October 1 2023

October 1, 2023
# 1622 

FLORENCE

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Cover Story
There is so much about Florence that is wonderful, from museums, to street life, to architecture.
It’s easy to forget that the food here is as good as it gets.
Food appreciation, from pushcarts, to street food, to cafes, to Guide Michelin restaurants should take center stage.
And nowhere is there so much good stuff crammed into such a large indoor space as in the Mercato Centrale where vendors sell various primary ingredients of Tuscan cuisine. In the northern corner of the market, there is a seafood area in which vendors sell fish and shellfish that have been wild caught in Italy or imported. Fruits and vegetable stands as well as nuts and spices stands can be found outside the market.[2] Outside the Central Market is the Mercato di San Lorenzo, which mostly sells leather goods.

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Commentary
Florence. What a great city. So much smaller than Paris; so much more crowded and alive. If you like street life, if you like being part of a hubbub, or walking along a river, or Food Marts, museums, restaurants, or thrift shops, you will love Florence.

Something about Florence that isn’t frequently told is the endearing disrespect Florentines show to the boundaries of sidewalks and streets. In fact, many streets have no sidewalks. Just keep to the side when you walk, as in side-walk.
This goes back to the medieval roots of a city that intertwines history, tradition, and contemporary life to embrace a culture that has produced narrow and winding streets wherein pedestrians, bikes, mopeds, motorcycles, baby carriages, [no pogo sticks,] and automobiles freely intermingle: an organic coexistence that is the spirit, the throbbing of Florence.

Florentine sidewalks are often multifunctional spaces into which cafes, restaurants, and market stalls spill over creating a thriving, vibrant street culture where people converge to dine, shop, and engage in lively conversations.

This integration of public spaces often leads to challenges for both pedestrians and vehicular traffic, nevertheless, it embodies the city's dynamic and open-hearted character, and its undeniable charm.

One afternoon, with only a single destination in mind, we wandered the city in search of the great find and had a ton of fun. We visited the Boboli Gardens, we found an English language bookstore wherein I convinced the owner to purchase copies of Do You Believe in Magic? for reselling in his store, found the awesome Fabbio’s Thrift shop, and on the suggestion of Will, wandered into the exciting Food Mart.

Fabbio’s, a wonderfully tiny thrift shop.
Kat fell in love with it.

All of the pictures of Florence were taken by Kat Capossela, except for the couple she was in.

Among the three structures that all of the guidebooks talk about, Pisa’s Leaning Tower is Pisa’s leading attraction, with the Duomo, the Cathedral, coming in second.
But for beautiful architecture, there is no more beautiful building in Pisa than the Baptistry, seen here from inside the Cathedral looking out to the Baptistry.

From the Boboli, the river Arno, Florence, the Duomo.
I think it’s illegal to publish any picture of Florence that does not include the Duomo.
Did Brunelleschi have any idea that his dome would swallow the city?

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Kat’s Gen Z Corner  

Italy Reminiscences

What a wonderful time!

My body is still recovering from eating pasta for lunch and dinner for eight days straight. Totally worth it, except that it depresses me to return to food in the U.S. 

Below are some remaining photos from the trip that I took with my Canon camera, which I thrifted for 1/4 of the retail price. Works just fine. 

They are of the day trips we took outside of Florence. 

Me at the Vatican Museum in Rome, which, of course, is well beyond a Florence day trip. 

Parade we stumbled upon at Siena, a very worthwhile day trip. 

San Gimignano countryside — not really worth the hype except for the drive up. 

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Tucker’s Corner

Concert movies are a subgenre of film I can’t get enough of. I’m obsessed with the idea of using the power of the camera eye to capture live performances in such a way that you can both recreate the experience of seeing an act in person but also to mold what is portrayed into some of the most beautiful and thrilling images every put to film. I was raised on concert films with movies like The Last Waltz (Martin Scorsese’s document of the final performance by The Band) and Pink Floyd Live In Pompeii (where they perform in the doomed city to no one) on constant rotation in my house. As I expanded my perspective on concert films with terrific pieces like Gimme Shelter (a Rolling Stones film covering much of a 1969 tour) into more modern works like Homecoming (a film of Beyonce’s incredible 2018 Coachella show) and the forthcoming Eras Tour Film (Taylor Swift continues to give us all lessons in marketing by selling out every single thing she does). I’ve seen concert films released before and after 1984 but that year saw the release of perhaps the greatest concert film ever made. After the completion of a gorgeous restoration of the film meant for the IMAX viewing experience A24 has given each of us a gift by putting this film back in theaters for a limited engagement. This is Stop Making Sense.

Stop Making Sense - Directed by Jonathan Demme

What made Stop Making Sense such a groundbreaking work at the time of its release (and it really hasn’t been replicated by any concert film since) is that it spends exactly no time on backstage interviews or even audience cutaways. Every second of the film is dedicated to showing The Talking Heads perform at the peak of their career. Director Jonathan Demme (who would really break through about a decade later with Silence of the Lambs and Philadelphia) and band frontman David Byrne came up with the idea to have the stage show evolve as it went along. What begins as a completely minimalist approach that feels more like performance art develops into something so much bigger and as the stage turns more and more into what we know as a rock show, boxes keep being checked in our mind like we’re being told a great story and recognizing the narrative twists and swells that make it one we’ll remember forever.

Filmed over three nights at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre, Stop Making Sense opens with David Byrne wearing a simple white suit and matching tennis shoes. He walks out onto a bare stage appointed only with tape marks and scaffolding. He places a cassette player on the stage, hits play, and a simple drum track beings to play. Byrne begins to play an acoustic guitar along with the drum beat and soon he’s playing “Psycho Killer” (one of their hits) while dancing and flailing around the stage like a marionette being operated by multiple, dueling puppeteers. With each new song, he’s joined by other Talking Heads members, backup singers, and additional musicians while pieces of an increasingly elaborate, visually arresting backdrop are rolled out behind and between them.

The songs chosen to be performed have as much to say now in 2023 as they did when they were first written and released. “Found a Job”, a song about TV addiction, feels like it was written yesterday with lyrics like “People fighting over little things and wasting precious time / They might be better off I think, the way it seems to me / Making up their own shows, which might be better than TV.” With a little tweaking this song could easily be about social media addiction and the band’s urging to not forget we can all be creative and thoughtful instead of mindless drones staring at screens.

By the time they hit “Girlfriend Is Better” (and Byrne appears in his big suit, the famous image from this film) and “Once In A Lifetime” the sound, choreography, and stage design have grown into their full vision and even though you’ve been watching it happen, you don’t fully realize the slow build thanks to the excellent stage presence of each of these people.

Demme hired Blade Runner’s cinematographer Jordan Cronenweth and together they keep the cameras aimed at the stage. Because their focus was to capture the performance with as little varnish as possible you wouldn’t know two of film’s best minds were working to capture the show. You just feel like you’re right there. Everything we came to know about Demme as an artist and person is evident right here in Stop Making Sense. There’s no ego on display. He loved The Talking Heads and wanted to give you a completely unfiltered view of their performance.

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“Trouble the Living”
A novel by Francesca McDonnell Capossela,
who answers the question:
If you could create a museum exhibition, what would be the theme?

 I’m obsessed with challenging the idea of “muses” and artists, especially when female “muses” are seen as objects that inspire a man to create.
A lot of these muses were actually themselves artists, or contributed to their lovers’ work in some way, and I’d love to create an exhibition that shows famous’ artists portraits of their muses alongside the muses’ own work.
For example, Picasso’s portraits of Françoise Ginot, next to her self-portraits.
I’d like to see those two representations of Ginot face off.

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Do You Believe in Magic? Anthology of Stories from the North End
Edited by Dom Capossela

Each author’s contribution to the anthology reflects the rich
tapestry of our Italian neighborhood, painting vivid portraits
of our shared experiences from sixty years ago, when we were
just kids.

Through their unique voices, these thirty authors weave together
a nostalgic mosaic of our Italian community, capturing the
essence of our childhood and preserving its cherished memories
for generations to come.

The anthology shines a spotlight on the collective wisdom and
diverse perspectives of these thirty authors, offering a kaleidoscope
of stories that illuminate the intricacies and nuances of
our Italian neighborhood’s past.
With their poignant narratives, the authors transport us back in
time, evoking the sights, sounds, and emotions of our Italian
neighborhood fifty years ago, offering a timeless glimpse into
our shared heritage.

From tales of mischief and laughter to stories of hardship and
resilience, the anthology showcases the unique voices of these
twenty-two authors, painting a heartfelt portrait of the vibrant
Italian community we grew up in.

These thirty authors offer a remarkable gift with their stories,
gifting us a glimpse into the past, igniting our nostalgia, and
fostering a profound sense of community as we collectively
reminisce about our Italian neighborhood fifty years ago.
With deepest gratitude to the thirty North Enders who shared their stories.

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Chuckles and Thoughts
"If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done?"
George Carlin

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Six Word Stories
"Unexpected encounter, destined souls finally reunited."

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MONTHLY HEALTH REPORT CARD: of an 81-year-old male.
SEPTEMBER, 2023

Natural Physiological Change
Although a hearing aid will be of benefit, I can hear perfectly well in my everyday life so I will pass on getting a hearing aid for now.
Grade: B

Weight-lifting
Given that I took a week in Tuscany, September was poor for my strength workouts. When I returned to Boston, the club closed for two days for an upgrade. I didn’t get started until I was halfway through the month. Writing this, I am a little down since I have not yet returned to a rhythm.
Grade: a gentleman’s C.

Walking
We walked a lot in Tuscany and got back into my rhythm as soon as we returned. But two days lost to travel at each end of the trip certainly were negatvies.
Grade: B+

Illness
My Actinic keratosis was treated with liquid nitrogen cryotherapy. After the resulting scab fell off, my skin looked good. To a layman. My follow up appointment confirmed that the scab was benign. But. Another patch of skin will need to be looked at. Oh, well. No complaints.
Grade: B+

Injury
None.
Grade A+

Weight
(Using only weight as a measure of health is simplistic. I know. Health care specialists consider an entire range of metrics.  Two commonly used indicators are the Body Mass Index that takes into account a person's weight and height.  And Body composition, considering the distribution of body fat and muscle mass rather than solely focusing on weight. But this analysis of the state of our health is meant to be doable in our regular day’s living. We’ll use simple body weight and take other steps when we feel things going really poorly.)
My diet has certainly suffered because of my trip. I cut myself free from all fetters restraining me and the results were predictable: I gained five pounds. On my body, five pounds is a lot of weight. By the end of October I will return to a more desirable weight.
Grade B-

Oral Health
I have no teeth or gum issues.
I brush and floss regularly.
Get a cleaning twice a year.
Grade A+

Substance Abuse
My trip didn’t affect me at all. Well, only a tiny bit. I continued to drink a modest amount of coffee in the morning (12oz) and an Italian coffee in the afternoon. I drank more wine than I normally do at dinner time. Still drank only at dinnertime.
This grade is based on the absence of stimulants and mind-bending substances. I stay unchanged.
Grade: B+

Stress Management
Being retired and living alone I am deprived of the joys of gainful employment and daily social intercourse. But, on the other hand, I avoid the attendant stress that accompany both of those endeavors.
Grade: B+

Sleep
As I struggle with my sleep, I have devolved upon another solution that works and is appealing to me. (Although I haven’t passed that solution by my PCP yet. He might warn me off.)
I have no trouble falling asleep, but I invariably awaken an hour later and have a difficult time getting back to sleep.
So here’s my latest solution:
For the last sixteen weeks, when I wake after that first hour, I take three full-dose aspirin, and either 3 or 9 mg of melatonin. On days I’m going to lift weights, I take the 9mg. The extra dosage is insurance on getting enough sleep for the exertion to follow. The 3mg is usually enough for me to sleep well. If it turns out that I don’t get enough sleep that night, and that is not common, with the help of a couple of short naps I can tough the day out.  
Despite the occasional misstep, the cocktail mostly works and so I will continue taking it until I am told otherwise, or until the combination of pills doesn’t get me back to sleep. With the continuation of my success I’ll raise my grade, a single step, from a B to
Grade B+

Regularity
I maintain a decently balanced diet which is not only good for my weight-control but also for my regularity.
I am convinced that the AI suggestion of a major change in my posture at the bowl, standing bent-over instead of sitting, is responsible for the regularity I have enjoyed over the last four months. AI stresses that everyone is different. I’m raising my grade by a small step, from a B to a
Grade: B+

Memory
I do a lot to stay mentally active. One of my primary activities is writing. I recently published a book, I work on this magazine, and I am also working on another book. My other major memory activity is meal preparation, from the planning of the menu, the shopping, the preparation which sometimes involves me in writing recipes.
Yet, despite all I do, memory loss is real and a nuisance: I am the subject of those 1,000 jokes about walking into a room and wondering what I’m doing here.  
Grade: B+.

Social Activity
Social interaction helps ward off depression and stress. Some weeks are better than others. The month of September was excellent, lots of company. My grade remains the same:
Grade B+
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