Period Blood Looks Different

Novels # 25: Oh, America


E' sempre interessante leggere della New York di cinquant'anni fa con gli occhi di qualcuno che viene dal nostro Paese. E lo è ancora di più se lo sguardo non è quello del solito emigrante con la valigia di cartone che fa fortuna ma quello di una venticinquenne fiorentina, colta, snob quanto basta, sposa di guerra a un bel maggiore dell'esercito americano.
Oh, America is the story, true, true romance, author, Marcella Olschki (1921-2001) who arrived on the docks of the port of New York on board five hundred and sixty Vulcania along with other "colleagues" will notice that the officer smile by opened married in Florence is a different man, moody and shadowy, transformed by psychoanalysis that are submitted by veterans of the conflict to the point that the relationship between the two perish almost immediately.
Within a few days, the dream city is transformed into a dark place for Marcella: "I looked at the skyscrapers that rents rose in front of me. During the day they were indifferent and impassive, but the night, I saw all those lights go out one by one until the morning they were still a few on, taking terrrificanti aspects, the windows seemed to me grinning niches waiting to swallow the dead. "
Yet this girl, slender in body and soul strong, hides the sad evolution of events to his family and resists impact and misfortunes. Among his luggage was not just clothes, linens and jewelry, but also the culture, interest in jazz, experience and passion conductive RadioFirenze for fashion that will find work as vendeuse from Bergdorf Goodman on 59th : "Among the things that fascinated me in New York was the very high level of sophistication and taste of the big department stores ... nothing was improvised in America, everyone should be in their field, technicians, even those who did fashion and also the slides ... imagination coupled with professional competence gave amazing results. " And so, between small and big problems is captured by the city, slowly seduces her and beef.
Marcella is immersed in New York and sometimes in spite of the lives.
fleeting encounter the likes of a young Mike Bongiorno, a scowling Marlon Brando, an ethereal Greta Garbo. almost casual dating as we meet the old high-school prof at the supermarket. But, you know, we're in New York.
Oh, America is the story a year and a half in New York and the U.S., a year and a half more intense throughout the long life of the Florentine writer and journalist, told with grace and attention and lived with courage, the courage with which Italy In those years he tried to stand up after the war, Italy where everything was difficult and where Marcella, loyal, strong fall of his experiences.
Oh, America , Marcella Olschki, Publisher Sellerio, 1996