Ulysses and the Clouds, special Sunday editions
We’re all mad about Ulysses, as we know: Christopher Nolan’s film has reignited an extraordinary interest in a classic that couldn’t be more classic, and which is, at the same time, a narrative that, in many ways, ends up speaking to us today and about our eternal condition – quite apart from the trivial debates over whether or not an actor is suited to the role. We have therefore decided to dedicate tomorrow’s entire issue of *Domenica* to Ulysses, seeking to tackle the subject in our own way, as usual. We’ve brought together the best of our experts, starting on the cover with Piero Boitani (who has written extensively on Ulysses), moving on to the letter written to the Homeric hero by Nicola Gardini, posing questions that challenge him on his deeper meaning, or Carlo Ossola (who, thanks to a Portuguese poet, uncovers other ways of interpreting the adventures and characteristics of the Homeric hero), Filippomaria Pontani, who gives us an overview of the main translations and the secondary poetic literature inspired by the work; and, furthermore, a review of Nolan’s film with Cristina Battocletti, wandering through Ithaca with Claudio Visentin and Emanuele Papi, recalling the glorious TV era with Gianluigi Rossini, and also recalling the quintessentially Mediterranean beauty of Bekim Fehmiu, who, as Laura Leonelli argues, represented a small victory for women too; alongside other articles that help us delve deeper into the nuances of the character and the work: the hero’s philosophy is explored by Francesca Rigotti and Pietro Del Soldà; Antonio Perazzi discusses the Greek environment and landscape; Luca Cesari looks at the heroes’ diet; whilst Giuseppe Lupo and Claudio Giunta focus on more purely literary matters; with Martina Mazzotta and Maria Luisa Colledani, we venture into the realm of art – both contemporary (with an exhibition in Nantes) and Roman, featuring the Homeric-themed frescoes discovered in Pompeii (a theme also touched upon by Giacomo Cardinali).
Finally, Andrea Lipparini discusses the concept of ‘Ulysses for managers’; he has just published a book on leadership inspired by the hero (whilst Roberto Escobar and Roberto Casati focus on navigation).
The issue dedicated to Ulysses will not be the only special issue in August. Following the summer break on 9 and 16 August (the supplement would not have been available at newsagents anyway, as Ferragosto falls on a Saturday), on the 23rd we’ll have another special issue, this time devoted to the theme of ‘The Clouds’, which will be explored from astronomical, literary, geographical, poetic and artistic perspectives. Happy reading, and have a lovely summer.
