Chapter 2 Preface to The Hermit in Paris

Foreword by Esther Calvino In this book, I have collected 12 articles that Calvino has published and scattered in various places, one unpublished article-"American Diary", and one article that has not been published in Italy, and is published in limited edition in Lucano, Switzerland "The Hermit of Paris". In August 1985, a month before leaving for Harvard University, Calvino was tired and bored.He wanted to finish the six speeches he was preparing before going to the United States, but failed.Modify, tweak, "cut and paste," and everything, or almost everything, remains the same.Progress is zero.

The possible solution, I thought, was to persuade him to divert his attention and focus on one of his many projects.To my question: "Why don't you just drop your lectures and finish Via San Giovanni?" He said, "Because that's my autobiography, and my biography hasn't..." Without a word finished.Is he going to say "It's not over yet?" or is he thinking "That's not my complete autobiography"? Years later I found a manuscript titled "Autobiographical Works" consisting of a series of articles with instructions for publication.So, there is another, quite different autobiographical project than the one outlined in the book "The Way of San Giovanni".Not saying it's impossible, but it's hard to guess how Calvino wanted to present these chronological articles.Talking about undoubtedly the most important parts of his life, the attempt was clearly to illuminate his choices: politics, literature, existence, so that we all know how, why, and when.When it matters: In an author's note to Memoirs of a Young Statesman, 1960-1962, Calvino writes: "As to the beliefs I express (Part 2), like any essay in this collection, Just a testimony of how I thought things were then—and only then—"

Calvino prepared material for this book only up to December 1980.According to the author's wishes, three of them were published in two editions in chronological order.I have included the last five, both because they are autobiographical and because I feel the work would be more complete for them. Putting these essays together, I find that several lack the immediacy that an autobiographical work should.Of course, it is not purely for this reason that I thought of including "American Diary 1959~1960", but because of the importance of that trip in his life, Calvino has mentioned or written about it on different occasions.Nevertheless, he still decided not to publish "An Optimist in America", which was written on this trip, was already in the second school.He backtracked on this, as he explained in a letter to Luca Baranelli on January 24, 1985: "... I have decided not to publish the book because, after re-reading it, I I feel that it is too sketchy in terms of literary works, and lacks new ideas in terms of news reports. Am I doing it right? God knows! If it had been published at that time, this book would be a record of a certain period of my mental journey at that time after all... On the contrary, "American Diary" is his regular letter to Daniele Ponchiroli, a friend of the Einaudi publishing house. Written by Italo Calvino, for anyone who wants to know his American impressions and experiences.

As far as autobiographical material-rather than literary attempt-I think it is necessary; like a self-portrait, the most visceral and direct.Therefore, the value of this book can be: to bring the relationship between the reader and the author closer, and to deepen this relationship through these articles.Calvino believes that "what is important is who we are, deepening our relationship with the world and with others. This relationship can be the sum of the love that makes the relationship exist plus the willpower to transform."