More good ink to look forward to 


"Eric Scigliano's book on Michelangelo is vivid, erudite, and highly readable--a fresh take brilliantly executed." —Robin Brooks, author of The Portland Vase  
"Just as Michelangelo wrested works of genius from the grip of the stone that possessed him, Eric Scigliano, with a Cararrese quarryman's blood running through his veins, has chipped away at the remarkable history of man's two thousand year obsession with the white mountain.  His easy, almost conversational tone belies the comprehensively researched chronicle he narrates with erudition and wit." —David Tripp, author of Illegal Tender  
"From the Medici to Henry Moore, from Rome to the Renaissance, to the modern quarry workers of Carrara, Eric Scigliano weaves a compelling narrative of marble, its mountains, and its greatest master and apprentice, Michelangelo Buonarroti." —William E. Wallace, Professor of Art History at Washington University and author of Michelangelo: The Complete Sculpture, Painting, and Architecture 
“Eric Scigliano works magic—in Michelangelo's Mountain he brings cold stone to brilliant, captivating life. With the tenacity of an investigative reporter, the deep knowledge of a cultural historian, and the infectious attitude of a bon vivant traveler, Scigliano prowls the Italian countryside uncovering the mystery of the marble that inspired Michelangelo's greatest masterpieces. You must listen to the stone, the master marble cutters of Carrara say, and in Scigliano's hands the stone yields an enchanting tale. Bravo!"        —Bruce Barcott, author of The Measure of a Mountain  

An advance peek at Eric Scigliano's next book

After entertaining foreign visitors throughout August (my wife's family from Japan) and enjoying the spectacular cold bug they brought with them (horizontal on couch for four days) I'm back at my desk and there's lots to catch up on. This season I've had the good fortune to get notice of two books in advance of publication, this one by Eric Scigliano, who spent some time in Italy exploring and researching what looks to be an engaging book about his ancestral homeland, Carrara. Stay tuned for more, Eric's book release party is coming up in a few days, I hope to attend.



 
Early praise for Michelangelo’s Mountain 
"This is a terrific book, original in conception and exhilarating in its range and sweep. Eric Scigliano effortlessly marries the vibrant and tumultuous world of quattrocento and cinquecento Tuscan politics, philosophy, and art to his own 21st century travels in the region. Whether sketching a landscape, exploring the geology of marble, following Michelangelo from commission to commission, waxing lyrical on the curing of pork fat, or talking stonemasonry to elderly quarrymen in a Carrara bar, Scigliano is a deft, eloquent writer; the connections he makes are always surprising and often revelatory. His Michelangelo emerges as a man as much of our time and place as of his own." —Jonathan Raban, author of Bad Land and Passage to Juneau 
 
"This is a masterful work, in many respects a new kind of narrative nonfiction. Dancing seamlessly between past and present, Eric Scigliano illuminates Michelangelo through the sculptor's passion for special stone, set against the story of the stone itself and the people who still share that passion today. His strong, polished, yet informal prose—reminiscent at times of the marble he describes—is the perfect vehicle for this remarkable balancing act, while his personal connection with Cararra and easy familiarity with Italian documents bring a more palpable focus to the towering genius of the High Renaissance." —Paul Robert Walker, author of The Feud That Sparked the Renaissance 
 
 
 

Posted: Thu - September 1, 2005 at 02:21 PM        

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