Cameras and a Very Special Guest

Professor Eve D'Ambra stole the show with an extraordinary performance tonight. Her focus on Roman Portrait Busts and Female Beauty was an amazing presentation that was fabulous. This was her second and final appearance on the show for this summer. She is now back to work at Vassar College which she teaches Art History. I invited her to return any time for any show she wants. I hope she will take me up on it. It is a joy to share the stage with a brilliant professor of art, for me a dream come true. Just before the start of the show her husband and excellent artist, Franc Palaia, who has been with me on the show several times, decided to show his expertise with the camera and asked to handle one of them with Ellen. I had some doubts that they could pull this off with no preparation, and sure enough at the beginning of the show there were some problems. I am seen talking into the wrong camera, because I was talking into Ellen's camera, while apparently Franc's was on the screen. It straightened out, but I was a bit dismayed by that. From  now on Ellen runs the show. No other problems, however, no other people using the studio just before we did, no community center activity, no extraneous noise, no console issuers. Everything was smooth. I will be away next week, so Ellen will show another broadcast, Michelangelo in Florence, one of her favorites. That was a fine show. Otherwise I will be back for the Aug 24 show, which will be the first part of a two part show on Western Tuscany, with part 1 focussing on the area known as the Alpi Apuane, and also Lucca, Barga, Chiesina, where my friend Lidia has a townhouse. Then the week after will be Pisa. Meanwhile my first book nears production and second one has been submitted for review. The first will be called, Alan's Italy: The Birth of a Television Show and the second, Alan's Italy: My Personal Journey. Please look for both. Also I will be starting a web site, which will incorporate all my projects, my two blogs, TV show, books, lectures, and teaching of classes all summarized into one easy format (I hope !). Be well, and thanks for your time ! See ya in two weeks.