A notable figure in her own right, Dianne Hales is a widely published journalist and author. Her book, La Bella Lingua, placed her on the New York Times best-seller list and the President of Italy awarded her an honorary knighthood in recognition of her work. Dianne says of La Bella Lingua, “I never expected to fall madly, gladly, giddily in love with the world’s most luscious language. But fall I did. Over the last twenty-some years, Italian has become my passport into Italy’s culture, history, lifestyle, traditions—and its very soul. Italy’s language has taught me about its greatest art: the art of living.”
Her other works include Just Like a Woman, Caring for the Mind, and a leading college health textbook, An Invitation to Health. She has written for many national publications, including Family Circle, Good Housekeeping, The New York Times, and Woman’s Day.
Dianne is currently working on a new book called LA PASSIONE: How Italy Seduced the World, which will include impressions and images from her recent interview with the great-grand-daughter of Luisa Spagnoli.
L’Italo-Americano was fortunate to meet and interview Dianne.
You are a presenter at the Italian Cultural Institute’s International Women’s Day event. This seems a perfect fit. Could you elaborate on the connection.
A few years ago in Italy, I met several members of the Buitoni family, including a wonderful chef named Silvia Buitoni of Perugia. When she realized that I’m from the San Francisco area, she introduced me to her sister Viola, another fabulous chef. Both of them have told me the story of Luisa Spagnoli’s affair with their uncle (or grand-uncle, I’m not sure) Giovanni Buitoni. Silvia drove me to the home and laboratorio of the “other” Luisa Spagnoli, named for her great-grandmother and the maker of the best chocolates I’ve ever tasted.
What motivated your interest in Italy and all things Italian?
On my very first, impromptu trip to Italy more than three decades ago, I was captivated by the Italians—but unable to speak with them because the only phrase I knew was, “Mi dispiace, ma non parlo italiano.” As soon as I returned to the United States, I set out to learn Italian in every way I could find—from classes to audiotapes to flash cards. After many years, my literary agent suggested that I write about Italian “because you light up when you talk about it.” When I turned to Annamaria Lelli, the former director of San Francisco’s Italian Cultural Institute, she said, “Knowing Italian simply opens a door. Now you have to walk through it and discover our culture.” And so began a never-ending journey.
Tell us about your inspiration to write La Bella Lingua, Mona Lisa: A Life Discovered, and your newest book, La Passione: How Italy Seduced the World.
All truly stemmed from a passion—for the Italian language, for Renaissance art, and for Italian creativity and culture. When I was interviewing a former attorney who became a chef in Florence years ago, I asked how her passion for food developed. “We don’t choose our passions,” she told me. “Our passions choose us.” In each case, a passion for Italy seized me, and I couldn’t resist.
From the time of La Bella Lingua’s publication, the Italian-American community has offered tremendous support—even though I am not Italian by birth. (My friends in Italy tell me that I have acquired an Italian spirit.). My 93-year-old Dad accompanied me on part of my book tour for La Bella Lingua in 2009. One of my fondest memories is dancing with him—for the last time, as it turned out—at a Sons of Italy banquet in my hometown of Scranton, Pa.
(Click here for an Italian version of this article.)
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