Valeria Verna

I am a thief! Yes. Because I steal from life, from the people I meet, from what happens to me every day, from art, from history.

We are talking about Voice right in the month of April because exactly on the day of April 16 every year, since 1999, we celebrate the World Voice Day. Initiative born in Brazil, which involved language scholars, doctors, singing teachers. This is therefore a moment aimed at promoting and caring for the voice

I recently reread all the articles published on this blog, I do not say anything new if I say that they are all related mainly to the theme of adolescence, but I would like to put together some of them and touch on the fundamental points of each one without claiming to be exhaustive , precisely because of the vastness of elements and thoughts that are inside them.

Reflections on two generations compared

I take up a sentence from the article published on this blog last Friday: the authors wondered if the meaning of our being in the world is a series of mandatory steps (education, work, marriage, children) and ways of being prepackaged, to be followed slavishly to live in society. Masks to look perfect.

“Imagination and memory are the only means I have to escape from my diving bell”.

It is this sentence that prompted me to write a few lines on a very difficult subject but worthy of further study. It is pronounced by the protagonist of the film “The diving bell and the butterfly”, based on the autobiographical novel by Jean-Dominique Bauby.

During the summer I saw the exhibition of the WPP Award, one of the most prestigious photo journalistic awards in the world. Undoubtedly the best known to the public and photographers considered a great showcase. Thousands of professionals participate every year and the jury works for weeks to evaluate almost one hundred thousand photos. This jury that changes from time to time is made up of expert photo editors, curators and photographers.

I am aware that I am entering an insidious and very delicate path, but as I always hope to do in the articles of this blog, I will try to propose some considerations hoping to encourage human and professional reflections and comparisons.

In these days we have seen dozens and dozens of dramatic images before our eyes showing the situation in Afghanistan. Among the many, the one that struck me the most is a sequence of photographs in which is depicted a couple, a man and a woman. The woman, who in the first photo appears beautiful and smiling progressively is covered by veils and burkas more and more heavy until disappearing completely in the black background.

There is an image that has remained on my skin in this strange summer, in which I was taken by anything but the interest in the Olympics: Giammarco Tamberi and Mutaz Essa Barshim who share the podium (gold, high jump), without hesitation. The image is powerful, it tells of a sport that can be different from pure competition, it tells of the true essence of sport, where competition can leave room for the human relationship.