Monthly Archives: February 2016

“In Defense of my own Sex”

  “You forbid women to learn so they are incapable of defending themselves against your schemes and then proclaim how stupid they are and how you triumphed over them,” (108) proclaimed Arcangela Tarabotti, a nun cloistered in Venice’s Sant’Anna convent … Continue reading

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A Million Diamonds

  I crossed a bridge today the sun flashed in my eyes so brilliantly I could not see cutting out squares of shadow on a shortbread path a million diamonds glistened and held me in their grasp bounding off the … Continue reading

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Polenta Where??

Please join me at my next event two weeks from today, a presentation to share the lives of Venetian women with you! It will be in the Sacramento, California, area, sponsored by the Italian Cultural Society. Here is the event … Continue reading

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Bubbly

I wanted to share this photo, taken at Baffo some years ago. Makes me want a glass of prosecco!

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Conference Connections 2

In the last installment of this series, I told you about meeting author Laurence Bergreen as I arrived at the Casanova Conference in January. By the time I stuck on my name tag and dropped my bags in the back … Continue reading

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Gondola Stuff: Wooden Ferro

As a part of my occasional series “Gondola Stuff,” here you get to see another item from my collection. Friends presented me with this lovely wooden ferro,  hand-carved by a Venetian artist. The artist included a Murano glass inlay, in … Continue reading

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Quattro Minuti con Casanova: Campiello San Rocco

“He said there was not a nun in Venice whom one could not have for money if one knew how to go about it.” Casanova relates this story in Vol. 4 of his memoirs about how his friend, the doctor … Continue reading

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Conference Connections 1

UCLA hosted its Casanova Conference, “Libertine Legend,” on January 22 and 23. I hope I can convey how exciting this was for me to attend! To geek out with other Casanova experts, to be able to refer to people like … Continue reading

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Reliving the Recital

Our Beautiful Woman in Venice recital was a few weeks ago at the Woodside Priory, and I apologize for only now posting some pictures. (This blog has been quiet for a couple weeks as life got busy; expect some catching … Continue reading

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