Backsliding
Backsliding
Plus, a rewilding success story and a new Liberato album
Over the past two weeks the Roe vs Wade story and the threat to abortion rights in America has been much discussed around the world. It hardly needs reiterating how serious this is, how terrible the impact will be and how dismal a symbol this development is of the state of our democracies. While it won’t be news to many, Italy is also on the treacherous slope towards curtailing abortion. People have been talking for years about individual doctors forbidding the procedure, particularly in rural Catholic areas. Well, POLITICO has just published an analysis that demonstrates just how extensive the problem is becoming. According to the report, right wing local governments and activist groups are succeeding at lobbying on grounds of ‘religious or moral objection’ at an ever-increasing rate. The revelations range from the expected - like local councils taking their own initiative and ignoring national guidelines - to more extreme developments; like rogue mayors giving cash incentives to women who choose not to abort. This is a horrific state of affairs that should focus attentions ahead of the forthcoming local elections (on 12 June). I’ll be reporting more on this issue, though, closer to the time.
On a tentatively more optimistic – or at least radically thought-provoking – note I loved this recent essay by Francesco Dama in Italy Segreta about the figure of the Neapolitan ‘femminelle’; a kind of proto-genderqueer figure who, according to the piece, stood defiant against the normativism of 17th century Southern Italian society. As Dama writes, “femminella (and its male form femminiello) is Neapolitan dialect used to indicate anyone that doesn’t quite fit the common concept of masculinity. What people usually mean by the word is somebody assigned male at birth who recognises themself as female and therefore fulfill roles traditionally attributed to women: sewing and stitching, cleaning, taking care of the elderly, etc.” The piece, which looks at the origins of this identity right up until postwar accounts by authors like Curzio Malaparte, is a profound and erudite account of a forgotten mode of being that, when recalled at all, “manifests fascination and attraction on one side, and isolation and distance on the other.” Read the full essay here.
According to a new report by the environmental agency ISPRA Italy’s wolf population has now increased to over 3,300. This is a significant vindication of the efforts by conservation groups who, over the past two decades, have worked tirelessly to save the animal from extinction. As things stand there are around 900 wolves living in Northern Italy, predominantly in the Alps and the Dolomites. The rest are spread evenly in suitable habitats across the peninsula; in Abruzzo, Basilicata and so on. In fact, wolf numbers are now so large that some have even begun wandering towards populated areas to the point that, a few years ago, holiday makers in Puglia were filmed throwing a ball to one on the beach (!) Obviously there’s still much work to be done to prevent backlash from farmers – on account of their livestock being killed – but the mood from National Parks Association is triumphant. As Giampiero Sammuri, President of the Federparchi Federation declared on Wednesday, the wolf “is no longer endangered" in Italy.
Arts and culture: Italian polyglots
Jhumpa Lahiri, the American author best known for writing in Italian rather than English, has a new non-fiction book out this week about the art of translation, her philosophy of literature and, by the sounds of things, her personal pleasures of and anxieties about working in a language and culture that are, based on her reception here, ‘not her own.’ Frieze have published an interesting review of the book which unpicks some of the core themes; the liberty that can come from a deep knowledge of a ‘foreign language and culture’, the deep revelations that can be found in individual words, and, most interestingly to me, the vulnerability one feels when actually mistranslating or making errors. These instances, Lahiri seems to suggest, are more than just mishaps; they are of profound importance and actually reveal often-ignored truths about both the individual translator, and cultural spaces we all work in. Check out the review here, and, if you’re interested, you can order the book from Princeton University Press.
Liberato, star of the underground Neapolitan trap-pop scene has a new album out, and just in time for summer. True to form the anonymous bedroom producer dropped this one entirely without warning, and the internet response - as anyone who has followed his career could have predicted - has been massive (and, in general, very positive). I’ll be honest, I’ve listened through a couple of times now and this record didn’t quite grab me the way the debut did. Yes, it’s always exciting to hear the Neapolitan dialect so foregrounded; and warped by auto tune and other languages. At the same time, though, the beats are a little too reserved for my tastes, and there are no obvious floor fillers to compare with, say, the epic 9 Maggio. Maybe it will grow on me. Either way, in the meantime, if you know Liberato check out the full album on Spotify. If you don’t, I’d recommend starting instead with his many, many YouTube releases, the videos of which, directed by Francesco Lettieri, are well-worth your time.
Recipe of the week: Spaghetti with Amalfi Lemon Sauce and Colatura di Alici
Is it just me or is there something Campanian in the air this May? Almost everyone I’ve been talking to the past few weeks seems to be heading down to Naples/Sorrento or the islands for some early summer sun. The general mood has also, apparently, influenced meal time in my kitchen too, and I’ve been prepping up plenty of caprese, parmigiana and so on to see in these warmer days. The best and most original of my efforts so far, however, has without doubt been this lemon and colatura pasta by Jarrett Wrisley and Paolo Vitaletti. The bare – raw – elements are quite simple. Just marinate some garlic in oil and lemon juice along with some oregano, parsley, chili, chopped anchovies and colatura (fish sauce) then toss through spaghetti with a little of the cooking water. The result won’t be for everyone, I know, but I’ve found this to be an enjoyably funky dish with all the salty umami you could ever want. So, if you’re looking for an unusual and flavoursome midweek dinner, ready in 10 minutes, this is, to my mind, a great shout, and a fun alternative to the better known, and much lionised, puttanesca. Here’s 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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