D'Annunzio's topics - tribe.net

Michael Ledeen's book

FU — Thu, 23 Dec 2004 03:59:58 GMT

So, I've finished this book, as well as one by the english dude (name escaping).

Ledeen succeeds in making a fairly exciting subject pretty dry, and I suspect he was going through his commie phase when he wrote it, as he tries desperately to rehabilitate D'Annunzio from the tar of fascism by mentioning D'Annunzio's (doubtless anarcho-syndicalist inspired) Fiuman idea of creating a sort of early "non aligned movement" and emphasizing his courting of socialist labor groups and so on. Of course, it is all true; D'Annunzio was a man of the left by modern standards, and by the standards of his day. But the problem arises in that actual Italian fascism was also a left wing movement. Mussolini was an early supporter of the Soviets and the idea of a sort of non-aligned movement was one of the planks of the fascist platform (I'm reading Mussolini's autobiography at present as well). I kind of wonder who he was trying to convince; even Italian schoolboys will know Mussolini was a leftist in his early years (and, in fact, in his later years). Perhaps he hoped to arouse more interest in the guy among american academics who are almost entirely ignorant of the history of fascism. He certainly knew better, as he wrote his ph.d. on italian fascism.

Of course, me being me, I tracked down Ledeen, now at the American Enterprise Institute, and pointed this stuff out. He said, more or less, "thanks for reading the book anyway."

Just to reemphasize who Ledeen is, he's a fairly prominent neocon thinker.

-Lupo

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The Personality of D'Annunzio, "Lived Life In The Fast Lane"/Contemporary Comparison

Paul — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 22:50:57 GMT

As I've read more about D'Annunzio(and ironically, like most, I found out about him first in paragraphs here and there in books about Mussolini...which made me want to know more about D'Annunzio), the FIRST DUCE, and other biographies, I noticed a trait in him that seems constant. He was "always moving", never completely settled down, whether politically(the socialist, monarchist, "bolshevik who doesn't believe in dictatorship" as he said), even his personal and love life...never settling down, I started to see a pattern.

In American History, and within American culture, as it was in the mid to late 19th Century, the closest parallel-and this is leaving out the sexual aspect - to such a personality and living a "hyper" lifestyle was Teddy Roosevelt. The "Wild Cowboy In The White House" as his detractors called him, a man who loved to talk and talk, lived life on the dangerous side, even when he was shot at close range he ordered his driver to get him to his speech first, then the hospital. His assassin said he had to get close to him to shoot him because "that man doesn't sit still, he is always moving". TR relaxed by chopping down a tree.

The point I am getting at is a "hyper" personality.

In Italian society and culture, there was Gabriele D'Annunzio.
I am interested to know more about his childhood and early teen years. It is now known that many who were hyperactive as kids (like myself) don't outgrow it as adults and some of the known symptoms of ADHD I have found in both TR and D'Annunzio.

Myself? I can only say I have Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder and take medication for it. I was diagnosed at 40, took Ritalin as a kid, and know something a bout "life in hyper drive". In some books about ADHD Teddy Roosevelt is mentioned as someone who they believe might've had it...or at least he never outgrew the "hyperactive" part.

Was Gabriele D'Annunzio "hyperactive" or have what we now call ADHD? Anyone know more about his younger years? I am vague on it. 3unique "symptoms" of ADHD are 1) highly creative people, 2) eccentric in their behavior, 3) tend to have high intelligence.

I had a boss who was Italian-American, and we discussed ADHD. He said jokingly:"Sometimes I don't know if hyperactivity is in my genes, I can't tell the difference between being Italian and ADHD(lol), however if there is such a thing as being an Italian who ALSO has ADHD, my God, he'd be Godzilla(lol)."

Luigi Barzini, in his book, "The Italians", said D'Annunzio was "more Italian than the Italians".
Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of The Commandante of Fiume. I also know, as at Fiume, when D'Annunzio had the Italian Government by the balls, he COULD have marched on Rome, himself, long before "the other guy" , but instead he stayed at Fiume until being chased out by the Italian war ship. The inability to seize the moment and not make up his mind on a decisive course of action. He didn't march on Rome later due to zodiac supersitions....the inability to follow through when opportunity knocks...or simply becoming disinterested in a project outright...and someone else steals center-stage, typical ADHD scenario according to books on ADHD. I also have been through my "15 minutes of fame" and goofed it. In his later years, substance abuse....like a teenager ,"self-medicating" for, as he said, to "improve his sexual vigor" with cocaine.
Did D'Annunzio, maybe...have ADHD or some "hyperacitve" disorder that ran in the family tree? ADHD is genetic.

Interested to know more. Paul

posted in D'Annunzio - 2 replies

Another of his girlfriends

FU — Sat, 07 Jan 2006 00:42:25 GMT

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/22/AR2005122201607.html

posted in D'Annunzio - 4 replies

Romaine Brooks

dangerangel — Tue, 10 May 2005 23:39:46 GMT

So did they or didn't they?

I went to see the Romaine Brooks exhibit at the UC art museum a few years back and although they celebrated her as a famous lesbian, I thought that D'Annunzio was her lover... I love her painting of him - her portraits are stunning.

He he nail her or no?

posted in D'Annunzio - 3 replies

H.G. Wells and the Fabian Society

FU — Fri, 07 Jan 2005 07:47:14 GMT

I knew the Fabians (most famous member being George Bernard Shaw) were a sort of British proto-fascist group. There was a lot of such eugenic nonsense going 'round socialist circles in those days. For example; the author of "Might is Right" -written by either Jack London (a socialist) or australian socialist Arthur Desmond depending who you believe. Or, the american Eugenic movement, upon which Hitler based his race laws. But I had no idea what a barking looney H.G. Wells was about all this stuff.

Wells' books "Anticipations" and "A Modern Utopia" are apparently so brutal and monsterish that they inspired Huxley to write "Brave New World" lampooning it.

In other ways Wells was rather cut of the same mold as the rest of them; he was a womanizer, despite being a sort of a lumpy shabby fat bastard (he did have some bizarro eyes), he was an anti-christian at a time when it took both intellectual and physical balls to be so, and his choleric vein makes me look like a cheery bastard.

The bio I got all this from was "The Invisible Man" by Michael Coren.

I'm going to have to order those "utopian" stories of his. I got a hint of his ideas some time back, and promptly forgot about them by reading Wells' "Outline of History" -the full enchelada ought to be a real hoot.

FWIIW, his outline of history was also a sort of "non aligned movement" as it was quite non-eurocentric. Really, it contains most of what I know about the history of India and Akosa the Great. It's sinology left a lot to be desired, and of course its science was preposterous. Anyway, some interesting pointers.

-Lupo

posted in D'Annunzio - 1 reply

Graham Island

Brent — Thu, 09 Dec 2004 21:12:38 GMT

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;$sessionid$G50XN4QVOVD4NQFIQMGSFFWAVCBQWIV0?xml=/news/2002/12/01/wgrah01.xml&sSheet=/news/2002/12/01/ixworld.html

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L'Innocente

dangerangel — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 04:01:36 GMT

This book helped me leave my husband... Portrait of a Lady helped too - but it was D'Annunzio's book that really hit home and gave me the courage to get off my backside and walk out. I was 10,000 miles from home, in a foreign country with no family and few friends - not an easy move. But his story of a cruel husband and loving wife was so rich and poignant - I could not help but to recognize my own situation in it... and it was not a situation I wanted to indentify with. It took all my strength, but I left. Now that's good writing!

I found D'Annunzio when I was 16 - I saw a spreadin a magazine about his house - I believe it's still in it's orginal condition (a la Duke of Windsor). I have some quotes of his written in a journal from that time - I'll dig them out.

posted in D'Annunzio - 3 replies

from my journal 1985

dangerangel — Mon, 01 Nov 2004 19:45:37 GMT

This is what I picked up on from D'Annunzio when I was 16....

Il Piocere 1889 - The Child of Pleasure

"I have by temperment and instinct a need of the superfluous."

"All other women destroy the landscape - you alone become part of it."
-while walking in the Bois de Boulogne with Isadora Duncan.

posted in D'Annunzio - 0 replies

Yeah, so

FU — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 06:07:02 GMT

I've been reading stuff by and about Gabriele D'Annunzio since I first checked out TAZ some years ago. I'm presently on a big D'Annunzio jag, since reading Mussolini's autobiography, and am going to be downloading it here, rather than to my dumb e-list. I'm particularly intrigued by Michael Ledeen's biography of him (which just arrived in the mail), since Ledeen is one of the architects of the neo-conservative movement.

I mostly formed this tribe because nobody else did, and I'd worry if someone else did that the person who did it might be of low character.

Some of you may have heard of him from Boyd Rice records. Some of you may be Italian history buffs. Some of you may be anarchists. Some of you may be fascists. Some of you may simply appreciate this embodiment of the Nietzschean superman from a time which seems long past. Feel free to chat up other controversial authors of that time as well; I've got a pile of Knut Hamsun books, I'm fond of Marinetti and the futurists, and Ernst Juenger is an old favorite as well. Julius Evola would also not be entirely off topic.

For more info:
http://www.gabrieledannunzio.net/index.htm
http://www.muvi.org/museodannunzio/
http://www.ilnarratore.com/anthology/dannunzio/dannunzio.html
http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/mazzoni/exhibit/periodicals/E315.html
http://209.16.199.17/lieder/a/dannunzio/

-Lupo

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