Novel Excerpts

From The Innamorati: The Libertini Create New Work in the Midst of Feasting

Commedia, Dance, Folklore, Food, Novel Excerpts, The Innamorati, Zizola /

    Commedia dell'Arte troupes crisscrossing the country to perform are often at the mercy of events they cannot control, like difficult audience members and lousy weather. Amid rain and misery, the kindness of an unexpected patron in a small village becomes a welcomed gift. Food, wine, and local stories fuel the actors' imaginations. The […]

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Excerpt From The Innamorati: Anna and the Masks

Actors, Artists, Commedia, Mask Work, Novel Excerpts, Research Notes, The Innamorati /

Very early in the novel I sought to establish a fantastic relationship between Anna Forsetti and the Commedia masks she creates. The masks speak to her, they are very alive and responsive to her mood. For Anna there is an interconnection between the womb which creates a life within it and a mask like an

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Excerpt from The Innamorati: Erminia’s Song

Actors, Commedia, Magic Realism, Mask Work, Myth, Nature, Novel Excerpts, Research Notes, The Innamorati, Writing Process /

This excerpt is taken from Chapter Eight in The Innamorati when Erminia finds herself in the piazza, watching a performance of the Commedia troupe, the Libertini. She is stunned by the magic of Anna Forseti's masks. And their power incite in her the longing to be fully the fantastic creature that she is, threatening to

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Excerpt From The Innamorati: Erminia, the Siren

2 Comments / Commedia, Magic Realism, Myth, Nature, Novel Excerpts, Sirens, The Innamorati, Writing Process /

I am working on a series of posts on my research on the sirens — all of which went into creating the character of Erminia, the siren in The Innamorati. I decided to provide something from the novel as an opportunity to see how the research transforms into character. So here is the chapter where

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