*Okay, this story is a bit involved, but it’s a satirical novel full of in-jokes.
*Bruno Bruni is an aging, unknown Turinese poet who wants to write the Great Italian Novel, but he has a mere niche in Italian literature. His job in Italian publishing is to attempt to translate the incomprehensible works of the ‘prophet of cyberpunk,’ Bruce Sterling.
*Unfortunately, poor Bruno can’t make a go of this grim task — he naturally prefers the dazzling prose of Gianluigi Ricuperati. (Which may seen a little odd, because I happen to be on quite good terms with Gianluigi Ricuperati, but let’s face it, translating American cyberpunk novels is some heavy labor.)
*The hapless, over-stressed Bruni suffers a nervous breakdown, and, as his beard grows in his depression, he realizes that he looks just like famous, well-respected Italian cinema director, Nanni Moretti. Bruno’s girlfriend, a failed actress turned stripper, convinces him to tour Italy while pretending to be Moretti.
*Bruno boldly knocks on the posh doors of backwoods notables in the Italian provinces, telling them that their fine homes might be ideal for a Nanni Moretti movie set. Of course they believe him, so they start feeding him, flattering him, and looking after him in every possible way. The Italian fame that has always eluded Bruno is suddenly his, and satirical hijinks ensue….
*It’s flattering to become a minor, offstage character in a Giuseppe Culicchia novel. Culicchia is Torino’s best-known living writer, a real voice of his generation type. Being a fantascienza writer, I can predict that in some remote future era, some fan of period Italian literature will stumble over this wry Turinese joke and think “‘Cyberpunk’? ‘Bruce Sterling’? What the living hell was going on with that? Could that possibly be real?” That's rather a nice Bruno Bruni fate for a minor figure in the Turinese cultural scene.
*Maybe I should try to translate this novel, but I’d probably go mad.
http://www.lastampa.it/2017/03/23/torinosette/primapagina/il-culicchia-presenta-il-suo-nuovo-libro-essere-nanni-moretti-hp8oMAidk2fRWOimLgaEAN/pagina.html
"Quando arrivo alla Foccaceria Lagrange de via Lagrange dopo una mattinata allucinante in compagnia di Bruce Sterling, or meglio delle incomprensibili pagine di Bruce Sterling, l’osannata profeta della letteratura cyberpunk, a cui per fortuna non si e aggiungo alcun tweet or post crossdisciplinare del mil idolo Gianluigi Ricuperati, che oggi forse e in volo per Londra o per New York come gli capita spesso o magari e in Grecia dove ospita gratuitamente nella casa che usa per le sue vacanze menti meritevoli preferibilmente femminili e under trentacinque, almeno cosi ho arguito giorni fa da uno dei suoi post su Facebook, ho già l’acquilina in bocca…."
