What incomparable joy – to be at Civitella for six weeks. To have rosemary growing on the doorstep, to see the hills and yellow autumn trees outside the window, walk companionably in the evenings, share food, experience, fierce discussions and humour around the...
I’ve spent the past 30 years as a working artist, widely publishing comics, cartoons and graphic fiction in leading publications. But necessity has compelled me for many of these years to balance a very active artistic life with a fairly stressful, professional life...
As I waited for the bus I watchedthe tides of linden tree seedssplashing on the pavement after a flightof a few feet: they won’t take root,car tires will crush themin a fine powder that the earthwill swallow with September’s rains.I was stupefied by their wits, by...
The most valuable aspect of my stay here at Civitella was uninterrupted time. It meant that I could start writing whenever I wanted in the morning. I could break for tea when I needed to. I could go for a walk and come back with a brilliant breakthrough to a...
Dana advised us when we arrived (I quote from imperfect memory): “Don’t be too hard on yourselves. You’re all workaholics, otherwise you wouldn’t be here; so permit yourself some freedom.” In the weeks to come I was grateful for this advice, for I think it’s...
