In this rather different series of podcast Episodes (Series 11), I want to share with you a short novel I have written, set in Florence, Italy and inspired by its history and people and a recent working visit there. This series of podcasts is in effect, therefore, an audiobook in a change from my usual host/guest interview format.
This episode therefore introduces you to the fifth part of my novel, 'Forever in Florence', which is formed of two parallel storylines; with the stories being presented as alternate chapters, set in two different time periods, 500 years apart.
The odd numbered chapters; in this episode Chapters 25, 27, and 29; are set in the modern day and introduce you to its lead character, Isabella, who applies for a job in Florence's Academia Galleria so that she can be closer to her muse and idol Michelangelo Buonarroti and his works.
We follow Isabella's life and her loves, including her love of her home city, its food, its people, the beauty of Tuscany and her friendships, particularly with her best friend, Mia. In this and later episodes, you will also hear about her lifelong love for one particular songwriter, artist and poet who Isabella adores.
Chapter 25 Extract
"Isabella lay in bed the next morning, not quite sure what to make of the encounter with David. He had seemed just a little distant. She got that he was a bit pressured for time, they hadn’t got to the interesting stuff in the short conversations, like their mutual love of Dylan, and she wondered whether she had said something to offend him or he just wasn’t interested in her."
In parallel with Isabella's life, the second storyline involves Francesca. This story is set in the High Renaissance and follows the life of Michelangelo as he struggles with his art, his stone craft, his relationships with the church and the city and with its controlling family, the Medici. Chapters 26, 28 and 30 in this episode tell Francesca's story.
Chapter 26 Extract
"Francesca turned away from Maria, Antonio’s grandmother, to hide the tears that were now ebbing from her face. She had to pull up part of her upper garment at the waist to soak them up adequately. The poem had touched her deeply and she could feel Michelangelo’s pain and suffering in a very real sense, which made the simple poem all the more poignant."
While based on some experiences described in the literature about Michelangelo's life, this is a story of fiction and is not meant to be wholly historically accurate, so please accept it as that; a story.
If you would like to receive a free copy of the draft of the story so far, perhaps to read as you listen to the audio version, please email me at johnscottlawton@hotmail.co.uk
Spotify and other podcast platforms also have the facility to follow a word by word transcript of the podcast, available via a tab next to the 'Description' tab on laptops or desktops, or at the bottom of the podcast description on mobiles and possibly tablets, headed, 'Episode Transcript'.
For more information on this podcast series, 'John Scott Lawton's English, you know', or to make any comments or to ask any questions relating to English Language learning, please contact me at johnscottlawton@hotmail.co.uk or leave a sound bite comment on Spotify.
Please visit my LinkedIn profile at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-scott-lawton/ to view Recommendations regarding my English Language teaching and Executive Coaching Services (towards the bottom of my profile page).
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