In November 1545, Pietro Aretino wrote another letter to Michelangelo expressing his admiration for the Last Judgment, but later accusing him of being irreligious and indecent because “You, on the contrary, presenting so awful a subject, exhibit saints and angels, these without earthly decency, and those without celestial honours.” The letter continued disapproving of Michelangelo’s… Read More Pietro Aretino & Michelangelo/3
Will Rogers was born on 4th November 1879: he was an American entertainer, humourist, newspaper columnist, and social commentator, famous for his political wit. Talking about him, Franklin D. Roosevelt said: “In addition to my deep appreciation of his humour the first time that I fully realized Will Rogers’ exceptional and deep understanding of political… Read More Will Rogers and Dogs
Shel Silverstein (author of The Father of a Boy Named Sue and Zebra Question) wrote this lovely poem, based on a play on words, promoting friendship and peace. I will not play at tug o’ war.I’d rather play at hug o’ war,Where everyone hugsInstead of tugs,Where everyone gigglesAnd rolls on the rug,Where everyone kisses,And everyone… Read More Friendship: “Tug O’War”
“Non è tanto l’aiuto dei nostri amici che ci aiuta quanto la certezza che loro ci aiuteranno.” Epicuro (341 a.C. –270 a.C.) – filosofo greco antico. “It is not so much our friends’ help that helps us as the confident knowledge that they will help us.” “Ce n’est pas tant l‘aide de nos amis qui… Read More Amici
Happy Birthday, Paul Simon ✨ Paul Simon was born on this day in 1941, so today, 13 October 2021, he is 80 years old. Bridge Over Troubled Water When you’re weary, feeling small,When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all;I’m on your side. When times get roughAnd friends just can’t be found,Like… Read More Bridge Over Troubled Water
In his Letters to His Son on the Art of Becoming a Man of the World and a Gentleman (1774), and Letters to His Godson (1890), Lord Chesterfield (see here) gave also the following advice on love and marriage: Love has been not unaptly compared to the small-pox, which most people have sooner or later.… Read More Lord Chesterfield’s Advice (part 2)
Andrew Michael Sullivan (born 10 August 1963) is a British-American author, editor, and political commentator.He is considered the pioneer of web journalism (weblogging), having been one of the first journalists to open his own personal blog, The Daily Dish, in 2000. Fifteen years later he decided to stop blogging because, as he said, he thought… Read More Blogging
💙 Un caro saluto e un abbraccio a tutti i miei amici 💙 Oggi in particolare, perché il 30 luglio, ricorre la Giornata Internazionale dell’Amicizia (International Day of Friendship) , istituita dall’Assemblea Generale delle Nazioni Unite nel 2011 – anche se alcune nazioni la celebrano in date diverse. L’ Assemblea Generale riconoscendo l’importanza dell’amicizia… Read More 💜 Amicizia 💙 Friendship 💜
Louise Glück, the American poet who was awarded The Nobel Prize for Literature in 2020, was born on 22 April 1943. AT THE RIVEROne night that summer my mother decided it was time to tell me aboutwhat she referred to as pleasure, though you could see she feltsome sort of unease about this ceremony, which… Read More Happy Birthday, Louise Glück! 🎉
These beautiful words were written by Edith Wharton, an American novelist, short story writer, and designer who was born on 24 January 1862She was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for literature in 1921 for her novel “The Age of Innocence” She loved dogs, although she seldom included them in her fiction: they… Read More 🐕”My little dog – a heartbeat at my feet” 🐕
words and music and stories 