With this publication, Melinda Camber Porter In Conversation With Eugenio Montale (ISBN: 978–1–942231–02–8), we have an opportunity to listen to the strong voice of Eugenio Montale discussing literature and its role in society.

Eugenio Montale describes his observations of the driving forces of human nature that he explored through his journalism, painting and poetry. During the prime of his life, he watched the rise and fall of Fascism in Italy, and his experiences remain relevant today as he discusses the importance of the individual’s conscience, the poet’s role in society, and the dangers of ideologies, the mass media, and consumerism.

“Nowadays, it is becoming harder to distinguish between artistic and commercial life. The role of the artist has been reduced to his success or failure in commercial terms… these mass-produced voices are not those which will tell us whether we are heading for disaster and, if so, how to prevent it.” This statement expressed by Eugenio Montale, when speaking to Melinda Camber Porter at his home in Milan, Italy in 1976, after receiving the 1975 Nobel Prize in Literature.

The Foreward by Canio Pavone, Professor of Italian Studies, who knew Melinda Camber Porter, introduces us to Eugenio Montale and their conversation. In addition, the book includes both the English and Italian Nobel Prize Lecture by Eugenio Montale.

Melinda Camber Porter passed away of ovarian cancer in 2008 and left a significant body of work in art, journalism, and literature. With her background as a journalist for the Times of London, her questions explored the creative process used by many widely acclaimed cultural figures, filmmakers, and writers. The Melinda Camber Porter Archive wishes to share these conversations with the public to ensure the continuation and expansion of the ideas expressed in her creative works.

The Melinda Camber Porter Archive of Creative Works comprises two series of books. Volume 1 are books of journalism. Volume 2 are books of art and literature. [ISSN: 2379–2450 (Print); 2379–3198 (E-book); 2379–321X (Audiobook).]

Canio Pavone

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