Conversations with Italian Writer Clara Sereni
Cibo, Scrittura e Politica: Conversazioni con Clara Sereni
By - Giovanna Miceli Jeffries and Rita Prigioni
In November 2009, Clara Sereni came to Madison, Wisconsin and Chicago, Illinois. While in Madison, Clara gave a brilliant, engaging talk at the French House on her writings: how food and cooking traverse the private and the public, the politics of food and writing, encompassing Italian literature, and Italian Cinema and politics. Giovanna Miceli Jeffries lead the dialogue and discussion with a number of pointed questions. Graduate students from the Department of Italian, adult students from the Italian Workmen's Club Italian classes, italophiles and the general public attended the event, which lasted 2 hours and was followed by an Italian "seasonal" refreshment fare, which included special biscotti made for the event by Dolci's Bakery.
During that weekend, Clara Sereni stayed at Giovanna's house, where she took a glimpse of Madison's surroundings, including some shopping. She also participated in singing a few Italian and American traditional folk songs from Tom Jeffries blues and folk collection. Her real treat, though, was to experience and appreciate a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, which was easily accommodated by Giovanna and her family and friends. The dinner started with a traditional American custom: eating the salad first! Much to Giovanna's dismay, she learned that according to Clara, it is salutary and better for the digestion. So, Giovanna takes back all her "past, ignorant comments and critical notes" about the salad position!
Then on November 16, 2009, in Chicago at the Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Clara and Giovanna presented and discussed, respectively in Italian and in English, the English translation of Sereni's most famous and read book Keeping House: A Novel in Recipes. This event took place in the Istituto's Hall, framed by artists' photos from a current exhibition, "Napoli senza tetto" (Naples without a roof/outdoor Napoli). Director Dr. Tina Cervone was the host. The presentation was followed by a book signing and an elegant and delicious reception, as well as a lively discussion with the audience. Afterwards, Clara enjoyed Chicago for two more days before she returned to Italy.
Clara Sereni, an award-winning author of many novels and non-fiction books, is considered a contemporary pioneer in the genre of food and literature. Her 1987 autobiographical novel Casalinghitudine was first published in 1987 and has been translated in English as Keeping House. A Novel in Recipes (2005). She is a prominent Italian intellectual figure as a political and social activist (former deputy-mayor of the City of Perugia, a model community of social innovations and experimentations), as a regular opinion-writer in major Italian newspapers. All her books and work are infused with Sereni’s keen observation of the social, political and cultural mutations of Italian society in the last forty years.
Online Web Album of Events
Here's a sampling of the photos from these events. View the online web album.
