The Bittersweet Life

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Episode 208: DECAY Jun 04, 2018

Show notes

Rome is crumbling...just as it has been for centuries. But what does it say about us adopted Romans that we choose to live in a city's whose glory days are all in the past?

Why do so many of us, who can't even use the excuse that this is our native land, choose to live here, often at considerable financial and professional inconvenience, despite how little it has to offer us? Why do we leave in frustration only to return again and again, as if it were "more familiar, more intimately our home, than even the spot where we were born"?

The inspiration for today's episode comes from one line (albeit a very long line) from Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, The Marble Faun. (The quote in its entirety can be found here.)

It leads us to made a rather stark comparison: is living in Rome a bit like being in an abusive relationship?

Bonus: turns out ancient Romans complained about the city's traffic problems too! And apparently, Juvenal coined the term "traffic jam" back in the 1st century AD. We discuss one of his quotes, which can be found here.

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Episode 207: ARTIST (with Samuel Webster) May 28, 2018

Show notes

Katy interviews Samuel Webster, versatile artist, Australian expat in a small town in Italy, and host of Fool's Paradise podcast. They discuss what it means to be an "artist." Does adopting that title make you pretentious, or is it just an honest representation of your craft? What about if you practice numerous arts? Webster identifies as a writer, a photographer, a poet, a podcaster, and much more. But does practicing one art form take away from the others? If you qualify yourself as a photographer, what does that say about your writing degree? Beyond that, how do you go about making a living from art in a foreign country? Katy and Samuel discuss these and other fascinating topics.

Check out Samuel Webster's podcast, Fool's Paradise.

Or visit his website to learn more about his projects.

Bonus! Samuel interviewed Katy on the same day, and his episode is set to air simultaneously. So if you enjoyed this episode, be sure to check out his as well. Just click the link above.