I laughed imagining myself as a smuggler delivering “contraband booty” of cat-themed potholders. Not to sell, well, not for me, anyway. These were for a special non-profit organization. Underground, sort of, but completely legit. The Largo del Torre Argentina contains the “Area Sacra,” an expansive ruin that was built on top of the senate building where Caesar was assassinated. The top layer of ruins lay at a good 4-5 meters below the surrounding street level.
Rome, Italy Ceramics Artist Residency opportunity awaits for Diane Van Buren, later this Autumn. Diane took classes here in 2016, and is looking forward to a 5 week long creative adventure! Building upon her artistic base and growing her community in Rome, Diane is elated to embark on this new adventure.
The Forum School, Rome, Italy My head buzzed eerily as I heard the Headmaster’s words reverberate in my brain. Expelled?I walked out of his office and passed his smirking secretary…
The hub is the central, serene courtyard. Within the surrounding colonnade, students paused to socialize before classes. In the basement cafeteria area, there was a game area with pinball machines and a jukebox. One of the popular tunes I recall at that time, was the bubbly, quasi-techno instrumental “Popcorn.” I played foozball often enough to get pretty good at it.
“No one sleeps in the front bedrooms tonight.” I’ll never forget my father’s directive. It was September 1, 1971. A military coup had swept into power in Tripoli, Libya. My…
Slipping out of a stack, something flutters and lands face up.
I was ten arriving with my parents and three brothers in Tripoli, Libya, on a hot August day. The man holding our passports didn’t look at us. He wore military…
The villas in Tripoli were generally hidden behind enclosing garden walls. Built of concrete block, workers sprayed the two meter tall walls with tan or cream pigmented cement. Once in…