Christopher Castellani

"Spectacular... moving, beautifully written, and a bona fide page-turner." --Publishers Weekly, Starred Review "An extraordinary book." --Lauren Groff, author of Florida Illuminating one of the great love stories of the twentieth century - Tennessee Williams and his longtime partner Frank Merlo - Leading Men is a glittering novel of desire and ambition, set against the glamorous literary circles of 1950s Italy In July of 1953, at a glittering party thrown by Truman Capote in Portofino, Italy, Tennessee Williams and his longtime lover Frank Merlo meet Anja Blomgren, a mysteriously taciturn young Swedish beauty and aspiring actress. Their encounter will go on to alter all of their lives. Ten years later, Frank revisits the tempestuous events of that fateful summer from his deathbed in Manhattan, where he waits anxiously for Tennessee to visit him one final time. Anja, now legendary film icon Anja Bloom, lives as a recluse in the present-day U.S., until a young man connected to the events of 1953 lures her reluctantly back into the spotlight after he discovers she possesses the only surviving copy of Williams's final play. What keeps two people together and what breaks them apart? Can we save someone else if we can't save ourselves? Like The Master and The Hours, Leading Men seamlessly weaves fact and fiction to navigate the tensions between public figures and their private lives. In an ultimately heartbreaking story about the burdens of fame and the complex negotiations of life in the shadows of greatness, Castellani creates an unforgettable leading lady in Anja Bloom and reveals the hidden machinery of one of the great literary love stories of the twentieth-century.

Leading Men

Castellani examines the various ways writers have solved the crucial point-of-view problem. By unpacking the narrative strategies at play in the work of authors as different as E.M. Forster, Grace Paley, and Tayeb Salih, among many others, he offers answers to one of the most important questions faced by writiers: who tells the story?

Who Tells the Story

The Art of Perspective

One of the few remaining men in the village of Santa Cecilia during the Second World War, Vito Leone falls in love with the beautiful daughter of the town's most powerful family despite their disapproval and seeks to prove himself when Germany seizes control. Reader's Guide available. Reprint.

A Kiss from Maddalena

«Vi sfido a non innamorarvi della famiglia Grasso.» Library Journal Sono passati molti anni da quando Antonio Grasso ha sposato Maddalena e l’ha portata in America, nel Delaware. Quella è stata l’ultima volta che Maddalena ha visto i genitori, le sorelle, i fratelli, e tutto ciò che conosceva e amava nel paese di Santa Cecilia. Ha chiuso a chiave il passato, per difendere il suo cuore: adesso è concentrata solo sul presente, sulla figlia Prima, sul figlio Frankie, e poi il marito, la danza, il ristorante di famiglia, qualche lavoretto come sarta, l’amore per la cucina... Ma i dolori che le hanno distrutto l’animo sono troppo forti, anche dopo anni spingono per tornare alla luce, pretendono di risalire dagli abissi in cui lei li ha cacciati. E del resto, come può dimenticare Tony, tanto amato e perduto? Come può dimenticare Vito, il suo primo amore? E Santa Cecilia, l’Italia, i profumi, il sole e l’aria dell’unica terra in cui è stata giovane e felice? La figlia vuole riportarla a tutti i costi nel Vecchio Mondo e Frankie le dà tante preoccupazioni. Il suo Frankie, quel figlio così diverso, amante della letteratura e incapace di aprirsi, così legato alla famiglia eppure così lontano, a Boston... L’idea di Prima sconvolge profondamente i Grasso, ma il destino riserva loro un’amara sorpresa, e il loro viaggio di ritorno in patria diventerà un’improrogabile necessità. Tutto quello che pensiamo quando parliamo d’amore è una toccante storia di sacrifici e speranze, perdite e amore, miti e memoria. «Vi sfido a non innamorarvi della famiglia Grasso.» Library Journal Un’emozionante storia familiare di emigranti italiani e di legami che non si spezzano mai «Castellani sviluppa più storie e personaggi in contemporanea con grande destrezza, senza mai sbagliare tono o forzare la mano.» Boston Globe «Castellani scrive in maniera commovente e affettuosa della vita degli immigrati, delle differenze tra due culture, del perdurare dell’amore anche con il passare delle generazioni.» Kirkus Reviews Christopher Castellani Figlio di genitori italiani, è nato a Wilmington, nel Delaware. Autore di tre acclamati romanzi, è il direttore di Grub Street, una delle scuole di scrittura creativa più importanti degli Stati Uniti. Vive a Boston.

Tutto quello che pensiamo quando parliamo d'amore

In a 1953 Italian neighborhood in Delaware, Maddalena Grasso, her husband Antonio, and Guilio Fabbri live in the shadows of St. Anthony's Church, where their prayers are heard and fate and circumstances intervene to answer them in unforeseeable ways. Reprint. 30,000 first printing.

The Saint of Lost Things

The American-born daughter of an immigrant plots to bring her entire family back to Santa Cecilia, Italy, so that her grandmother can make amends with her estranged sister in this new novel from the author of A Kiss from Maddelena. Original.

A Novel

All this Talk of Love

An expansive yet intimate story of desire, artistic ambition, and fidelity, set in the glamorous literary and film circles of 1950s Italy In July of 1953, at a glittering party thrown by Truman Capote in Portofino, Italy, Tennessee Williams and his longtime lover Frank Merlo meet Anja Blomgren, a mysterious young Swedish beauty and aspiring actress. Their encounter will go on to alter all of their lives. Ten years later, Frank revisits the tempestuous events of that fateful summer from his deathbed in Manhattan, where he waits anxiously for Tennessee to visit him one final time. Anja, now legendary film icon Anja Bloom, lives as a recluse in present-day America, until a young man connected to the events of 1953 lures her reluctantly back into the spotlight after he discovers she possesses the only copy of an unknown play--Tennessee's last. What keeps two people together and what breaks them apart? Can we save someone else if we can't save ourselves? With emotional clarity and grace, Leading Men seamlessly weaves fact and fiction to navigate the tensions between public figures and their private lives. In an ultimately heartbreaking story about the burdens of fame and the complex negotiations of life in the shadows of greatness, Castellani creates an unforgettable leading lady in Anja Bloom and reveals the hidden machinery of one of the great literary love stories of the twentieth-century.

Christopher Castellani

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