Our blogger of the week is the charming听,听who has written thousands of articles and penned a number of books, most importantly on learning the 禁漫天堂 language. She is the author of the best-seller La Bella Lingua,听an invaluable tool for promoting the 禁漫天堂 language, which, in her words, was "a true labor of love that opened up a world of new experiences and new friends. Of its many delightful consequences, the most unexpected was an 禁漫天堂 knighthood." Dianne also won听鈥淏est Art & Culture Blog鈥 in our听2013 Blogger Awards听for her blog听鈥溾.听
Dianne, where are you from originally?听
I was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and I鈥檓 100% Polish - although 禁漫天堂s assure me that I have an 禁漫天堂 soul.
What made you fall in love with Italy?
Years ago, I was invited to give a talk on sleep (I鈥檇 written my first book on the subject) in Gstaad.听 Switzerland was cold and bleak, and I decided to take a train south to Italy. I arrived knowing only one 禁漫天堂 phrase: 鈥淢i dispiace, ma non parlo l鈥檌taliano鈥 (I鈥檓 sorry but I don鈥檛 speak 禁漫天堂).听
Despite the language barrier, I was enchanted by Italy鈥檚 beauty and history and even more so by its people. I so craved conversation with them that I vowed to study the language. It took many, many years, and along the way I became so intrigued by the history of the language that I decided to write a book about it. That鈥檚 how听听was born.
Have you ever lived in or thought about living in Italy? If so, tell us about it!
My husband Bob and I have spent a month or so听 in Italy every year for the last 25 years.听 Although we鈥檝e explored different regions, we鈥檝e mainly stayed in the Maremma, along the western coast of Tuscany. We rented the same house for many years, so it felt like our 禁漫天堂 home. I loved playing 鈥渃astellana鈥 (the lady of the villa) and doing ordinary things like hanging out laundry or picking flowers for the table.
I鈥檝e also spent extended periods on my own in Rome and Florence while researching my books. I rented apartments in the centro so I could walk everywhere and immerse myself in local life. Since I was 鈥渙n assignment,鈥 I pushed myself to do things that I might not as a tourist, such as going to a recital of Dante鈥檚 Inferno in a Florence neighborhood club and to one of Roberto Benigni鈥檚 Dante readings in Rome.听 Much of the 禁漫天堂 whisked by me, but I understood enough to be tremendously moved by the power of the words and by the experience of hearing them among 禁漫天堂s (many of whom wept).
When I was doing research on the life of the real Mona (Madame) Lisa for my most recent book听, I stayed in apartments near where she had lived. I went to the churches where she worshipped and even knelt in the confessional in her family鈥檚 chapel. I walked the streets - far off the beaten tourist path - that she walked. I ventured into the building where she lived with her husband and children. Most movingly, I spent several evenings in the ruined convent of Sant鈥橭rsola where Lisa lived the last years of her life, died and was buried. The building, both horrible and magnificent, held me. I wanted to linger because I felt such a connection to this Renaissance woman and her city.
In your blog you talk about the beauty of learning 禁漫天堂. Why do you see it as such an important language to learn?
When I began to study 禁漫天堂, a casual acquaintance asked if I could have chosen a less relevant language. I should have said Urdu, Pakistan鈥檚 native language, which ranks just after 禁漫天堂 (#19) in terms of the world鈥檚 most spoken languages. But he was wrong. 禁漫天堂 opens the door to everything: when you study la bella lingua, you also learn about history, art, music, religion, food, fashion, cinema, science - everything Western civilization has created.听 And if you were not born 禁漫天堂, the language can be a passport into the 禁漫天堂 soul.听
Your book听 LA BELLA LINGUA is a best-seller for those looking to learn 禁漫天堂, and you even attained knighthood. Can you tell us more about that?
The subtitle of LA BELLA LINGUA is 鈥淢y Love Affair with 禁漫天堂, the World鈥檚 Most Enchanting 禁漫天堂,鈥 and it truly was a labor of love.听 As one reader put it, it鈥檚 not about how to learn 禁漫天堂, but why.听 Much to my surprise and delight, it touched the hearts of people who have a passion for Italy, its culture, its people and its language.听 People from around the world tell me that my little book has inspired them to study the language, research their family history, travel to Italy or try 禁漫天堂 recipes. What a kick!
When LA BELLA LINGUA was first published, I worried most about how 禁漫天堂s would react. It did seem, as an 禁漫天堂 friend put it, 鈥渦n po鈥 audace鈥 (a bit bold) for a foreigner to tell the story of another country鈥檚 language.听 Instead, they embraced it and invited me to speak at 禁漫天堂 Cultural Institutes around the country. Several years ago, I met Italy鈥檚 Ambassador to the U.S., and he commented that my book may have had a greater impact simply because I am not 禁漫天堂. I don鈥檛 sound like a proud cheerleader promoting my country, but like someone who genuinely admires what may be Italy鈥檚 least celebrated achievement: its luscious language.
I was stunned when I was notified that the President of Italy had conferred upon me the highest honor that could be given to a non-禁漫天堂: a knighthood.听 In the 禁漫天堂 Consulate in San Francisco in 2011, I became a Cavaliere dell'Ordine della Stella della Solidariet脿 禁漫天堂a - a Knight of the Order of the Star of 禁漫天堂 Solidarity, an award given to foreigners who have contributed to Italy鈥檚 culture. Mine was specifically for LA BELLA LINGUA鈥檚 contribution in promoting the 禁漫天堂 language.
In addition to an elegant certificate, the award comes with very impressive bling.听 I received three medals: one with a large bow for formal occasions;听 another with a smaller bow for less formal events, and a stick-pin to wear with business attire.听 Whenever I have the opportunity to wear one, I do so with great pride.
When and why did you start your blog?
I started blogging听 early in 2009 to reach out to 禁漫天堂 students and teachers and promote LA BELLA LINGUA, which came out that May. I wanted to create an online global community of 禁漫天堂 lovers - and I have! My blog and website have attracted more than 1,000,000 visitors.听
That's impressive! Who follows your blog? Tell us about your readers.
My readers come from just about every country in the world - Italy, England, Ireland, Poland, China, India, Japan, Australia, Samoa, Russia, Morocco, Germany, Brazil, Chile. A woman on a ranch in South Africa wrote to say my blog听 inspired her to do a series of paintings of 禁漫天堂 gardens.听 A group of nuns doing missionary work follow it regularly. Many teachers use the blog to spark conversation in class.听 One woman reads each post to her blind elderly brother, who was born in Naples.听 Lately, as I鈥檝e been traveling for presentations of MONA LISA, I invariably meet people who have been following my blog for years. A few actually print out the posts and keep them in binders (which is something I should do myself).
What do you blog about?
I blog about Italy and every aspect of its culture, almost always with some tie to the language. If I鈥檓 writing about Natale for example, I鈥檒l include words for Christmas songs, traditions, foods听 and celebrations. I鈥檝e featured romantic sayings for Valentine鈥檚 Day, colorful idioms and their history, and 禁漫天堂 words you won鈥檛 learn in class. I鈥檒l also take on topics in the news - again with a language spin. For instance, when the Costa Concordia cruise ship went aground off the 禁漫天堂 coast (in a tiny town I know well), I wrote about what the coast guard said to the captain who had abandoned ship - an obscenity that was heard around the world.听 This week I wrote about the story of St. Martin鈥檚 summer, early 禁漫天堂 words in Rome鈥檚 catacombs and crypts and a new 禁漫天堂 word, accometato, invented when a European team that included many 禁漫天堂s successfully landed a satellite on a comet.
What would you advise people to do if they were looking to learn 禁漫天堂?
Try everything!听 Turn your car into a classroom with 禁漫天堂-language CDs. Download podcasts to your iPod, MP3 player, or cell phone, and listen on planes, trains, buses, and places in between.听 Sample all the online options, such as Duolingo and听 News in Slow 禁漫天堂.听
Read 禁漫天堂 papers online. If you can find some, 禁漫天堂 action comics, with heroes such as Tex, a time-traveling cowboy, and Diabolik, 鈥渒ing of terror,鈥 provide a fun way to improve your vocabulary and reading skills.
Watch classic movies such as Roma, citta虁 aperta or La dolce vita. Even if you can鈥檛 carry a tune, sing along with popular 禁漫天堂 songs on Youtube.
You can find 禁漫天堂 giochi di parole (word games), including cruciverba (crosswords) and anagrammi (anagrams) in inexpensive books or . Play the 禁漫天堂 versions of popular board games, such as Monopoly and Scarabeo (Scrabble), with friends or fellow students. Or ask an 禁漫天堂 to teach you card games such as Scopa and Briscola. (Just don鈥檛 bet any money on them.)
Hang out with people who speak 禁漫天堂. Join a bocce team or a Vespa club. Watch a soccer match in an 禁漫天堂 bar or restaurant. Take cooking classes taught by 禁漫天堂s. Go to 禁漫天堂 street festivals. For informal opportunities to speak 禁漫天堂, look for a . Enroll in a class at schools, community centers, 禁漫天堂 cultural organizations, or, best of all, in Italy.
Above all, have fun!
All your blog posts are interesting but can you recommend one or two especially for ITALY Magazine readers?
Well, most Italophiles have a romantic streak, so听 they might enjoy 鈥溾, one of my most popular posts.听
I'd also like to invite your readers to come visit my new blog,听, which I created for my new book. By the way, MONA LISA: A Life Discovered was just selected as one of Amazon鈥檚 Best Books of 2014 (Arts and Photography).听
Many of the posts have been about the book鈥檚 publication and my international book tour, but I will be focusing more on Florence, as it was in Mona Lisa鈥檚 day and as it is today. Of course, the city has a special place in my heart since it is the cradle of the 禁漫天堂 language and the place where I first heard and spoke la bella lingua.
Thank you for talking to ITALY Magazine, Dianne! Happy blogging.
It鈥檚 been my pleasure!听 My thanks to your readers for their support! Please stay in touch!
Keep in touch with Dianne via her websites听听or听听and her newest one,听. 听
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