Ciao from Italy!

Books, pasta, and vintage shopping, allora!

Ciao, ragazzi!

I’m writing to you from Italy—my first trip here since I was in my twenties, and my first visit to Milan. I am delighted to report that Italians still smoke, drink, talk with their hands, make-out in public parks, and otherwise remain the very best people in the whole world.

My view of Parco Palestro, where I observed many good-looking people. Also, birds.

I wrote to my friend Andrew Sean Greer, a sometime Milan resident, and asked him what I should eat/drink/do. Understanding the assignment with the precision of a brain surgeon, Andy sent me to the best consignment shops in the city. Behold my MAGNIFICENT purchase, a Pleats Please ensemble that I am never taking off my body. Andy! To think I could have lived without this all my days! I shudder to imagine.

My main worry about this trip was that I was going to cry every time someone asked me about my book, because in asking about my book, they would also be asking about my dad, etc. It turns out that I only cried the first time, and it was because I was talking to these two gorgeous sisters, Giada and Alice, who my publisher described as ‘the Reese Witherspoons of Italy.’ Our conversation was so intimate and wonderful. They have a book club, Heloola, and you should sign up if you live in Italy. I loved them.

I had an event at Verso, a very cool bookstore. All book events should come with an endless supply of Negronis and Aperol Spritzes. I considered ordering the drink but then did not. Maybe tonight.

It was, I am delighted to tell you, FULL. More full than this, even! Packed to the gills. Mille grazie to Neri Pozza, my publisher, for coming out in full force, and doing such a wonderful job. And yes, those are my best friends Alice and Giada again.

A few of my booksellers claim to want a coffee bar, but how about this—we take a page from these wonderful Verso booksellers and have a Negroni sbagliatio bar instead?

You may ask yourself—does Emma speak perfect Italian? Alas, I do not. Thank god for my new friend Chiara, who has been translating all my interviews. She is the chicest person I’ve ever met, but as you can see above, we’ve been having a terrible time, as I find her too intimidating to speak.

Here is a page of her notes. Is this not the coolest thing you’ve ever seen?

Sabine, another impossibly chic member of the Neri Pozza team and a semi-professional windsurfer, me, a copy of the book, my new outfit, all on a date to….another consignment store.

My friend Leonardo took my photo, so I took his. He also took Elizabeth Strout’s photo. Do you think she was wearing a stained t-shirt promoting her own novel in her photo, too? Probably not. Should I have changed into my favorite outfit before getting my picture taken? Yes. I blame it on the jet lag.

And finally, pasta.

On a train to Rome now, more soon, arrivederci!