If you don't have the leisure to read the whole Decameron, I encourage you at least to check out the story that concludes the first half (Day 5, Story 10). Let's just say it's quite gay, in every sense of the term!
For those of you who already know the work and are looking for a fresh approach, Synetic Theater's first show in the COVID-19 era is a "designed for digital" take on 35 of the tales, each produced by a different artist. The production has an interactive element, allowing viewers to watch the stories in whatever order they wish, though they can also opt for pre-selected playlists or watch them serially over any 10-day period between now and July 31. Tickets are "pay what you can" with a $10 minimum.
Last but certainly not least, the current New York Times Sunday Magazine offers "The Decameron Project," a collection of 29 short stories it commissioned "for this moment," along with an introductory essay about Boccaccio's work by Rivka Galchen. I haven't yet read the issue, but I see that Colm Toibin and Margaret Atwood are among the contributors, so I'm optimistic it will be worth the time.
2 comments:
Steve, thanks for both tips. Florence had a gay reputation ( well deserved ) over a great many years during the Italian Renaissance and since. The Uffizi and Bargello would be empty without the gay artists represented. They all had Florence studios or workshops filled with talented and attractive young " assistants". We read a bit about this in "The Medici Boy", which even details what functioned as gay bars during this era. Biographies of DaVinci always mention the anonymous denunciations of him for "sodomy" via notes left in the notorious "Night Box" of the public prosecutor. These probably account for his parting from this artistic center and heading to Milan. European writers of the era commented on the visible gay presence in Florence, to the point that the German word for Florentine eventually was a slang term for "gay". The writing must have also caused a certain amount of sexual tourism. One gay or bisexual icon of the Florence Renaissance, Benvenuto Cellini , is honored with a bust right in the middle of Ponte Vecchio. The gay ( or should it be Gay ?) influence in Florentine history and art can not be overstated.
I did not know all that about Florence, Ernie. Fascinating!
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