A slither of hope
Plus, a new EP from 'Bifo' Berardi and a festive cocktail
Are you feeling bored, disengaged, alienated, by the tedious, nauseating spectacles coming out of Palazzo Chigi these days? I can’t say I blame you. But I do have a politics link to share. Yesterday morning, my friend and ex-openDemocracy colleague Adam Ramsay, published a wonderful essay about his recent travels around Italy during which he asked normal Italians – shopkeepers, students, grocery clerks – about their feelings towards the new government. His findings, which are directed towards UK audience but have universal relevance, were, in a sense, what one would expect. Apathy, anger are obviously the passions of our time. Ramsay, though, is a skilled and subtle journalist so he goes rather deeper than this. I was struck, for example, by this shrewd observation: “The thing about statements like ‘they’re all the same’, and the anger that accompanies them” he writes, “is that they imply the speaker expects better of their politicians, the words are cynical, the very act of saying them displays some kind of belief in the potential of politics to offer something different, a slither of hope that democracy could offer a better world […] The more common answer – ‘I’m not interested in politics’ – has had that hope wrung out of it. This is the purest expression of political cynicism.” The piece, which also offers reflections on privatization, reality TV and the disappointment of the Five Star Movement, is filled with similarly thought-provoking passages that resonate well beyond the Italian context. So whoever you are - an activist, a conscientious voter, a non-voter, an optimist, a pessimist - I highly recommend you read it.
The Observer published a peculiar exchange this week between Elena Ferrante, the novelist, and the Iranian journalist Shiva Akhavan Rad about “protest, patriarchy and the power of women” which I feel compelled to share for a few reasons. First, because the situation in Iran continues to be dire, and it needs to be kept in the news cycle. Second, because Ferrante, as always, provides some wise, humble and insightful remarks. And third, because it’s simply so strange tone-wise. Rad begins by asking the Italian author to imagine her characters Lila and Lenu’ from the Neapolitan Novels as if they were women in Iran now. Ferrante, clearly flustered, insists she “would be ashamed to make any claims” from a “far away […] safe place,” yet Rad insists, even pushing the author to position herself in relation to her characters in crude example of biographical-fallacy. Things get a little better as the chat progresses. The two seem to gel as Rad moves on to talk about religion, rebellion, violence, patriarchy etc; and Ferrante’s remark that “no right – especially for us women – is ever truly won” is powerfully stated. Nevertheless, I can’t help think this whole interview was misconceived, and clumsy at best. What do you think? Am I being unfair on Rad? Or the Observer editors? Read it here, and make up your own mind .
This week the open source film website OpenDDB.it published the full streaming link of Michael Petrolini’s documentary “Rent Strike Bolognina” which is well worth an hour of your time. Shot during and after the 2020 lockdowns the story follows the fate of fifty or so occupants of a condominium in the Emilia Romagna capital who came together, having lost jobs and revenue, to “defend their right to housing” by collectively refusing to pay rent. This was the first example anywhere in the world of a community mobilizing against exploitative landlords in the context of Covid-19, made even more interesting, from a journalistic point of view, given the history of Bologna itself (once a heartland of the PCI, of course, but now, like most places, drifting away from its socialist past). The film also happens to be an excellent and informative watch. It’s well-shot and a good length. Certainly not a slog to get through. You can stream it for free in Italian, with English subs (!) (though the suggested donation, to cover fees for the filmmaker, and hosting costs, is 4 EUR). In the meantime, check out the trailer in ITA below or here in ENG.
Arts and culture: Our Timeless Time
Bifo Berardi, the philosopher, has a new EP out (!) on the subject of ‘deserting’ late-capitalist life. The ambient spoken word essay, aptly titled Desert, was recorded with Marco Bertoni, star of the Italian ‘no wave’ scene, and – remarkably – Bobby Gillespie from Primal Scream. And yes, it’s as bonkers as it sounds. Over three tracks, the first of which Gillespie narrates in English, the second two Berardi in Italian, the listener is treated to a series of philosophy vignettes about the legacy of the movimento 77, the failure of autonomia operaia and the eclipse of shared horizons on which to build a future. This is not a call to revolt or revolution. It’s a 90’s counterculture Irvine-Welsh inspired rhapsody against work, consumerism, the traditional family, and most of all war. The EP is apparently the prelude to a new book The Ethics of Desertion which is due out with Timeo, a new radical Italian publisher, in spring 2023. Rolling Stone published an Italian language interview with Bifo about the project here. If you’re interested - and have a stomach for self-indulgent, artsy experiments - you can listen to the ENG title track below.
Looking for a Christmas-Hanukkah-Saturnalia gift? Or just a fun Instagram account to follow? A few days ago an algorithm somewhere recommended me something quite amusing which I felt like sharing here. It’s called The Napolitaner. And the project is pretty much what it sounds like. We’re talking indeed about a (presumably unauthorised) Campanian knock-off of The New Yorker Magazine. This is not, to be clear, an actually fully-fledged magazine, but an illustration project which a group of Neapolitan artists set up in early 2022 in order to valorize the much maligned city, while also developing something easily marketable to a certain kind of international audience. People like me, basically. And perhaps you. The website - and idea - is pretty anarchic. This is, at least, copyright infringement, and it might even be a scam. I have no idea. Nevertheless, some of the images are quite beautiful, and the idea is rather charming, so I thought I’d share a link to their Instagram to lighten the mood a little. Click here to see the full selection of images or to purchase a print.
Recipe: Venetian Manhattan
A cheeky little cocktail this one, which works particularly well as a pre-dinner aperitivo but can easily be consumed on its own while stirring a risotto or whatever. I first found this recipe during lockdown when I was flicking through Russell Norman’s book Venice: Four Seasons of Home Cooking and have enjoyed drinking it a couple of times since. In the book Norman explains how he first came across the drink, when it was served after a concert of Baroque B-sides at the Conservatorio di Musica near Campo San Stefano. It is, effectively, pretty similar to a normal Manhattan — only whisky is replaced with brandy and there’s a dash of Amerena in there. Go easy. Ti raccomando. This is a strong drink but certainly worth adding to your repertoire around the New Year period. Serve in a small ice-cold glass and make sure to enjoy, in company, with some good music and a plate of nibbles. Tramezzini, tartine, olives, grissini, olive ascolane are the obvious accompaniments here. Though anything you might consume on a Venetian fondamenta is going to work just fine. Scroll down here for the recipe.
About Me
My name is Jamie Mackay (@JacMackay) and I’m an author, editor and translator based in Florence. I’ve been writing about Italy for a decade for international media including The Guardian, The Economist, Frieze, and Art Review. I launched ‘The Week in Italy’ to share a more direct and regular overview of the debates and dilemmas, innovations and crises that sometimes pass under the radar of our overcrowded news feeds.
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