A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and life

"Italy taught me to readjust my focus" - Judith Valente, The Italian Soul Today I talk with Author Judith Valente about her recent book The Italian Soul - How to Savour the Full Joys of Life.  In Judith’s introduction to The Italian Soul she writes, “I depart Italy with the same feeling: I found what I was looking for”. Judith shares not only practical advice on how to savour the daily details, but what she has learned from her ancestors and her time in Italy with friends and family. While on retreats to pilgrimage sites in search of beauty and the contemplative life, from history, the monastics, the sense of community and conviviality that is a part of the every day life in Italy - Judith shares how we can create balance in our lives when we bring some simple pleasures into the every day, wherever we are in the world. If you would like to deepen your interior life or appreciate the sacred in daily life, Judith’s book - The Italian Soul is a wonderful Invitation. Enjoy this conversation… Book - The Italian Soul by Judith Valente Visit Judith Valente [https://www.judithvalente.com/] Shownotes at MichelleJohnston.life [https://www.michellejohnston.life/episodes/episode-118] A Writer in Italy Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/awriterinitaly/] Michelle’s Books [https://www.michellejohnston.life/bookshelf] Michelle's Substack - At My Table [https://atmytable.substack.com/p/two-castles-in-italy] © 2025  A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and life Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2025 Support the show [http://michellejohnston.life]

"If you could write about anything you want to write about what would it be?".... Welcome to Episode #117: I am excited to introduce you to Janet’s Constantino’s beautiful debut fiction novel 'Becoming Mariella’. This is a deep and rich conversation about her gem of a book and writing journey. We discuss in depth Janet’s Sicilian-American heritage, navigating traditional values and family expectations.  There are many wonderful tangents in this conversation - we talk travel and Italy and how place can be a powerful magnet without really know why, yet something deep inside of us resonates with certain places.  We go on a true journey navigating her book ‘Becoming Mariella’ and our personal experiences of following our own paths and breaking free!  Get ready for a beautiful conversation with two women talking about life, writing, Italy and the journey of Becoming Mariella!  Visit Janet Constantino - Becoming Mariella [https://www.janetconstantino.com/] Instagram - Janet Constantino [https://www.instagram.com/janetconstantino2/] Find all Shownotes at  MichelleJohnston.life [https://www.michellejohnston.life/episodes/episode-117-becoming-mariella-a-sicilian-book-journey-with-janet-constantino] A Writer in Italy Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/awriterinitaly/] Michelle’s Books [https://www.michellejohnston.life/bookshelf] © 2025  A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and life Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2025 Support the show [http://michellejohnston.life]

"What we can be in control of we should be, especially when it comes to creativity" - Tracey Emin, Strozzi Gallery Florence - Documentary  This podcast share has been percolating for some time. Over the year I have found myself musing about creativity and the importance of opening up space in our busy lives to not only make beautiful things but to be available to our creativity as a way to keep steady as technological advancements continue to shift our lives in various directions.  I love that we get to have this experience and make choices along the way. Do you remember dial up Internet and how slow it was? And now we can use this incredible resource to our advantage. We can make things happen. We can be many things, all at once. It is exciting and yet, to thrive we will need to create beautiful openings in our lives to not let it undermine our ability to be creative, to be sovereign and unique as life moves us forward.  I guess this conversation is about many things. It is about the necessity of creativity and the fact that great art and writing and books are beautiful things to hold onto and to be a part of. I want to share this sense that I have, that being on a creative quest is important and vital and nourishing as the noise around us gets louder vying for our attention, that we do have our own bounty of inner resources to tap into.  Regardless, I am feeling that it is time to get creative and make beautiful things. That could be our legacy as things leap and change and grow in the coming years... Enjoy x Find all Shownotes at  MichelleJohnston.life [https://www.michellejohnston.life/episodes/episode-116-on-the-beauty-of-creative-action-in-changing-times] A Writer in Italy Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/awriterinitaly/] Michelle’s Books [https://www.michellejohnston.life/bookshelf] © 2025  A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and life Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2025 Support the show [http://michellejohnston.life]

"I adore the spirit of Rome" - Michelle Johnston, In the Shadow of a Cypress - An Italian Adventure Welcome to Episode #115: More and more I realise there is just something about Italy. This podcast is a culmination of an eventful solo journey in Italy and Paris, and the culmination of the days wandering around Italia has me feeling very open to the beauty of the day and those last precious moments in Rome… Enjoy x Find all Shownotes at  michellejohnston.life [https://www.michellejohnston.life/episodes/episode-115-a-roman-cafe-amp] My book:  In the Shadow of a Cypress - An Italian Adventure [https://www.amazon.com.au/Shadow-Cypress-Italian-Adventure-ebook/dp/B0DFL3LHPV/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1D2XT94OXVLIE&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.oG55yiWK_bSiLC48nPrkDsNWwx6pMfCGkhNZwv5BpB1Y-IouH0G0R1GzY3_QidKvbqELkQ8UiDzssYtlkdErHXGEiBrl0aV8mn2Pg4435suwOu3cC99OoEeNdtxsxQ1krbNjT4GFdDOt_Pu4odSJS0ZDz3Yd0S9W-z81rYZVg2XLWnMdD31FmerJrMvLiBcdPR8n6BAqACseEzzFkOzNvDROupdQhaqRTwhGusqYVr7mNj7AFn-e69oSQDboPcWTuLlNzKWHQUClkckSl3_quOYvp1kfIH4z5lwXH_8shfE.9xQi8L_Esh2fHK7LKyaZ309XIyB9EFgAftInlcY2vUo&dib_tag=se&keywords=in+the+shadow+of+a+cypress&qid=1727400551&sprefix=in+the+shadow+of+a+cyp%2Caps%2C279&sr=8-1] Book Link for  MichelleJohnston.life [https://www.michellejohnston.life/book-store] © 2025  A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and life Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2025 Support the show [http://michellejohnston.life]

"The brittle crust off the present fractures; my feet sink into the quicksand of antiquity" - Anthony Doerr, Four Seasons in Rome Welcome to Episode #114, A spontaneous moment sipping an Aperol Spritz sitting at a caffe/wine bar on the corner of a busy side street close to Via Nazionale has me musing over some beautiful moments in Rome, purely sunny days full of grand adventures, being lost but absolutely happy in Italy… Find all Shownotes at  michellejohnston.life [https://www.michellejohnston.life/episodes/episode-114-in-rome-lost-but-happy] My book:  In the Shadow of a Cypress - An Italian Adventure [https://www.amazon.com.au/Shadow-Cypress-Italian-Adventure-ebook/dp/B0DFL3LHPV/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1D2XT94OXVLIE&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.oG55yiWK_bSiLC48nPrkDsNWwx6pMfCGkhNZwv5BpB1Y-IouH0G0R1GzY3_QidKvbqELkQ8UiDzssYtlkdErHXGEiBrl0aV8mn2Pg4435suwOu3cC99OoEeNdtxsxQ1krbNjT4GFdDOt_Pu4odSJS0ZDz3Yd0S9W-z81rYZVg2XLWnMdD31FmerJrMvLiBcdPR8n6BAqACseEzzFkOzNvDROupdQhaqRTwhGusqYVr7mNj7AFn-e69oSQDboPcWTuLlNzKWHQUClkckSl3_quOYvp1kfIH4z5lwXH_8shfE.9xQi8L_Esh2fHK7LKyaZ309XIyB9EFgAftInlcY2vUo&dib_tag=se&keywords=in+the+shadow+of+a+cypress&qid=1727400551&sprefix=in+the+shadow+of+a+cyp%2Caps%2C279&sr=8-1] Book Link for  MichelleJohnston.life [https://www.michellejohnston.life/book-store] © 2025  A Writer In Italy - travel, books, art and life Music Composed by Richard Johnston © 2025 Support the show [http://michellejohnston.life]