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 […]
Excerpt From The Innamorati: Anna and the Masks Read More »
When I was in Italy, I happen to read a murder mystery set in the 16th century — the same time period I was using to set The Innamorati. I read the first 100 pages which took place over a two day period in the story and not once had the characters eaten anything. I
Research Notes II: Culinary Arts Read More »
As The Innamorati is set in the mid-1500’s of Renaissance Italy, I knew that there would be historical changes in the images and meanings of the Siren from antiquity to the Renaissance. I was counting on it, actually, knowing that in Italy at least, there has been a continuous tradition of the Siren and that
Sirens IV: Reinventions Read More »
In this "climatic" scene, Lorenzo begins by fiercely resisting to recall the poet in himself while Erminia fights to liberate Lorenzo from his denial and at the same time, satisfy Orpheus' demand that she must first make Lorenzo a poet again before he returns the Sirens' voices to them. Her plan — something along the
Excerpt from The Innamorati: Erminia’s Embrace Read More »
One of the more interesting developements in the legacy of the Sirens comes after Homer has installed them in his epic poem as “malleable” figures. Having appeared as characters with an ambiguous history, others soon arrived to fill in the gaps of knowledge with inventions of their own. It is in this process of rounding
Sirens III: The Names They Were Called Read More »
This is was fun scene to write as it provided me a chance to get back at that wretched Orpheus after reading all the mythological shenanigans he did to harm the Sirens and get away with it. Well, only to a certain extent. There was that unfortunate incident with the maenads, but even from that
Excerpt from The Innamorati: Erminia And Two Poets Read More »
I am trying to remember that moment in writing The Innamorati — constructed mainly around the characters of the Commedia dell'Arte– when I decided I needed the Siren Herminia to join the cast. I cannot now conceive of the novel without her — but neither can I recall conceiving the necessity of her in the
Homeric Sirens II: Enchanters of All Mankind Read More »
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
Excerpt from The Innamorati: Erminia’s Song Read More »
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
Excerpt From The Innamorati: Erminia, the Siren Read More »
Every time I work on a book, I spend almost as much time looking for evocative images as I do the right word or phrase. I never know exactly where I will find them — though heaven knows, Pinterest has provided me with much joy recently. And I now keep all the found images from
Visual Nutrition: Finding the Satyrs of The Innamorati Read More »
