Note: What follows is a work of fiction. While the characters in the story- including I, Pier, the narrator- are inspired by real life, their existence is bounded by the of the limits of the …
UW in Bologna
On the Way to Firenze
Peter Kane Every Italian paesino has a church, a cemetery and a café. We passed through many that were little more than a quiet road with a couple old buildings sagging in the sun. The …
The Beginning of the End
By mid-June in Bologna the air is hot and stagnant. The heat hangs low in the porticoes and by midday it feels too hot to go outside. Italians walk even slower to keep from sweating …
Bella, Act 2
Note: What follows is a work of fiction. While the characters in the story- including I, Pier, the narrator- are inspired by real life, their existence remains limited to the confines of the author’s imagination. …
Hungry for More
I spent the week of Easter with Giovanni’s family in Pescara. His parents live up the street from his grandma and his cousins are around the corner. He’s got an uncle with a restaurant on …
Bella, Act 1
Note: what follows is a work of fiction. While the characters in the story -including I, Pier, the narrator- are inspired by real life, their existence remains limited to the confines of the story. When …
Hamerica’s
It was 1am and we had closed an hour ago but still the dining room was full of customers, sitting and talking like they had no plans to leave. My coworkers were tired. It was …
Wide Awake in Wisconsin
I walked into The Double U on my own. I’d been home for a few days but hadn’t told anyone I was coming to Madison. The bouncer eyed my ID with some misplaced sense of …
The End of the Beginning
By mid-December in Bologna the air is grey and wet and cold. The humid wind digs into my bones and I cannot escape the chill of the coming winter. The rain turned cold and falls …
Old Venezia
I was in Venice trying to find the train station. It was getting dark and I was lost in the narrow streets that bend and twist over skinny canals. Walking through the old downtown feels …