I’m back at one of my favourite cafès in Sorrento, located in the garden surrounding the house of the poet Saltovar. The lemon and olive trees are lush, and the place is quieter than usual. It makes me feel something in between a tourist in my own town and an apocalypse survivor.
As a creature of habit and a relentless planner, I can now see how my routines have been completely shaken. While am probably less productive, I have also found myself more patient, grounded and rooted in the present moment.
I have learned to roll with the unexpected, whether it’s joining an impromptu expedition to the blue grotto, a Pasolinian walk on the stinky shores of the Sarno River, or a one hour detour coming home from Positano.
And speaking of the magical town of Positano, this month I want to share with you some new pages from my comic book series “Fronn ‘e Limon.” If you have followed past iteration of Fronn (whether on the blog Positano MyLife, or on my instagram), you’ll be familiar with the character of Mistral.
He is the personification of the wind mistral and the lover of the
lemon-picker Fronn. The character makes his comeback here, taking you on
an aerial view of the Amalfi Coast.
Finally, an update on the new graphic novel I have been working on since
April, called “Virgin of the Rocks, Virgin of the Sand” – the new
episode of Desire For Victory.
I’m a few pages (and cleaning up, and lettering, and pagination) away to finishing the work. The making of this comic book and the research has been the best chance to get to know my roots, both in terms of my family history and the recent history of my own country. It has led me to delve deeper into the work of amazing authors writing about that time, like Goliarda Sapienza or Elsa Morante, and get more and more serious about watercolours as a medium.
But most of all, it has brought a newfound harmony to my spirit, grounding it in this endless flowing.
And that’s where I want to be.
Red Naima
I’m a few pages (and cleaning up, and lettering, and pagination) away to finishing the work. The making of this comic book and the research has been the best chance to get to know my roots, both in terms of my family history and the recent history of my own country. It has led me to delve deeper into the work of amazing authors writing about that time, like Goliarda Sapienza or Elsa Morante, and get more and more serious about watercolours as a medium.
But most of all, it has brought a newfound harmony to my spirit, grounding it in this endless flowing.
And that’s where I want to be.
Red Naima
