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The Last Muslims in Italy

During Dante’s lifetime, the only Muslim city on the Italian peninsula ceased to exist.  Dante does not mention Lucera Saracenorum (a Latin placename meaning “Lucera of the Saracens”) in his writings,…

Always Remember Your Name

A memoir by Andra and Tatiana Bucci. Forward by Ruth Franklin Andra and Tatiana Bucci, Always Remember Your Name, translated by Ann Goldstein. Astra House By all rights, this book…

A Double Bow for Primo Levi

The legendary cellist /composer France -Marie Uitti will premiere Luciano Chessa’s Piombo based on a text by Primo Levi at Magazzino Italian Art on January 21. The two-bow technique she…

Luciano Chessa’s Piombo

Alessandro Cassin: You do a lot of different things: you are a composer, conductor, instrumentalist, performing artist and, at times, visual artist. Can you attempt to explain how —music being…

Rider on blue paper, ca. 1901-1907 , pencil on blue paper, National Library of Israel

Franz Kafka: With Ink and Graphite

 I love and admire Kafka because he writes in a way that is totally closed off to me. (Primo Levi) Franz Kafka The Drawings. Edited by Andreas Kilcher. Yale University…