The “Good, the Bad and the Ugly”

Italy's different faces. [1]

👎 The “bad and the ugly”: femicide and partner abuse in Italy

👍 The “good”: Agretti are back in season! - two delicious dressing recipes

When I started writing on Substack I was excited by a new platform where I could share candid thoughts and views on just about anything. In the ensuing years writers have piled onto the platform, many writing about beautiful Italian travel venues and food along with luscious recipes. For some reason it’s made me feel pressured to follow suit and I've moved in large part towards a newsletter more often than not about the fabulous side of Italy – the food, wine, artisans, authors, undiscovered travel destinations. 

I’d like to get back to my original goals in writing on the Substack platform and write about anything, including the other side of life in Italy - the sometimes “bad and ugly” Italy. 

If I include this other side of Italy - a realistic portrayal of Italy - will it mean I lose subscribers? Let me know your thoughts with a comment on my Substack chat.

The “bad and the ugly”: femicide and partner abuse in Italy

Yesterday, in my role as President of the American Women's Association of Rome (AWAR), two board members and I spent the morning with Elisa Ercoli, the 30 year+ Director of Differenza Donna[2]. The scope and aim of this organization is to support abused women and educate them -and all Italians - on this topic.

Our meeting with Elisa was to see how the women of AWAR can support Differenza Donna, with a particular focus on hands-on support, rather than financial support.