By Terry H. Bhola
The unparalleled comical travel saga of vagaries, findings, and mischief continues in the premier industrialized frontier of Italy.
Searching for Fireflies in Monza Brianza is…
…in an essay form reminiscent of Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast, and it’s a queer narration of my quest to becoming better interculturally competent. It not only continues to lightheartedly immortalize my life as an American expatriate in Italy, it also serves as a direct sequel to my first travel memoir released in 2011 called Searching for Wild Asparagus in Umbria. In addition, it functions as a prelude to my planned third and final project in my “Un altro tipo di dolce vita” series that would effectively bring a sense of emotional closure to my unmatched Italian experience.
If successful, I intend to thoroughly allocate the raised funds for Searching for Fireflies in Monza Brianza in the following cost areas:
- Copyediting and proof-reading cost
- Cover-design and self-publishing cost
- Press releases and promotional tools using an algorithmic marketing approach (i.e. social media buzz, page views) cost
- Snail-mailing cost, first and foremost for “Rewards Recipients” (and secondly for book reviewers)
Synopsis
Dispirited from his failed endeavor in the rural part of Umbria, Terry H. Bhola, a now fledgling father, finds himself in the province of Monza Brianza, located in the premier industrialized frontier of Italy called Lombardia. It is a fresh start for this Trinidadian-born American memoirist in the pages of Searching for Fireflies in Monza Brianza, though not idealistic. And as he occasionally struggles to overcome despondency, uncertainty and an absence of belonging, readers would find themselves rooting for him to thrive and, of course, stay out of trouble. Moreover, lovers of Italian culture will not be disappointed, as he enthusiastically showcases the distinction and natural beauty found in his new surroundings, which includes a variation of a firefly that has been forever linked to Italian folklore.
About the author
A native of Trinidad and Tobago who’s lived in Washington D.C. and New York City, author Terry H. Bhola surely never stays in one place. After his academic stint, his career in New York’s sizeable publishing industry started at a small, but well-known, scholarly magazine, then moved on to a fairish career in advertising. The true source of libertarianism he may seem to have, however, remains unknown. At the present time, he’s somewhere in Italy trying his best to avoid getting caught speeding.
The realization of Searching for Wild Asparagus in Umbria was…
…a learning curve in the beginning-to-end writing process (i.e. outlining, researching, writing, fact-checking, editing, and self-publishing). As I’d chosen to self-fund the project, I was quite adamant about minimizing the risk, thus I was able to come out of the experience with an award-winning book, and a close-to-decent word-of-mouth buzz in the expat literary and blogging community (which I’m now hoping to capitalize on). See for yourself:
http://discoveringumbria.blogspot.it/2012/03/searching-for-wild-asparagu…
http://www.italymagazine.com/featured-story/blog-week-terry-bhola
http://www.blackandabroad.com/?p=874
http://www.gonomad.com/3370-chasing-wild-asparagus-in-umbria
http://bleedingespresso.com/2011/07/searching-for-wild-asparagus-in-umbr…
And finally,…
…although the esoteric greatness of Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast and Henry Miller’s Tropic of Cancer could never be emulated, I think I’ve come close enough to nailing it with Searching for Fireflies in Monza Brianza (though the setting is contemporary).
And I can’t wait for people to read it!!!
Learn more about my expat life in Italy on www.terrybhola.com
Terry H. Bhola