A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and life
A Writer in Italy is a personal podcast hosted by Australian author Michelle Johnston about travel, art and life in Italy. Each episode explores Italian art, design, architecture, history and food culture, alongside the books about Italy that have inspired her. Michelle shares stories from her own journeys and the regions and places that shaped them. The show is built around conversations with like-minded people who share a deep love of Italian culture.
Episodes
Italian Folklore: Rituals, Celebrations and Ancient Traditions with Gina M. Miele PhD.
"Stretta la soglia e larga la via, dite la vostra ché ho detto la mia. . .” (Narrow the threshold and broad the way. Now you tell your tale, for I have told you mine)"- Gina M. Miele, Italian Folklore, Chapter 1 - What is Italian Folk Tradition?Welcome to Episode #151:Today we gather to share a conversation about keeping the traditions of ancient Italy alive. Dr Gina M. Miele, Professor
It was Giotto’s blue, cypress lanes, ornate balconies, burnt orange walls, stone houses - My Italy
"In Italy I have fallen and dreamed and traveled on my own terms. My Italy is endless and a drop of pleasure each day"...Welcome to Episode #150:This week I am moved to share a story about my Italy and how it lives with me. I am slightly challenged by social media yet I guess fall somewhere in the middle, not one way or the other…. I was thinking about pop culture, ‘la dolce vita’ Italy
Are you an Italophile? Some signs you need to look out for....
"Italiam non sponte sequor - I am pushed toward Italy and it is beyond my control" - Virgil, AeneidWelcome to Episode #149:Today I share some of the signs and symptoms that you may be an Italophile. Someone who loves Italian culture, who enjoys everything that Italy offers and pretty much cannot get enough!Italophile: noun:a person who admires Italian customs, traditions, etc.Enjoy this
Sometimes you just have to write the book that you want to read! My Italian book Story…
"The history, art, language, beauty, colour and so much to learn, and know. I realise, Italy as a subject is bountiful, rich, alluring. Keep teaching me Italy, I want more" - Michelle Johnston, In the Shadow of a Cypress - An Italian AdventureWelcome to Episode #148:Today I share some of the background details of publishing my new print book, In the Shadow of a Cypress that is now availa
How to Discover Italy Through the Italian Language with Margherita Berti PhD.
“Learning Italian is about more than memorizing vocabulary. It is an invitation to experience a way of life” - Margherita Berti, Italian History & Culture Through LanguageGet prepared for your next Italian Journey with this wonderful book and guide - Italian History & Culture Through Language by Italian Linguistics Teacher and Podcast host Margherita Berti PhD.Today Margherita shares the r
In the Woods, with Dante
"But now my will and my desire were turned, as wheels that move in equilibrium, by love that moves the sun and other stars" - Dante Alighieri, Canto XXXIII"Welcome to Episode #146:Dante Alighieri wrote the Divine Comedy Divina Commedia over many years and completed the work late in his life. He died a few years later in Ravenna, Italy. Many find comfort in his words, “In the middle
Living the Italian Dream at home in Australia!
"There is only one way, and that is your way" - CG JungWelcome to Episode #145:This share is all about reflecting on a recent milestone of seven years of podcasting and sharing stories and conversations about this Italian Love Affair - it has been a journey of living between two worlds and cultivating a sense of meaning from my journeys to Italy and being at home in Australia. I share ho
Why Artists and Writers seek Europe, especially France & Italy!
“France had long been at the center of her philosophy. She had made France a touchstone in her writing, in which she alchemised life, love, and food in a literary genre of her own invention” - Luke Barr on MFK Fisher, Provence 1970Welcome to Episode #144:Today I share why going to Europe for art, writing, philosophy and liberation has been a necessary evolution for many artists and writers. I cont
Could our cookbooks save us right now?
"There is magic in cooking, and in cooking Italian food there is alchemy" - Old World Italian by Mimi ThorissonSince our lives contain multitudes, yes an American poet once said that, I feel to step away from the noise is to disarm the outside influences that are at times necessary and sometimes it is just kind of ridiculous. So the remedy is to open a cookbook and read a recipe and make
"Il mio maestro" and the Quintessence of Reading
"I am reading six books at once, the only way of reading: since, as you will agree, one book is merely a note to another book" - Virginia WoolfToday I share some beautiful moments while reading a few books on my table that have given much pause for thought. So I open a few on the fly and chat about the book, the author and what I Loved about the pages....Teach Us To Sit Still by Tim Park
Out on a Limb, the writer’s life….
"A soul's journey through this uniquely itchy epoch requires a far more nourishing approach" - Sarah Wilson, This One Wild and Precious Life Sometimes you cannot see the forest for the trees, but that is the writers life. It is a process. And maybe it will all work out in the end. And if it doesn’t work out, well I guess, it is not the end.Today I share some of my trials and tribula
Rothko in Florence - The Liberation of Colour
“The large paintings envelop the viewer and invite him or her in, it is an invitation to a self contained world where one can lose oneself and perhaps in the process find oneself. And for all their grandest of scale it is an intimate experience, a world unique to that particular encounter” - Christopher Rothko, Mark Rothko and the Inner WorldWelcome to Episode #140:In Italy, Mark Rothko (1903-197
On Seeking Art & Beauty and Why it Really Matters!
"Fortunately for us art and travel lovers, science has caught up with what we have felt inside, what we have experienced" - Michelle JohnstonIn more recent years the science of ‘neuro-aesthetics’ has given us much to ponder in terms of understanding the importance of art and beauty in our lives. I share my personal experience and sound research on the positive side effects that seeking a
Cucina Classica - My favourite foodie moments in Italy
"Everything had been made honestly, quickly, without frills, but as it should be. It was wholesome, life giving...We had eaten well; we felt well. As we sat in the piazza inhaling our black half inches of double espressi, I felt very happy" - Sybille Bedford, Pleasures and LandscapesWelcome to Episode #138:Today I share some gastronomic highlights from the table in Italy. Italian food ha
Why if you are stuck in life or feel unappreciated, you should just go to Italy!
"Happiness is a byproduct ultimately of being in right relationship with your own soul” - James HollisWelcome to Episode #137: There are places in Italy that are so beautiful they make you want to weep. When life occasionally does not go to plan, sometimes you just need to throw the cards in the air and do something for yourself. When circumstance and fate isn’t favoured, here and there it is
Bookshelf - Mamma Milano: Lessons from the Motherland by J.J.Martin
"Italy, you win!" - J.J Martin, Mamma MilanoWelcome to Episode #136:Today I share some inspiration from the book Mamma Milano by J.J Martin. J.J Martin is a visionary, creative and designer that lives in Milan. She moved to Italy many years ago and later started her fabulous fashion empire and lifestyle brand La Double J. Today is just some musing over this beautiful book, making a life
Milan, North Star - Il Duomo, Navigli Grande, Trams, Fashion & Aperitivo Culture & More
"In Milan, one feels at once the charm of a great city and the sweetness of Italian life" - Stendhal (Marie-Henri Beyle)Welcome to Episode #134:Today I share some fabulous things to do if you are on a budget or just a savy traveler and why Milano should not be ignored. It is one of the most charming and underrated cities in Italy and very beautiful too. So I want to share my favourite th
Milan, North Star - The Last Supper, Museums, Villas, Culture & More
"Italians strongly believe that being surrounded by beauty is beneficial to a happier life" - Riccardo IllyWelcome to Episode #135,Milan is a city of Art, Design, Architecture, Innovation and Commerce. It is full of great art and history. And a wonderful place to discover more about Italian culture. Here is Part 2 on some of the fabulous places you can visit in Milan Italy - Da Vinci’s L
Tracey Emin at The Palazzo Strozzi in Florence - A Travel Story
"All I wanted was time" - Tracey Emin, Strozzi Gallery DocumentaryWelcome to Episode #133Today I share a travel story for International Women’s Day about a glorious art and life moment in Florence from 2025. There are beautiful things that happen along the way that stay with you. I reflect on my experience and joy while walking in the Centro Storico of Florence and discovering that ther
A Travel Experience & Book Story on 'Let Them Theory'
"The let them theory is about freedom" - Mel Robbins, Let Them TheoryWelcome to Episode #132,I wanted to share this personal story of something that shifted in me in a great way to create an expansive and special experience while traveling in Italy I thought might be helpful for other people on their travel (and life) journeys, particularly if solo traveling.Enjoy this share,Michelle xBo
The Birth of Venus & Musings on Life and Art
“The meaning of the river flowing is not that all things are changing so that we cannot encounter them twice but that some things stay the same only by changing” - Heraclitus, The Cosmic FragmentsWelcome to Episode #131,Today is just some musing over art, philosophy and life while I get started on my projects for the year. Be prepared for many tangents and a casual monologue on life and Italy. As
The Tarocchi Players - Renaissance Italy and the History of the Tarot
"Around the middle of the fifteenth century, not so long after the first written references in Europe to cards of any kind, an artist named Bonifacio Bembo painted a set of unnamed and unnumbered cards for the Visconti family of Milan", Origins of Tarot, Seventy Eight Degrees of Wisdom: A Tarot Journey to Self Awareness by Rachel Pollack Welcome to Episode #130,Did you know that the root
A Small Act of Rebellion while the world goes Crazy!
"A book can never disappoint you" - Cinzia FerriWelcome to Episode #129:Just a little rumination about books and life as the new year arrives! Enjoy xThe Substack Post that inspired this podcast:A book can never disappoint you!MichelleJohnston.life for the Show-notesA Writer in Italy InstagramSubstack - At My TableMichelle’s BooksMusical Scores by Richard JohnstonA Writer in Italy is abo
What I loved about Visiting Bologna!
“Bologna was unique in championing the professions of women. The home of Europe’s oldest university, which has supported female students since the thirteenth century, the city considered women artists integral to its development” - Katy Hessel, The Story of Art Without MenWelcome to Episode #128:Bologna is one of those places that has that quintessential Italian feel. A medieval city with wonderfu
Italy - Healing for the Soul
"Live the journey as faithfully as you can" - James Hollis Welcome to Episode #127:A notebook from Bologna led me to contemplate the profound effect that Italy has had on my psyche these past few years. The journeys and the moments that have awakened a lively contemplation. I share my story of healing through the ups and downs and how Italy made everything sing. Michelle xEpisode #127
Pentimento - Artist's Lives, Reflections, Muse Italia
"I fall in love with places" - Cy TwomblyWelcome to Episode #126,While still reflecting on the life of Cy Twombly, I muse over a few artists that have been influenced by Italy (and my artistic process). There is just something about the visual beauty and the history of Italy that seems to impact many artists, writers and creatives. I go further into thoughts on the art of Cy Twombly and
Cy Twombly - Life and Art in Italy
"I am a Mediterranean painter" - Cy TwomblyWelcome to Episode #125:In 1952 Robert Rauschenberg photographed his friend and fellow artist Cy Twombly standing with a thin notebook next to Constantine’s colossal hand while on holiday in Rome. They were together on a traveling arts scholarship. They traveled extensively for months in Italy and North Africa. Five years later Cy Twombly moved
Merchants & Vagabonds - Tales from Travel in Italy
“To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world. You are surrounded by adventure. You have no idea of what is in store for you, but you will, if you are wise and know the art of travel, let yourself go on the stream of the unknown and accept whatever comes in the spirit in which the gods may offer it....." Baghdad Sketches, Freya StarkWelcome to Epi
A Story about Family & Pizza with Erica D’Arcangelo
"There's just something about sitting at a cafe, and the food, and the culture that just, it's not like anything else in the world" - Erica D'ArcangeloWelcome to Episode #123,Today I share an enriching and beautiful conversation with Erica D’Arcangelo, host of Pizza Story Podcast. So this is a tale about pizza, family, heritage and Italy. Erica’s first book was written in
Immersive Travel Experiences with Katerina Ferrara
"One summer morning, my husband, son, and I arrived by car from Sirmione and spent the day wandering through the city’s walkable center. Verona revealed itself slowly, with Roman ruins beside medieval churches, Renaissance palaces glowing in the sun, and piazzas alive with the laughter of locals. The soft pink of its buildings shimmered in the warmth, giving the city a dreamy, romantic air&qu
Two Castles in Italy
"Perhaps my vision has been somewhat romantic but who out there has not been lured by an Arcadia unlike our own? It seems it has been a thing for centuries..." - Michelle Johnston, SubstackWelcome to Episode #121:Today I share a podcast I made last month while contemplating the after glow of being in Italy and sharing new adventures writing on Substack - At My Table. I read an excerpt f
Are you a Traveler or a Tourist?
"The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind" - Anthony Bourdain, No ReservationsWelcome to Episode #120:"Be a Traveler, Not a Tourist!" - Today I explore this wonderful statement by the late Anthony Bourdain.I have b
Buying a Holiday Home in Umbria with Jaclyn Beagley
"The money was always for a dream of sorts, an Italian dream, and now it's one we get to keep living" - Jac BeagleyWelcome to Episode #119:Many of us dreaming about a home in Italy, a place to enjoy la dolce vita. The big question is, can you do it on a conservative budget and find something special? The answer is - Yes you can!Australian couple Jac and Josh Beagley spent $32,000 Eu
The Italian Soul with Judith Valente
"Italy taught me to readjust my focus" - Judith Valente, The Italian SoulWelcome to Episode #118:Today I talk with Author Judith Valente about her recent book The Italian Soul - How to Savour the Full Joys of Life. In Judith’s introduction to The Italian Soul she writes, “I depart Italy with the same feeling: I found what I was looking for”. Judith shares not only practical advice on how
Becoming Mariella, a Sicilian Book Journey with Janet Constantino
"If you could write about anything you want to write about what would it be?"....Welcome to Episode #117:I am excited to introduce you to Janet’s Constantino’s beautiful debut fiction novel 'Becoming Mariella’. This is a deep and rich conversation about her gem of a book and writing journey. We discuss in depth Janet’s Sicilian-American heritage, navigating traditional values and fa
On the Beauty & Necessity of Creative Action in Changing Times
"What we can be in control of we should be, especially when it comes to creativity" - Tracey Emin, Strozzi Gallery Florence - Documentary Welcome to Episode #116:This podcast share has been percolating for some time. Over the year I have found myself musing about creativity and the importance of opening up space in our busy lives to not only make beautiful things but to be available to o
There is just Something About Italy - from the Piazza della Repubblica, Roma
"I adore the spirit of Rome" - Michelle Johnston, In the Shadow of a Cypress - An Italian AdventureWelcome to Episode #115:More and more I realise there is just something about Italy. This podcast is a culmination of an eventful solo journey in Italy and Paris, and the culmination of the days wandering around Italia has me feeling very open to the beauty of the day and those last preciou
In Rome, Lost but Happy....
"The brittle crust off the present fractures; my feet sink into the quicksand of antiquity" - Anthony Doerr, Four Seasons in RomeWelcome to Episode #114,A spontaneous moment sipping an Aperol Spritz sitting at a caffe/wine bar on the corner of a busy side street close to Via Nazionale has me musing over some beautiful moments in Rome, purely sunny days full of grand adventures, being los
A Florentine Cafe & Musings on Women and Art in Italy
"Solitude is a place I like to go" - Tracey EminWelcome to Episode #113:Today I share some beautiful moments in Bologna and Florence while sitting at a cafe close to Mercato Centrale in the centro storico of Firenze. Exploring art and culture was at the forefront of my experience in Italy on this recent travel adventure and there is no doubt there are many moving parts on this journey of
In Venice - Somewhere between a Macchiato and a Grignolino
"Sometimes you just have to move forward and lead the way" - Michelle JohnstonWelcome to Episode #112,From the Campo Sofia between the gondole and the Strada Nova while sipping a macchiato I share some travel stories and adventures of my days in Italy, it’s full vibrant cafe life and feeling that Venetian light soaking into my skin while musing over events, places, journeys.Enjoy xFind a
In Italy…. Reflections from Lake Garda
"Now & again I am able to live expansively, to feel expansive, with nothing & no one to do it for. Then I am happy, or happier than otherwise" April 18, 1951 Patricia Highsmith, Her Diaries and NotebooksWelcome to Episode #111:This episode comes after a week of travelling solo in Italy reflecting on events and pivotal moments that led me to taking time in Italy to restore balance
In Tuscany with Nadia Fragnito
"We travel not to escape life, but for life to not escape us"Welcome to Episode #110:Italy beckons... Today Nadia and I talk travel moments and her soulful Tuscany Cooking Retreat in Tuscany this year, see links below to book yourself something special in Italy this coming November-December….Tuscan Escape with Nadia FragnitoHortulanus Villa in TuscanySupport the show
Bringing Italy Home
"Does the ever- evolving desire for beauty at home derive from a super sense of conviviality?" - Frances Mayes, A Place in the WorldWelcome to Episode #109:Some of the most delicious parts of this journey over the many years of loving Italy is the way it slowly became a part of my every day life. At home I see the art, the ceramics, the candle holders, the table ware, the cookbooks, the
Piemonte - The Secret that Needs to be Told, with Bailey Alexander
"It's about the treasure beneath our feet, it's about the land..." - Bailey AlexanderWelcome to Episode #108:Bailey Alexander lived in the region of Piemonte Italy in the small village of Loazzolo for seven years with her husband Francis. Over time the place, the land, the people, the traditions, the lifestyle, and the wonderful campilismo began to shape her life in new and cre
Tabula Rasa - Tips & Tricks to Start Writing that Book (or keep going)!
"The only joy in the world is to begin" - Cesare Pavese, This Business of LivingWelcome to Episode #107:The writing life is full of possibilities and paradoxes, yet some times you need some tips and tricks on how to move forward, how to make time, how to get past the resistance and the limitations, and just write. Living a creative life takes a little audacity, a dose of commitment and a
An Italian Farmhouse in Piemonte and a Book - 'Pinch Me' with Barbara Boyle
"It was always in my heart" - Pinch Me, Waking up in a 300-Year-Old Italian Farmhouse by Barbara BoyleWelcome to Episode #106,Barbara shares her book ‘Pinch Me - Waking up in a 300-Year-Old Italian Farmhouse’ and the tale of traveling from France to Piemonte to discover the region of the Langhe, the place she would fall in love with, buy an old farmhouse and begin a grand restoration pro
The Art of Creative Living & Life Lessons
"You actually have permission to orient your life according to your nature rather than according to your culture and what you were taught was expected of you" - Elizabeth Gilbert, Living an Imperfectly Perfect Life - In Conversation with Sarah Grynberg Welcome to Episode #105:After three days in Sydney pondering a workshop with Elizabeth Gilbert I come away with this share. It was a gift
Appetito: The life, Soul and Tastes of Italian Home Cooking with Cookbook Author Alison Ranwell
"There's an immense amount of love in Italian food, and I believe this is the key ingredient that makes it stand out from the rest: a love of good food, love for those at your table, and a love for your territory and its produce. In Italy, food is never just food. Nowadays in particular, it's so important to know what we eat and where it comes from. I found this communal passion in
In Bocca al Lupo - Celebrating over 100 Episodes
"My motive was simple and hedonistic: I was looking for beauty" - Alain de Botton, The Art of TravelWelcome to Episode #103I have mused over limoncello, Liguria, Milano and Roma, the streets of Genova and once wrote a love letter to Padova. I have revered Giotto and Botticelli and cried over Santa Chiara in Assisi. I have interviewed many beautiful women about their lives in Italy, their
Mamma Will Travel - Reflections on Solo Travel, Motherhood, Self Trust & the Creative Process
"Solitude, I reflected, is the one deep necessity of the human spirit to which adequate recognition is never given in our codes. It is looked upon as a discipline or penance, but hardly ever as indispensable, pleasant ingredient it is to ordinary life, and from this want of recognition come half of our domestic troubles" - Freya Stark, The Valleys of the Assassins and Other Persian Trave
Only in Naples, Adventures in Italy - Part 3
"The city is beautiful at night. There's a danger but also a freedom" - Erri de Luca, The Day Before HappinessWelcome to Episode #101: Today I go on another travel adventure and share some of the story of my Naples travel experience…. To say the least Italy is always an adventure, as it turns out so is my life. I reflect on our time in Naples and the magic of travel, friendship and
Paradise Found, Ischia - Adventures in Italy, Part 2
"Perhaps in Italy, surrounded by beauty and history, we shed the layers of who we think we're supposed to be and rediscover the essence of who we truly are" - Erica SimoneWelcome to Episode #100:Today on the podcast we go on a personal journey, the story of what took me to Ischia recently and what exactly I discovered there. From the Gulf of Naples we ferried over to the green islan
Roman Holiday - Italy Adventures.... Part 1
"I adore the spirit of Rome" - In the Shadow of a Cypress - An Italian Adventure Welcome to Episode #99:Today we go on an adventure in Rome… I share some travel adventures and a few details on staying in Monti, Roma. I take a few beautiful tangents telling you all about my recent time in Italy with my family, some discoveries, some funny moments, some tricky train delays and most import
My Book Journey, Primavera and Stories to Tell….
"The travel journey is always an interesting paradox. To spend time navigating, being, seeing, collecting and contemplating. And haphazardly wondering about the next step. Yet, to not get carried away, or in front of yourself that you miss the opportunity that is right under your nose. I like sitting here observing the morning pursuits, the cars zooming in and out of the piazza, the deliverie
The Next Chapter - Book Dates, Italy Adventures, An Extract of my Book “Cortona”…
"So this is it. I am thirty nine years old. I am sitting at a table in a medieval piazza with a black moleskine journal. I am sipping a glass of Chianti Classico. I stare at the menu with none other than Luca Signorelli on the cover. I like the words Gran Caffe Signorelli. Luca Signorelli was born in Cortona in 1441. He is still revered. Signorelli’s art is in many of the museums and churches
Children of the Volcano with Travel Writer and Author Ros Belford
"Time in Italy seemed less linear than it was at home, more of a space waiting to be filled with whatever delights the day might bring – exquisite miniature pastries behind the etched glass of an art nouveau window, a sliver of cantaloupe on a market-stall holder’s knife, amber and pink spritzes on a waiter’s tray, a flirty glance, a raised eyebrow, a tanned ankle in a tasselled loafer"
Strange Fruit, Italian Lessons, Dreaming of Sicily
"Perfection is static, and I am in full progress" - Anais NinWelcome to Episode #95:Today I go on a whimsical journey through my process! Reading and working on my book. The book is done! Yet, I am most keen to record an audiobook first - so here I go. It’s a journey of ruminating over recent books I have read and what is happening IRL and certainly what is on my mind! There are quotes
Rome’s Last Noble Palace, Cafe Culture and Great Writing Advice with Fiction Author Kimberly Sullivan
"Be kind to yourself and just get going, because even if you are just writing a little bit, for a few hours a week - it adds up" - Kimberly SullivanWelcome to Episode #94:Today I have a conversation with fiction writer Kimberly Sullivan and her recent novel Rome’s Last Noble Palace. Kimberly loves to weave a story that includes a contemporary and a historical perspective, in this case d
Writing our lives - A Poetic Ramble and Musings
"One's destination is never a place but a new way of looking at things" - Henry MillerWelcome to Episode #93:Today a share a meander through the creative landscape of writing and my process and the discoveries on the creative journey....Shownotes include a list of books and memoirs that have inspired me along the creative journey plus extra details from the end of the share if you w
The Flavours of Liguria with Food Writer Enrica Monzani
"Ligurian cuisine is often defined as a "poor" cuisine, of humble, rough origins because it was born in the homes of fisherman and farmers who had only simple, seasonal and low-value ingredients available. Yet, it is also sophisticated due to the expert use and skilful transformation of those few ingredients"..... Enrica MonzaniJoin me for a conversation about the beauty of Lig
Universe I Trust You - With Roberta Mussato
"You have not a right, but a duty to be happy" - Roberta MussatoWelcome to Episode #91: What a privilege it is to talk to women and share their stories. Women lead such fascinating lives. I continually notice this, the fact they continue to expand themselves, push their limits and boundaries, to grow, and not except contraction as the norm, but lean into expansion rather, living and le
The Big Leap - Solo Travel in Italy with Cookbook Author Nadia Fragnito
"We travel, initially to lose ourselves, and we travel, next to find ourselves" - Pico IyerWelcome to Episode #90:Today I have a special conversation with Nadia Fragnito from The Vegan Italian Kitchen. Nadia is here to talk about her solo travel experience and the journey of returning to Italy to research her next cookbook due out later this year. We discuss the triumphs and the pain poi
On Italy, and Following the Charm...
"Italy was more than a subject, it was a tool of resurrection and empowerment" - Michelle Johnston“Can a place be an archetype? Or pertain mythical qualities? Emily Dickinson never left her home in New England to travel, the Italy she wrote and dreamed of symbolised something else, joy, hope, freedom…. And ultimately, the most powerful of qualities, transformation. Italy was more tha
Dolce Amaro - Bitter Sweet
"You cannot lose what really belongs to you, even if you throw it away" - I-ChingHere I talk about the bitter sweet few months that have been, reflecting on life, books and events, and the books and writing adventures that happen along the way. Find all Show Notes and details mentioned at: michellejohnston.lifeYou can now Support the Podcast and send your encouragement.© 2024 A Write
In Good Company - Books I have Loved this Year!
"One will never forget the sudden transcendent quality of ordinary things, the glow of the fruit in its own leaves, the purple and green of artichokes with bushy tales, the delicacy of the sea creatures, silver, lilac - pale and coral red" - Winter in Venice, Pleasure and Landscapes by Sybille BedfordHere is some light musing over books I have loved this year and my favourite Audible lis
Allison Zurfluh and the Venice Lagoon - La Mia Arte
"Some things are here for our souls, not our interests, and every land has its pockets of wild. Let us leave then there for the birds, for the night watch, for the person who needs and longs for a creeping into invisibility"Welcome to Episode #86:This year Allison published her third book, 'Allison Zurfluh and the Venice Lagoon'. Here are pages of art and essays on her experi
Cucina Povera & the Art of Making Do with Food Writer Giulia Scarpaleggia
“Cucina Povera is not just a unique approach to cooking and ingredients; it’s the highest expression of the Italian arte delle arrangiarsi - the art of making do with what you have got" - Giulia Scarpaleggia, Cucina PoveraWelcome to Episode #85,Today a wonderful conversation with Giulia Scarpaleggia about her recent cookbook Cucina Povera: The Italian Way of Transforming Humble Ingredients in
Cookbook Author Tessa Kiros: Now & Then
"I travel and collect things that I love. Memories, tastes, colours and stories. I bring them home and make the beautiful meals I had, so we can live them all over again" - Tessa Kiros, Now & Then: A collection of recipes for alwaysWelcome to Episode #84:Tessa Kiros is here today, her most recent book is 'Now & Then: A collection of recipes for always'. This is Tes
On Living a Bigger Life
"Much testing, much reflecting, much living must intervene before we can say 'My soul is my own'" - Madonna Kolbenschlag, (from) The Spiritual Sampler by Sue Monk KiddWelcome to Episode #83,While in the middle of a big year, I reflect on what has filled my cup this year and why it all matters.On creating community, on inspired books, on writing, on keeping on with it, on the
Luca Spaghetti - Anything is Possible!
"My grandmother always used to tell me your last name is going to bring you luck. When people meet you it makes them happy and a little bit hungry too" - Luca Spaghetti, Un Amico Italiano - Eat Pray Love in RomeWelcome to Episode #82:Twenty years ago the writer Elizabeth Gilbert made the city of Rome her home for three months before visiting India and Bali. While living in Rome one o
Ms Britaly and Life in Southern Italy as an Expat
"I just knew that I had to figure it out for myself, step by step" - Claire Hearn, My Five Year Journey in Italy....Welcome to Episode #81,This week I share a conversation with Ms Britaly from Palermo in Sicily. Five years ago, Claire Hearn made the decision to change her life and move in the direction of her dreams. Claire landed in Salerno in Campania, on the Amalfi Coast and starte
The Travel Journal - how and why you should make one!
“And we are of course, each one of us, the historians of our own lives” - Hisham Matar, A Month in Siena Welcome to Episode #80;In this episode I share pages from ‘Italian Hours’ a travel journal I am in the middle of creating. I share my feelings about creativity and my artistic process on making pages happen! I also give tips on stationary, art paper and how to build the momentum one page at a
Casalvento: House of the Wind with Author and Winemaker Gudrun Cuillo
"I thought I had the perfect life in New York, but fate had something different in mind for me. I've fallen in love with this place and what it has to offer" - Casalvento: House of the Wind by Gudrun CuilloWelcome to Episode #79:About twenty five years ago, Bob and Gudrun Cuillo were looking for a place to buy in Capri Italy, not far from Benevento, near Naples where Bob had fam
Emiko Davies - Tuscan Life and Enoteca Marilu
"We will cook together, you’ll don an apron and get your hands dirty, learning about local traditions on the way. We eat and drink together, tasting wines chosen by Marco. Afterwards, in the late afternoon and evenings, you are free to go and explore or rest or catch up with family....."Welcome to the Episode #78:In this bountiful share we talk about Emiko Davies and Marco Lami’s new Ad
R is for Rome - The Writers Life with Michelle Ciani
"R is for Rome. Roma is my Lupa, the She-Wolf. She is mother and my muse" - Michelle Ciani, Letters from RomeWelcome to Episode #77: Michelle Ciani lives in Rome, Italy. Through her writing and journals, she explores place, home, identity and belonging. Rome is the muse, the portal and the inspiration behind her words and letters. Life is a quest. Some of have a sense of belongin
In Sardinia: An Unexpected Journey in Italy with Jeff Biggers
“Far from a fleeting moment in history, or a stack of stones, the open museum of Sardinia recounted a story of foundations; a story of birth and rebirth, of endurance and resilience, and re-use, and a story of rituals and cross cultural ways that had made the island the staging ground of civilizations that not only shaped its own peoples, but the rest of the Mediterranean” - Jeff Biggers, In Sardi
The Road Less Traveled - Eat Pray Love - A Book Journey
"What if you could somehow create an expansive enough life that you could synchronize seemingly incongruous opposites into a world view that excludes nothing?” - Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat Pray LoveCan a book be mythical and kind of a life time journey. Yes it can! This a story about the book Eat Pray Love and the journey I have had with this book….Welcome to Episode #75Find all Show Notes and
Italian Inspiration - An Invitation....
“And I do believe that Italy really purifies and ennobles all who visit her. She is the school as well as the playground of the world.” – E. M. ForsterWelcome to Episode #74Q.. Do you have a story you would like to share with me on Italy? I am open to a personal letter or a Voice Message that I will share or read on a special Podcast Episode or 2 on your Italy!!Possibilities…..*️⃣ Moving to Ital
Less is More, Except when it comes to Books! With Laura Botten...
"The Thing about Rome is that it always manages to give you something special" - Luca Spaghetti, Un Amico Italiano - Eat Pray Love in RomeWelcome to Episode #73:Italy seems to find its way into many people’s hearts whether it be through the world of books or the joy of a holiday experience. It is always fun to have a conversation about favourite books and discovering how Italy has playe
The Art of Devotion and the Black Madonna with Stephanie Georgieff
"The Black Madonna represents a time of direct connection. She is the spiritual connector. She is the energy behind creation. We are to bring our thinking into our heart and have this influence our deeds" - Stephanie Georgieff, The Black Madonna: Mysterious Soul CompanionWelcome to Episode #72:Stephanie Georgieff is the host of the Black Madonna Speaks Podcast. We had a most marvello
