Read Marsha Burdick

I changed the URL for my Italian language blog  A Spasso sul Mare  so that it would be easier to find. I'll be giving up the old URL at the end of the month. There's also a new post up on Walking on Water  - finally! Let me know what you think.

I finished the book Il Tempio della Luce  by Daniela Piazza, written in Italian and published in 2012. It's a historical novel set in 15th century Milan about a group of priests overseeing a period of the cathedral's construction and raising a young boy who was the secret heir of the late Duke of Milan. The author weaves fictional characters and real people into a semi-fictional account of an assassination that actually took place. I really enjoyed the historical descriptions because I know a lot about Milan. I found the plot to contain a lot of cruelty and violence, which unfortunately is not wrong for the time period. In the 15th century, women and children were not seen as people. Orphans were left in the middle of the streets to become beggars, and young girls were married off or sent to convents or brothels. Rulers really were ruthless (if you don't believe me, click here ) and the Inquisition is a blight on the history of the church. In this book, the priests are ...

I haven't been able to find a lot of Italian blogs about faith, so I started my own. I plan to translate the articles for the English language blog I started two years ago. Up to now, I've kept my blogging to myself and a few close friends, probably just to get comfortable with the idea of people actually reading what I write. That shouldn't sound weird, but it does. A writer should want people to read her stuff, but I find it painful at times. The idea that someone could find fault with my writing just makes my stomach churn, but the flip side of that is even stronger. What if someone actually likes it? In the end, deciding to go public is giving into the idea that my ideas are not just for me. We live in a community, and no one is supposed to go it alone. Ideas are to be shared. That's why we read. Drop by if you can read Italian: A Spasso sul Mare If you prefer English, the same article was posted here:  Walking on Water

It's time to go to camp. Now, what will I work on? I have a distraction (called a "day job") that has prevented me from reaching my word count in previous editions. Maybe this year, I'll have it licked. I just have to find the right notebook. Years ago, I had an idea for a novel that I would like to read. All writers want to write the sort of books we love to read, of course. In fact, I have already scribbled several pages on it. I just need to find the notebook. It's blue with a plastic cover and spiral binding. I even remember that it was college-ruled paper. (Oh so annoying because I love to scrawl all over the place!) It's in a box someplace with other stuff that didn't need to be urgently unpacked after my move last year. If I can find it, I will just type it in and start with a decent word count. Heck, I might even be able to finish the darn thing! So now you know I'm planning to work on a novel. Maybe you'll get curious enough to f...