2 G, second-born—tied in rank with a sister to whom she was subordinate until not long ago (to be honest, it was exactly the opposite, since Giuditta silently endured 2 G’s constant verbal harassment, smoking like a chimney, until one day, having reached her breaking point, she grabbed 2 G’s right thumb and twisted it a full 180°: even then it was clear what kind of future awaited her and, in any case, she got what she wanted, because the harassment stopped immediately!!!)—was born in Pescia in the year (omitted), into a family composed of five children, two parents, two grandparents, three cats, a litter of hamsters, a dog, and only one bathroom!!!
Still under the influence of her sister (the leopard never changes its spots), 2 G follows Giuditta into her university path in the Faculty of Mathematics, but after two years of analysis (algebra and geometry) she finally understands that numbers are not for her and turns to something completely different, obtaining a degree that allows her to practise as a freelance professional but which, out of respect for her professional Order, I will not reveal.
2 G makes her debut in creative writing at the age of fifteen with a series of poems bearing a slight Leopardi-like influence which, somehow, end up being published in a well-known magazine of the sector (“Confidenze”!?) Then, once her poetic inspiration runs dry, she turns to nursery rhymes, riddles, and jokes, achieving a fair level of success locally—so local, in fact, that only her sister Giuditta and her daughter Selvaggia appreciate them.
Later, the thermal baths of Montecatini become a source of inspiration. To entertain her daughter Selvaggia, who is subjected to the pestilential fumes of aerosol treatments, and while holding her nose to avoid the smell of rotten eggs, she improvises a fairy tale for each day of therapy. Fortunately, she has the decency not to submit her work to any publishing house and to keep it safely hidden in a drawer.
Scampoli… is her latest literary creation (“And let’s hope it truly is the last!!!” sincerely wishes her son Sigfrido, while her husband Giacomo prefers not to comment) and represents an instinctive act of self-defence against the fear of the coronavirus.
An excerpt from this book was a finalist in the first literary competition Ad occhi chiusi e a voce alta, organised by the association Progetto Idra APS.
The protagonist lives in an apartment building and draws inspiration from the upheaval brought about by Covid to make the most of the lockdown period: she invents songs, dances, bingo games, recipes to share from the window, and other activities in which she involves her daughter Selvaggia and the other residents. With the pandemic also comes “smart working”, and the protagonist—forced to live with her family twenty-four hours a day—analyses its advantages and disadvantages. In addition, bedridden with a leg in a cast, she imagines herself as James Stewart in Rear Window and spies shamelessly on her neighbours, fantasising about their lives. Later, when she is able to leave the house in a wheelchair, she takes advantage of her temporary disability to observe things from a different perspective.
The message conveyed by the work is that self-irony and solidarity are essential for facing life, both in times of calm and in moments of adversity.
