ONE of our favorite debuts in recent years is Rachel Kushner's Telex From Cuba. I was aware of this novel only because of a tip from New York literary agent Chris Calhoun, and once I read the galleys I was a bit abashed to see what a substantial talent was here in my city, until then invisible to me.In any case, Rachel is invisible no more. Here sophomore novel, The Flamethrowers, which came out … [Read more...]
Italian Rock Returns to LA
MUSIC from Italy is about more than just opera, "Volare'," and the songs of singing gondoliers. It's the goal of Hitweek LA to show Angelenos how wide the range is.Last year I wrote about the festival here, and spoke to the organizer and a few of the bands for an LA Times story."We have very successful artists, from rock to heavy metal to reggae to world music," Francesco del Maro told me. … [Read more...]
Berlusconi and Italy’s Dark Heart
IN the "couldn't happen to a nicer guy" department comes the recent attack on Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi in Milan. The attack broke two teeth and fractured the media mogul's nose.Italy and its culture are very close to my heart, but this nation does not have a very good track record when it comes to governing itself. And for all the soaring wonders of Italian art, literature and … [Read more...]
Amanda Knox and Italian Noir
THE strange case of Amanda Knox -- a cute American exchange student accused of killing her British roomate -- just took a yet stranger turn as she was convicted of the murder as part of a bizarre sex game. (She is sentenced to 26 years in prison; the family will appeal.)The fact that this took place in Perugia, the capital of the lovely and green Italian region of Umbria, known as the land of the … [Read more...]
Italy vs. Rock ‘n’ Roll
Over the last decade or so, france has launched air, phoenix and a whole host of chanteuses including the heavenly keren ann. sweden has given up komeda, the concretes and peter, bjorn and john. ever germany has the scorpions. (for better or worse.)but italy -- for centuries the most aesthetically minded nation in all of christendom -- has never sent a decent rock band into international orbit.i … [Read more...]