Tutti Matti per l'Italiano!

This was an incredibly delightful day! The Studentessa Matta Bookclub met Silvia Zucca the author of “Guida Astrologica per cuori infranti” to discuss her book that inspired the hit Netflix series of the same name! In the beginning, when I had this idea to start an Italian book club and I chose Silvia’s book, to begin with, I joked “who knew... at the end perhaps we could even meet the author!” Magical things happen when you speak Italian! Big thanks to the women who participated in the Matta Italian Book club and to Silvia Zucca for a wonderful chat and the opportunity to get to know you and talk with you about your work.

In this podcast, la studentessa matta recounts for you the legend of "la donna Bianca" the beautiful fantasma that is trapped inside a castle in Italy. Learn also what the expression "sognare ad occhi aperti" means. Read more Italian legends and learn about Italian culture in Melissa Muldoon's novels set in Italy: Dreaming Sophia, Waking Isabella, Eternally Artemisia, and The Secret Life of Sofonisba Anguissola—all novels available on Amazon in print, epub, & audio.

Transcripts in Italian and English on the www.StudentessaMatta.com website. https://www.studentessamatta.com/leggenda-donna-bianca-italian-youtube-video-legends-ghost-story-novels-set-in-italy-sognare-occhi-aperti

Caravaggio in his day was a controversial figure - both for his style but also for his personal life. Today, however, he is considered an artist who elevated the art of painting and who influenced a generation of painters. I would like to tell you about one of these painters, who is not a man, but a woman. They say that there were many "Caravaggisti" but only one "Caravaggista." Her name is - Artemisia Gentileschi.

I have always been struck by the story of Artemisia and her work. Truly she is a fascinating artist and her story is intriguing about her. Because of my interest in Artemisia I’ve written a historical novel of her life called "Eternally Artemisia." If you would like to know more about Artemisia I invite you to read the novel. It is available on Amazon in Print, Ebook and Audiobook. https://www.amazon.com/Eternally-Artemisia-loves-women-timeless/dp/0997634871

It's been a while—13 months in fact—since I last made a video in Italian! Time flies when you are busy publishing a novel, producing Audiobooks, and waiting out the pandemic. But, now after a year, as things begin to sort themselves out and travel seems possible again I thought I'd brush off my video camera and share with you some highlights of this year's upcoming Italian language immersion program in Arezzo scheduled for September 2021. I plan to move forward, and as long as we all are healthy and we have the green light for travel I will meet you in the piazzas of Lucca and Arezzo this coming September!

During the month of November 2021, every week I posted a word or an expression combined with an image on the Studentessa Matta Facebook page. In this video, with my special guest Hazel the Bull Dog I present the words of November. These are random words that I came across while reading or that I heard in movies that I found useful and worth highlighting. Improve your Italian Vocabulary with these interesting words and phrases. Visit www.StudentessaMatta.com for transcripts in Italian and English.