Rome's Ultimate Guidebook: I, Claudius
Here is a novel idea for your trip abroad: replace the guidebook with literary fiction. I, Claudius will prepare you for great buildings, art, and personalities--historical fiction brings Classical Rome to life. I, Claudius tells the tale of one of the Eternal City's earliest emperors, Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus, who was the grand-nephew of the great Caesar Augustus. I, Claudius is his autobiography, written by the distinguished British translator, Robert Graves.
Posted on Fri, Nov 30, 2007 by Jennifer Eisenlau

At Shelley's Grave: The Ineffable Calico Cat at il Cimitero Straniero
So I said, most impractically, to the obliging calico cat with yellow eyes, as we turned to depart the old Protestant Cemetery, that walled oasis of green quietude in the midst of hurried, cacophonous Rome.
Posted on Tue, Apr 05, 2005 by Karen Flagstad

Standing in Jewish Rome
Titus' Arch towers above us; its white marble Corinthian columns and travertine inlays gleam in the sun. It is one of those June days that makes you happy to be alive, happy to be wandering Rome. This trip, we have decided to focus only on Jewish sites. That means staying in the ghetto, wandering its tiny streets, climbing Esquiline Hill to gaze at Michelangelo's Moses, visiting the Great Synagogue and the Jewish Museum. And that means heading to Titus' Arch.
Posted on Thu, Feb 14, 2008 by Davi Walders

John Keats and the Casina Rosa
The "Casina Rossa" or "Little Red House" sits next to the Spanish Steps in the Piazza di Spagna in Rome. An unprepossessing building built in 1725, it blends in with the neighboring three and four story buildings surrounding the piazza. The Casina Rossa is not renowned for its distinctive architecture, but instead for its many distinguished occupants, the most famous of whom was John Keats, the great English Romantic poet.
Posted on Fri, Aug 01, 2003 by Sandra Tarling

The Poe Toaster: Three Red Roses & a Bottle of Cognac
It's been two hours since we arrived at the wrought iron fence surrounding the old cemetery of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Baltimore. We wait patiently, my friend and I, our car parked on the skeevy side of town. The only buildings that aren't boarded up are liquor stores and pawnshops, and the ladies of the night begin to make their appearance at about two in the afternoon. Oh yeah, and it's cold. Like dead of winter cold. There's a reason the only other outdoor event that has dared to pick this time for its annual ritual is the Superbowl, an event that can be viewed from heated living rooms.
Posted on Wed, Oct 14, 2009 by Mac Carey

Michelangelo, The Flower of Florence
The city of Florence, Italy, is the unmistakable home of the great painter, architect, and sculptor, Michelangelo Buonarroti, known today simply as Michelangelo. The second of five sons to Ludovico di Buonaorotto Simoni, he was born in 1475 in the nearby village of Caprese but always considered himself a "son of Florence." Today, one need not look long or hard to witness Michelangelo's influence on the city. His tomb is displayed prominently alongside those of Machiavelli, Galileo, and Rossini, and many of his most famous works of sculpture are housed throughout Florence - including, the magnificent statue of David.
Posted on Sat, Jun 01, 2002

Caravaggio The Artist's Journey
When one hears the name Michelangelo side by side with the word 'artist' it's quite likely that the first things which come to mind are magnificent works such as the sculpture of David or the Sistine Chapel paintings. Few of us know, however, that there was another artist also named Michelangelo whose works were no less prolific than the original, albeit, not as well known.
Posted on Tue, Feb 21, 2006 by Mamta Murthy

Ovid in Exile
That the avid traveler is often an avid reader (and/or moviegoer) is frequently noted. It is an observation that surely applies to me. After my passport, tickets and travelers cheques have been have been diligently attached to my person my thoughts turn to what I will be reading on my trip. The books can be history, biography, or fiction, but there is one requirement: they must be by or about some place or someone where I am traveling.
Posted on Sat, Jan 01, 2000 by James Clapp

The Life and Times of Terry Southern: A Texan Gone Hollywood
She is the librarian at the Alvarado, Texas library and I've come to ask her about any information she may have on the writer Terry Southern. He is the American short story, novel and screenwriter who gave us the novels The Magic Christian, Candy, Flash and Filigree, as well as the screenplays for the films Easy Rider and Dr. Strangelove among many others. Even though we are standing smack in the middle of the man's birthplace, even though Texas has become, over the years, notorious for praising and loudly advertising any celebrity major or minor with billboards, museums or festivals, she has never heard of him. She seems to find my interest both intrusive on her time and unusual in its request. I'm bemused at the idea of the former because the library is only the size of a meat locker.
Posted on Tue, Oct 06, 2009 by Byron Browne

Twilight Saga: A Modern Fairytale
I had the novel in my possession for two weeks before attempting to read it. One day, I decided to see what all the hype was about. I entered the world of Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer. This mesmerizing book captured me and took me into its arms. It did not let me go until I finished reading the last words. Twilight is a young adult book, so for me, a fully grown adult, it would be an easy read. But how could this youthful book be so engrossing, so captivating, so mesmerizing?
Posted on Mon, Nov 09, 2009 by Mia Murphy  

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