A Story of a Blessing and a Curse

A Story of a Blessing and a Curse

Jan 18, 2019 | Family - Travel

I have the rather dubious distinction of having been both thrown out of the Vatican, and blessed by the Pope. Though not on the same day. The Vatican Incident (a good Robert Ludlum title) happened while I was on a semester abroad with Eastern Michigan University’s...

Coffee with the Count, 12 Years Later

Jun 2, 2014 | Travel

After the huge event at the Castelvecchio and the excitement of the Torino Book Fair, Jan and I were looking forward to a day to ourselves. On Sunday we took a mid-day train back to Verona, then Jan cooked a dinner for our hostess, Joyce, and Anna and Antonio. She...

Torino Book Fair

May 17, 2014 | Publishing - Travel

The day after presenting at the Castelvecchio, Jan and I took an early train to Torino for the International Book Fair. Nearly half a million people flock to the convention center in Torino each year, and my publisher La Corte Editore had a large stall just around the...

Next week!

May 1, 2014 | Travel

I'm slowly allowing myself to get excited for the trip to Verona next week. I've had my head down, trying to finish projects or at least get them to a good holding place so that I can disappear for a week and just revel in the fun of travel and friends, old...

Oh, Verona!

Mar 10, 2014 | Books - Shakespeare - The Novel - Travel

Below is the letter I penned for the mayor of Verona, proposing the trip I'm making in May of this year. They responded immediately, which was a testament more to the hard work of Italian filmmaker Anna Lelario and her husband Antonio, who have spent the last year...