Posts by Kimberly Sullivan
Hemingway’s take on life’s not fair, get over it
“The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places.” -Ernest Hemingway I grew up reading Ernest Hemingway, and devoured most of his works in my younger years, but I couldn’t say he was ever a favorite author of mine. Yet, in this odd age of “Words are violence!” and a quest…
Read MoreBarbarians (and kids) at the gate
The Aurelian Walls of Ancient Rome are still in remarkably good condition in today’s Rome. It isn’t called the Eternal City for nothing. Built between 270- 275 AD under Emperor Aurelius, the Aurelian Walls eventually reached 19 kilometers of defensive walls guarded by Roman soldiers who were vigilalant in ensuring the Barbarians were not capable…
Read MoreBook Review: Grown Ups
Irish author Marian Keyes always delivers interesting characters, and her latest novel, Grown Ups, doesn’t disappoint. The novel unfolds in Dublin, and on various holiday locales around Ireland – and one further afield in Tuscany, Italy. We’re introduced rather quickly to a large cast of characters. The Casey brothers – Johnny, Ed and Liam –…
Read MoreBack for more olive ascolane (& finally sunshine) in Ascoli Piceno
I’ve already written about the quest my son and I fulfilled, journeying to a deserted, rainy, lockdown-mode Ascoli Piceno in search of the local specialty: olive ascolane (stuffed olives). Luckily, a second race took us once again to the Marche, and this time we were able to stop by on a sunny day free from…
Read MoreBook review: All the Lonely People
I so enjoyed reading my first Mike Gayle novel, Half A World Away, earlier this year that I decided to also read his newest, All the Lonely People. It didn’t disappoint. This story opens as we observe a grumpy, old man, Hubert Bird, speaking from his London home with his daughter who works in Australia.…
Read MoreA taste of (artistic & culinary) Austria at New York’s Neue Galerie
I spent a year living in Vienna, and have been to visit countless times, so it’s no surprise that I would seek out New York’s Neue Galerie museum for a little taste (both artistic & culinary) of Mitteleuropa in the Big Apple. This Upper East Side museum, with its collection of Austrian and German art,…
Read MoreBook review: Love Stories for Hectic People
I have written past posts about Australian-author-transplanted-to-Italy Catherine McNamara’s fiction, whether it be her debut novel, her short story collection, Pelt or her Rome reading from her latest short story collection, The Cartography of Others. So I was thrilled when I learned that she’d branched out into flash fiction, and that her latest collection of…
Read MoreSweeping port views from Ancona’s San Ciriaco Cathedral
If you’re in the Adriatic port city of Ancona, you can’t miss the San Ciriaco Cathedral, perched at a stunning outpost on the Guasco Hill. It is clearly visible from its position at the edge of town, and sports sweeping views over the bustling port traffic and the Gulf beyond. It’s a hearty hike up…
Read MoreWriters take heart – even John Steinbeck was intimidated by the blank page
“After many years, to start a story still scares me to death.” —John Steinbeck If it can happen to John Steinbeck, it can happen to anyone. Who can believe that the famed American author (1902 – 1968) of such classics as The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, East of Eden and The Pearl…
Read MoreHanging out in Columbus’ trendy Short North district
Last week I wrote about Columbus, Ohio’s pleasant Scioto River walkway, This week, I would like to focus on the trendy neighborhood of Short North, where we were staying during our visit. Once again, a quiet COVID environment gave us a much different view of what would usually be a more colorful and active area.…
Read More