Toward the end of March 1923, Negri enjoyed a brief holiday in Sicily and from there she went to the island of Capri, where she stayed for about a year and wrote I Canti dell'Isola/Songs of the Island. Her lyrics of Capri, full of sun, blueness and the perfume of oriental roses, are like a seashell: magical, polyphonic in their infinite melodiousness. Dedicated to the memory of Cesare Sarfatti, husband of Negri's best friend and fellow-writer Margherita Sarfatti, and that of their war-hero son Roberto Sarfatti, I Canti's poems represent a sort of parenthesis in Negri's work. They are the result of the blinding light of the island, the ardor of a holiday both physical and spiritual. In the words of one critic, they embody "the magic of the tangible and the flashes of invisible reality," and symbolize the poet's hour of quiet and reflection on her path thus far. Via the impressionistic sweep of these images, the poet transports us with Capri's explosion of light and color. Enchanted by pearls, amethyst and jade, the mythological sea of Ulysses, the unstoppable bleeding of poppies, climbing purple roses, and the castaways of dreams, the reader wants to be seduced, if only for a moment, by this world of the senses. Yet, as if fraught with guilt, through the poet the human spirit aspires to a higher self. Translated by Maria A Costantini. First English translation. Dual-language edition. Introduction, bibliography, map, glossary.

Ada Negri, the author of ten volumes of poetry who enjoyed an international reputation for her frank and passionate writing, had a tormented love affair with a man whose life was cut short by premature death. She translated this experience into "The Book of Mara," in essence one long poem arising from a woman's most intimate place as if in a visceral scream - a most passionate expression of love, loss and redemption. Written with unusual frankness, especially in view of Italian society of the time, "The Book of Mara," along with "Songs of the Island," is considered the high point of Negri's poetic work.Through metrical and formal execution, "The Book of Mara" demonstrates the originality of her verse, which opens up to a more personal dimension - almost prose-like. Her verse is impressionistic, almost mystical, spanned with bristling lyrics, sudden igniting bursts and visionary flashes.Negri's poetry was made by going deep inside herself, into the travail of her childhood, into the solitude and the sleeplessness around an uncertain future, into the wounds of sorrow and the misfortune that befalls each one of us. Her poems express an ardent though fruitless hope, in wait of a great love; made light by those rare moments of abandon and happiness.First English translation, by Maria A Costantini.Dual-language edition.Introduction, bibliography.118 pages.

Written during the 1920s, when the author was in her 50's, the short pieces in this collection are sketches of the women and men that Ada Negri met or observed during her travels around Italy and Switzerland. After her beloved daughter Bianca married and Negri's own marriage had broken down, the writer began a life of wandering that led to a stay of several years on Capri and extended visits to Lago Maggiore and the northern Italian countryside. As we travel with Negri, we meet waitresses and tourists, bohemians and noblemen, office clerks and builders, servants and celebrities. As always, Negri is focused on class distinctions, women's interactions, and the domestic sphere. As she travels and sees the different ways others live, Negri expresses her forever-unfullfilled longing to find a place to settle down and belong. These stories give the reader a unique glimpse into the lives of early 20th century Italians from all walks of life. Translated into crisp and evocative English, this collection will bring new readers to an appreciation of Ada Negri and will inspire a new generation of Negri enthusiasts.

Toward the end of March 1923, the Italian writer Ada Negri, who already had an international reputation for her frank and passionate poetry, enjoyed a brief holiday in Sicily. From there she went to the island of Capri, where she stayed for about a year and wrote "Songs of the Island." Her lyrics of Capri, full of sun, blueness and the perfume of oriental roses, are like a seashell: magical, polyphonic in their infinite melodiousness. These poems represent a sort of parenthesis in Negri's work. They are the result of the blinding light of the island, the ardor of a holiday both physical and spiritual. In the words of one critic, they embody "the magic of the tangible and the flashes of invisible reality," and symbolize the poet's hour of quiet and reflection on her path thus far. Via the impressionistic sweep of these images, the poet transports us with Capri's explosion of light and color. Enchanted by pearls, amethyst and jade, the mythological sea of Ulysses, the unstoppable bleeding of poppies, climbing purple roses, and the castaways of dreams, the reader wants to be seduced, if only for a moment, by this world of the senses. Yet, as if fraught with guilt, through the poet the human spirit aspires to a higher self. First English translation, by Maria A Costantini. Dual-language edition. Introduction, bibliography, map, glossary. 162 pages.

Ada Negri, the author of ten volumes of poetry who enjoyed an international reputation for her frank and passionate writing, had a tormented love affair with a man whose life was cut short by premature death. She translated this experience into "The Book of Mara," in essence one long poem arising from a woman's most intimate place as if in a visceral scream - a most passionate expression of love, loss and redemption. Written with unusual frankness, especially in view of Italian society of the time, "The Book of Mara," along with "Songs of the Island," is considered the high point of Negri's poetic work. Through metrical and formal execution, "The Book of Mara" demonstrates the originality of her verse, which opens up to a more personal dimension - almost prose-like. Her verse is impressionistic, almost mystical, spanned with bristling lyrics, sudden igniting bursts and visionary flashes. Negri's poetry was made by going deep inside herself, into the travail of her childhood, into the solitude and the sleeplessness around an uncertain future, into the wounds of sorrow and the misfortune that befalls each one of us. Her poems express an ardent though fruitless hope, in wait of a great love; made light by those rare moments of abandon and happiness. First English translation, by Maria A Costantini. Dual-language edition. Introduction, bibliography. 118 pages.

Due to the very old age and scarcity of this book, many of the pages may be hard to read due to the blurring of the original text, possible missing pages, missing text and other issues beyond our control.

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

Due to the very old age and scarcity of this book, many of the pages may be hard to read due to the blurring of the original text, possible missing pages, missing text and other issues beyond our control.