Edogawa Ranpo, born Tarō Hirai on October 21, 1894, in Nabari, Japan, was a prominent writer and literary critic known for his influential contributions to the mystery genre. He passed away on July 28, 1965, which means that his works will be in the public domain in around 10 years. Edogawa is celebrated for his […]
And now for something completely different… or is it? Anyone who has followed me throughout the years knows I have a past as a role-playing games creator and that I’ve never stopped being passionate about games and videogames, alongside collaborating with game designer Gabriele Gallo in speeches and in my two main books on innovation. […]
It might be because of my background in architecture, it might be because it’s fantasy, but Italian intellectuals insist it’s not (which is hilarious when it’s not infuriating), but I’m particularly fond of Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities. Today I give you one of the cities connected with death: Eusapia. If you’re not familiar with it, […]
In a fortuitous coincidence, I was strolling through a bookshop with a friend and I stumbled across this charming tiny book by Lorenza Pieri on the life and work of Niki de Saint Phalle, and it’s extraordinary because I ad just added her Tarot Garden in Tuscany to a list of must-see places we’re drafting […]
Italo Calvino‘s collection “Italian Folktales” includes this fairytale as coming from the region of Liguria, and that makes perfect sense, as it’s a region known for its coastal landscapes and maritime culture (and the parsimony of its inhabitants, but that’s a different story). You can read the story on my Patreon.
I was down at Palazzo Reale to see the Dolce & Gabbana exhibition and I took the chance to see the free exhibition on Valerio Adami, whom I didn’t know. The Author Valerio Adami is an Italian painter renowned for his distinctive visual style that blends influences from various artistic movements, including the visuals of […]
I was very late to this exhibition, but I managed to catch it on one of the last days, and I am extremely glad I did, for it really is as beautiful as people were saying. Should you be late as I was, you still have a couple of days left to make a dash […]
I mentioned him last week in connection to the goddess of salt and you were curious, so… who was Ningishzida, “Lord of the Good Tree”, and what have snakes to do with him? Ningishzida was a Mesopotamian deity associated with vegetation, the underworld, and sometimes war, and he was frequently linked with snakes. Similar to […]
Last week, I did a selection of lectures from the digital catalogue of Autodesk University (upcoming in October), but that included just events in the “Industry Talk” categories. This week, let’s take a look at Case Studies. There’s nothing like a practical success case if it’s presented well and showcases their actual process, isn’t there? […]
“The Two Cakes” is a story from The Pentameron, or The Story of Stories by Giambattista Basile, here given in the translation by John Edward Taylor. You can also read the story on my Patreon. I have always heard say, that he who gives pleasure finds it: the bell of Manfredonia says, “Give me, I give […]