Hello, friends and readers!

My friend Kathleen Ann Gonzalez is a pure Venetophile. She is an English teacher from California who spends a lot of time in Venice, and chronicles her travels and fascinating Venetian research topics on her blog, Seductive Venice. I recommend the blog if you love reading about unique and off-the-beaten-track Venetian subjects. (Kathleen has also been a guest on my own blog; click here to read the interview.)

The First Spritz is Free: Confessions of Venice Addicts

Earlier this year Kathleen asked me if I would contribute to a new Venetian anthology called First Spritz is Free: Confessions of Venice Addicts. Of course I said yes! I was honored to write alongside well-known Venetophiles such as Frederick Ilchman (fellow art historian and curator at the Boston MFA); Monica Cesarato (Cook in Venice); Greg Mohr (aka ‘Gondola Greg’); Marco Zecchin (fantastic photographer); Marisa Convento (jeweler extraordinaire); and many other wonderful authors.

The book is my gift to you, and you can download it here. Be sure to check out my essay on Venetian artisanship, as well as the confessions of all the other authors who share why Venice has captivated their hearts, too. I hope you enjoy it!

P.S. This book was a labor of love for all of us, and none of us authors makes a penny from it. We’ve contributed because we love Venice and love sharing the secrets of the city with our readers. But, if you buy the paperback edition on Amazon (click here), the proceeds go to support Save Venice. A worthy cause!

P.P.S. Stay tuned for an exciting announcement from me next week!