places & Bagni di Lucca, Italy
Bagni di Lucca, Italy, on the Lima River in Tuscany (Photo Credit: By Keith Ruffles, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53034692) Six years ago this week, I was in one of my favorite Italian towns—Bagni di Lucca....
All Things Italy Summer 2021
Hello, friends and fellow travelers. It’s been two years since I’ve been in Italy—two long years—and I’m definitely feeling withdrawal. But pictures, memories, and my imagination help. A friend and fellow traveler of my last...
Margaret Fuller: Writing and Social Activism in Massachusetts and Italy
Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House, Cambridgeport, Massachusetts. Fuller lived here during her early years. Fireflies, Fourth of July, fireworks, family reunions--the month has flown by--with lots of U.S. memories-in-the-making for me. Meanwhile, I have had little time to think about “All Things Italy.” Earlier in...
All Things Italy Spring / Summer 2021
Hello, friends and fellow travelers! Thanks for joining me in this second issue of “All Things Italy.” Primarily, my goals are to update you on the progress of my book projects and associated talks, to share a few thoughts about works I’ve...
Mothers Without Borders: A Tribute to Surrogacy
Today I’m thinking of all those who “mother” -- beyond those who have born biological children. Think Mother Teresa, for example, or Mother Ann Lee, the founder of the Shakers, known for their communal living...
After Pasqua and Pasquetta . . . Liberation Day
Pasquetta--one Italian spring tradition I wish we could import to the US--blurs sometimes into another holiday, Liberation Day. Pasquetta, or “Little Easter” (since Easter is Pasqua), follows on the heels of Sunday’s colomba, Easter sweet...
All Things Italy Winter/Spring 2021
You're among the first recipients of my All Things Italy newsletter! Thanks for starting this journey with me. I hope we'll have a long ride and a buon viaggio together. After months of planning to...
Utopian and Dystopian Visions: Sicily and Engaging Italy
Monte Argentario, off the coast of southern Tuscany Emeralds in a sea of sapphire—gems among gemstones—to a romantic dreamer. To those who have removed the rose-colored glasses, perhaps they emerge more like...
A Sicilian Memoir: Simeti’s On Persephone’s Island
Mandarins and pears at an open market in Sicily. Photo: Andrew Malone , Wikimedia Commons via Flickr Mary Taylor Simeti’s memoir of Sicily as an American expat will not be for everyone....