"All this he saw, for one moment breathless and intense, vivid on the morning sky; and still, as he looked, he lived; and still, as he lived, he wondered."

― Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

Licantropies

February 14, 2026

I love books from this publisher: they mostly curate publications of Gothic fiction coming from the public domain, but they’re splendidly curated, translated with love, and assembled in lovely products. They’ll let you discover and rediscover gems at the very heart of our contemporary horror sensibilities.

In reading this collection, for instance, you’ll confirm that main characters in spooky stories always had one thing in common throughout the ages, down to our modern horror films: they always make stupid-ass decisions.

This collection of stories is centred on werewolves, as you might have guessed, and it’s made of three parts:

short stories by authors that are either well-known (George MacDonald, Robert E. Howard, H.H. Munro better known as Saki, Felix Claire) or with whom you might be less acquainted;
legends that look at Europe and beyond, including gems such as the ones by Tanaka Kōtarō, René Basset and Horacio Quiroga;
historical documents featuring supposed sightings, trials, hunts, clinic observation).

They’re a delight, from start to end, though sometimes you’ll find yourself wondering “what the hell did I just read?” or, better still, shouting at the pages “run, you fucking idiot, run!”

I guess horror, just like war, never changes.

art and fashion

Metafisica / Metafisiche

What a splendid exhibition! I was expecting your regular, run-of-the-mill show at Palazzo Reale, which is usually good enough, but I was surprised at the depth and width of this new endeavour, that spans across the city with multiple initiatives and, even within the show

March 15, 2026 9:00 am

books and literature

Isaac Asimov’s “Fantasy” collection

I take issue with this volume, and not because they’re short stories and you’re bound to like some more than the others: they’re all delightful, with very few and negligible exceptions. No, my problem is curatorial: I take issue that instead of grouping all the

March 14, 2026 9:00 am

note to self

Comunicazione 101

Cara Trenitalia, Quando ero ragazza, ogni tanto mi capitava di prendere il treno da Milano a Tirano, per raggiungere i miei genitori in vacanza sul lago. È un viaggio verso nord, attraverso la Brianza Felix, che molto presto trasforma la campagna in una collina boscosa

March 13, 2026 12:27 pm