It’s a year and a half now since I launched this newsletter, and a fair few people have been writing to ask how they can support my work. Well, thank you! I’m honoured. Having sat on this question for a while I’m pleased to announce that starting from right now you’ve got three options. Firstly, if you’re a regular reader and enjoy these updates every Thursday you can subscribe via substack here for 5 euros a month (just re-enter your email address). I like to think of it as a coffee a week. Alternatively, if you’d prefer to just send something one-off, you can absolutely do so using PayPal here. If, on the other hand, you’re strapped for cash, or have too many subscriptions, or just don’t fancy paying - I get it. I won’t bore you with the truisms: of course this stuff takes time to research and curate and write-up. But this newsletter started out for free, and, personally, I don’t believe in ‘members’ only’ content. What I will say is that if you do choose to chip-in, you’ll be buying me some valuable time to work on at least one long-term project: a book of reportage that’s been on the back burner for a while; some essays on ‘Mediterranean Futures’; and a translation of Pier Vittorio Tondelli’s Altri Libertini (which, after years of toil, is currently stalled). So, if you’d like to see any of these ideas develop into published books one day, please consider helping out! If not, I hope you’ll continue to enjoy these weekly updates and perhaps even spread the word. Thank you!
Now onto the news: in a welcome display of progressive decision-making, Italy’s constitutional court today ruled that the standard national practice by which newborn children are automatically attributed their father’s surname is “discriminatory and harmful to the identity” of the child in question. Instead, the court recommends that, by default, children should be legally registered with the surnames of both parents. Of course, this doesn’t mean that such an arrangement is the only option. In instances where parents were to decide on a single surname, they could (obviously) propose to do so when registering the birth certificate. I’m also unsure how this impacts on homosexual couples (the wording, from a cursory glance, seems predictably heteronormative). Still, despite these caveats, campaigners have welcomed the news as a step forwards from a system which uncritically privileges male parties, and I’m inclined to agree. The parliament are due to vote on new legislation to codify this measure in just a few weeks, and it’s probably worth noting the government has also expressed support for the changes. Whatever Salvini and co have to say, then, it’s highly likely to go through.
VICE published a fascinating video debate this week about Italy’s north/south divide which I strongly recommend to all Italian speakers here. The conversation, titled ‘Restare in sud Italia o migrare al nord? Dibattito su pro e contro’ is a refreshingly candid and (mostly) stereotype free look at some of the obstacles people from Puglia, Campagia, Calabria, Sicily etc face establishing themselves in today’s Italy. While some of it is what you’d expect (Metropolitan Milan is relatively progressive while rural villages are conservative - who’d have guessed it?) the moderator, Iole Gravina does a great job steering the discussion towards more daring topics. There’s a good exchange, for example, on the word ‘terrone’ and its violent connotations; a long reflection on the experience of LGBTQI+ peoples; and a lot of problematising of what the ‘south’ is in the first place. As one panellist puts it: “All the problems these regions face are Italian problems but at their worst.” Another chips in: “Would you really face more discrimination in a town in Puglia than a small village in, say, Veneto or Liguria?” In my experience, Italians have an unfortunate habit of taking stereotypes too seriously. I found this video a welcome antidote.
Arts and culture: Shots from Bari
Many readers will – I’m sure – already be familiar with the work of Sam Youkilis, a photographer and filmmaker based between New York and Italy. His work has been featured in some of the biggest magazines out there – The Paris Review and Vogue to name just two – as well as myriad small, indie arts publications. Perhaps his greatest accolade, though, is his Instagram account. Really, I mean it. Unlike most travellers and journalists who wield the platform for self-promotion and rather vapid updates (not judging, honestly, but let’s not beat around the bush here) Youkilis uses his platform to make some of the best travel documentary work I’ve ever seen. He specialises in street scenes, following normal people as they go about their days, capturing nonni chattering over a coffee, chefs practicing their various enigmatic rituals, lovers arguing and, well, loving. His social media feed is – genuinely – one of very few that has real poetic value. So if you don’t follow him, go and do so right now. If you do, make sure you check out his updates from his latest trip down to Bari, in Puglia. It’s a blast.
Natalia Ginzburg is a name that’s cropped up a few times in the newsletter so far this year. Perhaps because I’m currently reading through her back catalogue, or perhaps because so many new studies of her work, not to mention translations, are on the horizon. Well, in the spirit of the moment, Backlisted, one of the best literature podcasts on the internet, and which I listen to religiously, has just released an episode dedicated to Ginzburg’s most famous novel Lessico famigliare; an idiosyncratic examination of domestic life in Italy over the course of the 1920s to 1950s. The hosts John Mitchinson and Andy Miller are joined by publisher Marigold Atkey and journalist Emily Rhodes for the discussion, which also touches on the author’s essays, Le piccole virtù, and her magnificent novella le voci della sera. You can listen back to the recording using the widget below or via your usual podcast provider.
Recipe of the week: Rocket, Walnut & Pecorino Pesto
The sun started shining properly in Florence this week. Piazzas are filling up, nightlife is beginning to boom and outside my window I’m seeing office workers lounging about between afternoon zoom meetings on a daily basis. May is a great time of year, but I do often find it’s hard to settle down and cook. There are too many events, too many deadlines. Pesto is just what you need at times like this. Nothing too fancy, nothing too heavy, just something you can whack in a blender (sorry nonna) and be done with it. This week I wanted to share an interesting variation by one of my favourite food writers, Leticia Clark. Her version, with rocket, walnut and pecorino, is standard fare on bistrot menus now and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Fresh rocket is best, though the supermarket stuff will just about do. The most important thing, and it really is important, is the olive oil. You must not use peppery Tuscan stuff. It has to be grassy and neutral; ideally from Puglia, Sicily or perhaps Spain. This dish won’t please all palettes I’m sure, but squeeze a bit of lemon on there and – to my mind – this is paradise on a plate. Here’s the link.
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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