Wainer Lusoli
Updated: 05 November 2010 |
personal
And now check it with Anusca's... FAQ # 2: no, the name is not German, though it sounds like it. It's a regional name, from Emilia-Romagna, not even close to Austria. Might be a historical leftover though, as the region changed hands quite a few times after the Romans. Incidentally, Emilia was named after Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, the builder of a main road still cutting across the region - Via Emilia, 187 BC. If you thought that London's M25 had been there for ages. If you're a printed stuff person, sorry, homo literatus, as I expect, you can google me, and see what comes up. Mostly academic stuff I reckon, plus a few embarrassing things I wrote time back. Ah, naive youth... Micro-history I though I would expand Rushdie-like on my early life and many gifts. A chorus of 'boring' made me come to my senses. Short notes then. I was born in Italy in 1974; more precisely in Emilia, the land of Parma Ham, opera, Tortellini, balsamic vinegar, parmesan cheese, Ferrari and Maserati, Ducati, and catto-communism - a strange combination of moral ethics and socialism. So much for the stereotype. I was never any good at football, currently I don't drive a car (sin), and like chamber music better than philharmonic. An outcast(e). (Hint: I did not deny being a socialist though...)
I was trained as a political scientist at the University of Bologna, Faculty of Political Science, which tops the league table of the discipline. Bologna has the largest concentration of political scientists in Italy; to be fair though, Florence had the first Chair in Political Science, back in the 1960s. I did part of my degree at the University of Sussex, Brighton; possibly it was there that the seed was planted for my second coming to Albion (no offence intended). Upon return to Italy, I graduated, completed (compulsory) military service as an Army officer (Tactical Control Officer, HAWK missiles for the cognoscenti, and a Master's degree. That was good fun, and I had a chance to spend some time in Oxford, St Hugh's and Exeter, to collect material for my dissertation. Well, I spent most of the time in the basement of the Bodleian.  I then moved to London for a PhD. There were some tense times when I thought I'd be recalled for one of the numerous wars the Italian government thought worth fighting.
I saw the Media group, then situated between Social Psychology and
Sociology, take a life of its own as
Media@LSE research centre, and then become the Media and Communications Department. There I had the privilege and great pleasure to know and work with Roger Silverstone, a humanist and intellectual.
I then moved to Manchester, to join Steve (Ward) and Rachel (Gibson) on what turned out to be a multi-year research endeavour. A very rewarding, fruitful time. Steve is now at Salford, back from the OII, and Rachel is freshly minted Prof at Manchester. I lived in Manchester for a few years where I moved three houses in three years; quality of construction, and trains at that, are not a forte around there. After that, I enjoyed 2-and-a-half years at the University of Chester (thanks for asking, it's in Cheshire, know the Cheshire cat? there). I mainly taught politics and communication, and do the odd bit of research coming my way. Or the other way round, depending on the season. We lived just across the meadows, a nice green place for a change [did not say that the house was any better, though]. Chester was good to me, and I made a number of good friends who promised to visit in Seville (who wouldn't?). This takes us to the next chapter, Seville. I now work for the European Commission, IPTS. I found a house yesterday (whenever you are reading this), after looking at more than 20 'pisos'. You may remember the rant about quality of construction etc from above. Well, luckily, the three of us now live close to the Plaza Nueva, in the centre, in a Sevillan house which is very, very nice . For a change.I spend quite some time reading, post-colonial literature sometimes; in particular, Italian magic-realism. Ladies and gentleman, let me please introduce to this enlightened audience Mr. Giovanelli, contemporary author, and his debut work, 'The enigma of the bastards'. As the book sold more than 200 copies, and has a blog, I removed the picture of the cover. I hope he'll buy me lunch at least. When I'm not travelling, reading or working, this is my realm, more as a consumer than as a producer though 
I have a passion for different keyboards; I have to admit I use the former rather than the latter.  ...
So who is doing all the interesting stuff, one might ask...  She is. (I did not manage to find a sober picture).
Anusca, who had the blessing of becoming my wife, some three years ago? (no, stop, don't twist my arm) 9 years, 0 months and 0 days. 
Anusca has a doctorate in francophone literatures from the University of Bologna, in co-tutelle with the Université de Cergy-Pontoise, close to Paris. The topic is breath-taking: the representation of the city in francophone literature of the Caribbean. Sounds better in Italian and French though. After tha,t life is boring in'it?, she did a PGCE in Secondary Education, and is now doing supply teaching at various schools. We might add that she has co-authored a book about the writer Daniel Pennac, by the title of 'Paris in the oeuvre of Daniel Pennac' which is on sale here (all major credit cards accepted, well, to be honest, I don't know).You may remember I said the three of us... Eliane, our little (and I mean little) darling, is now 4 years, 3 months and 1 day old. She is breathtakingly beautiful, definitely a genius and believes everything I say. Will she like the sun, oranges, patios, fresh air and four-languages confusion? I would. Oh, and she will have her own pictures on the web when she is 18, if she so wishes. Oh, and while i was writing this Raśl was bron, in August 2010. So i guess it is four now.Now, if you had the strength to reach this point we must be friends, and you are warmly invited to join us for a tapa, a copa and a chat in the sun. |
The gentleman on the
left is uncle Luciano