From radio to novels and social commitment - Interview by Maria Teresa De Donato

 

Milena Bonvissuto: 

From Radio to Novels and Social Commitment

 

Interview by Maria Teresa De Donato

 

 

On one of her social profiles, she presents herself decidedly provocatively with a

 

"Leave me alone, I'm unfriendly."

 

 

Allow me to differ.

 

Having had the opportunity to meet her, even if only virtually for the moment, and to interact with her on various occasions, I have been able to see that Milena Bonvissuto is not only a lovely woman but also very intelligent, endowed with deep thoughts and feelings, generous and equally sensitive.

 

In short, as my friends from Campania would say, Milena is "nu piezz'e core" (= a sweetheart).

 

I am, therefore, thrilled to host her today here on my Blog and Virtual Cultural Salon.

 

 

 

MTDD: Hello, Milena, and welcome among us. I am happy to introduce you today to my readers, too.

 

MB: Thank you for the invitation and the kind words. My header on the Facebook profile is truthful, but we do not show everyone the same side. It all depends on the interlocutor.

 

 

MTDD: Milena, I understand you are a pure Sicilian from your biography. You were born, in fact, in Licata (in the province of Agrigento), a "city surrounded by the sea," by your admission on December 26, 1973. You are the first of three children of Francesco and Crocina. You attended the classical high school V. Linares in Licata and have a daughter named Lavinia. Because of your empathy, you have always loved to be part of the community.

Since you were young, you have shown versatility by trying your hand at multiple activities and sectors.

 

Do you want to tell us about it?

 

MB: As many people now know, I am tied to my territory, that is, not only to Licata but to Sicily; being an islander allows you to see things differently. My passion for writing comes from the desire to be able to say what I think and to be able to live many lives, arranging them as I please. I have a very peculiar personality; I often get defensive or go into my silent world, and writing is my escape route.

 

 

MTDD: How did you get from radio programs to writing, and how have these experiences enriched you as a woman and professional?

 

MB: Radio chose me. In truth, I had accompanied a friend to an audition, and they asked me if I wanted to try; morally, it was my choice. Radio allowed me, through a microphone, to understand people's sad or happy tone. Many began to ask for advice, and imagining what they wanted, I could give them the correct input. I came to actual writing out of revenge on another author who had described my city differently from the one I lived in. Then, a short article in the newspaper of a publishing house that was looking for new authors gave me the idea to participate, and I was among the winners in the series where the famous director Grimaldi was also present.

 

 

MTDD: Your first novel was La paura di rincasare tardi (= The Fear of Returning Home Late), published by EDICOM Rho, which received a fair amount of recognition from newspapers and a mention in the Io Donna Weekly. The title goes hand in hand with some rather alarming news stories...

 

Would you like to elaborate on this concept?

 

MB: The original title was La ricerca della felicità (= The Search for Happiness). It was a publisher's idea: The novel "La paura di rincasare tardi" (The Fear of Returning Home Late) talks about the conflict between parents and children over the imposition of a curfew. Still, it also touches on the theme of the Southern Issue and the fear of being unable to return to one's own country.

 

 

MTDD: Your next novel was Maria Regina senza Regno (Mary, a Queen without a Kingdom) (2019), whose protagonist is "Maria, daughter of Frederick the Simple and Constance of Altavilla. The novel is set in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. The characters and historical events happened. Figment of [your] imagination is the love affair between Queen Maria and Count Moncada."

 

What inspired you to write this publication?

 

MB: In a flea market, I found a little book with many chapters, one of which was "The Kidnapping of the Queen." Reading it, I found Licata; from there, it became an obsession. Few people knew about this story, so I started researching. I discovered she was staying at Saint James Castle, but returning to the castle to become queen was a real ordeal. Hence the title. I had to remain faithful to the story. Still, I wanted to allow this queen to understand true love, and I developed the love story between Princess Maria and Count Moncada, her kidnapper. Unfortunately, the ending was unexpected, so intuition told me to leave it open.

 

  

 

MTDD: Another of your literary works is Il principio di Benedetto (Benedetto’s Principle) (2021), in which you highlight "... the strength and fragility that the human being contains in his 'INNER SELF' and Benedetto’s principle "EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE AND A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING."

 

What can you tell us about this work of yours, which, from what is indicated in the Synopsis, tends towards introspective aspects?

 

MB: This novel is about a man who has lived almost a century during the story; Benedetto, as an adult, and Benedetto, as a child, chase each other to realize their projects in the post-war historical period. It is a novel that makes you reflect on chance and destiny.

 

 

MTDD: In November 2022, you published Suspira – Un bacio sospeso (= Sigh – A Suspended Kiss), an erotic romance set in 1930 with an almost psychological background. In the Synopsis, which suggests a rather intriguing novel, we read in part: "Sometimes you want to escape from framed lives, but it happens that the more you escape, the more life becomes tangled... you discover that that character and passion are inside you, and they reign dormant..."

Mind and Heart, Flesh and Spirit, Passion, and Reason have always been antitheses.

 

Is it possible, in your opinion, to find the right balance? And do your protagonists manage to achieve this goal?

 

MB: Suspira is set in 1930 between Italy and France. It is a novel of rupture where taboos are overcome, but the questions have no end. You can grasp the fragility and strength of the characters, but they all have one thing in common: building rules while not following them. To give life to this novel, defined as erotic but also somewhat psychological, I had to use many writing techniques and some bait characters. Each character creates a balance, but just like in real life, what is suitable for one it isn’t so for the other.

 

 

 

MTDD: In August 2024, it was the turn of Made in Alikata: Journey through the history and legends of Licata, with a Preface by our dear mutual friend Andrea Ansevini, who was also my very welcome guest and with whom I have had a collaboration that has lasted for years. This book describes Licata as follows:

 

"Like a beautiful woman... Her heart beats harmoniously between the waves' musicality and the hills' wind. She travels between legends and truth, history and loyalty, beauty and sadness. ... We are thus seafarers and barefoot sailors of misunderstood artists and dreamers."

 

 

The question arises spontaneously: What does it mean to you to be 'Sicilian' and, above all, 'Licatese'?

 

MB: Have healthy values, love your roots, and be part of a community.

 

 

MTDD: How and to what extent has your being Sicilian and Licata influenced and continues to affect your life, particularly your literary production?

 

MB: As I said in the first question, in my novels, I always put a bit of my land; it's a sort of way to show my gratitude and never to forget where I come from.

 

 

MTDD: In December 2024, you published a book entitled Due anime ribelli (= Two Rebel Souls) together with Andrea Ansevini. The book "reminds us that love is a powerful and ambivalent force, a dance between shadow and light, between pain and joy..."

 

Tell us about these two rebellious souls.

 

MB: This novel was a challenge; we united the South and the North in distant and timeless worlds, at least for the first part. At a certain point, however, the characters change and find themselves in the present day. It wasn't easy, but it was still a beautiful experience, perhaps to be repeated!

 

 

MTDD: Over the years, in addition to dealing with culture, you have also been involved in social issues. I read about an initiative that you proposed to the authorities of your city for the introduction of "Neighborhood Watch" – known very well in the USA, where I have lived for over 30 years as a system that I have found already in operation since I moved to this country back in 1995 and which, at least here, seems to work. I congratulate you and all those who have joined this initiative, and I hope that it will not only be approved by the local institutions but also bear excellent fruit.

 

Would you like to add anything else regarding this particular aspect?

 

MB: Citizen committees are born apolitical precisely because you have to work with all the administrations that will follow. In the last fifteen years, we have dealt with flooding, and later, we put forward the proposal that you mentioned, which, unfortunately, was not accepted, but as the saying goes, let's not lose hope. We will propose it to whoever comes after as President of a neighborhood as big as a village. My dream would be to make it grow by adding a small park or many small areas where you can play, with small tables where you could play cards, checkers, and chess or, why not read a book with a sea view, in short, have equipped areas.

 

MTDD: It’s a beautiful idea. I hope you turn it into reality with all my heart.

 

Milena, thank you again for accepting my invitation, and I hope to have you as my guest again soon.

 

Would you remind our readers how they can contact you and order your publications?

 

MB: All the novels can be purchased from the major online stores, on Amazon, in the publisher's catalogs, and in bookstores if you order them. As for my articles, please search on Google. In addition to doing live, which you can find on my YouTube channel and WhatsApp, I have started collaborating with the culture newspaper L'Epoca Culturale and the Caffè letterario diffuso. Finally, with three other people, I have created Sagoradio24tv, where everyone can express their talent utterly free of charge.

 

I thank you and all our readers; we would not be here talking about me without them.

 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.