Charles Bukowski is one of the most acclaimed writers in the world, best known for his transgressive, highly original style of working. Born in Germany, but taking an American citizenship, he lived most of his life in the same city; Los Angeles, which is the context of most of his writings. He simultaneously loved and hated the city, but ultimately it defined his career, as he used it in some form or other in each and every one of his books.

He died at 73 from Leukaemia, in 1994, but he had luckily been able to enjoy the literary fame and success which his books had brought him – in spite of never fully being comfortable with the popularity, or completely trusting it.

Postman was the first novel he wrote, in 1971 – though he had written an extensive amount of short stories and poems up until that point. One interesting anecdote told about Bukowski during the early years of his career as a fiction writer, is about his editor, John Martin who was ten years younger, and the great deal that the two men struck.

John Martin was the founder of publishers Black Sparrow Press, which would go on to distribute all the great American’s writings. The offer that Martin made Bukowski in order to convince him to pack in his day job and devote himself to writing 100% was that he would give him a hundred dollars a month from that moment, until the end of his days. And Charles, quick to be seduced by the offer of money, accepted, writing his first novel in just a month.

Charles Bukowski found the theme of his first novel relatively easily, as it tells the story of his life – through the anecdotes of Henry Chinaski, who was one of the writer’s greatest creations, and who would reappear in many of his later books. The writer took refuge behind this fictional creation in order to tell the story of his own life, using his artistic licence in order to be able to modify, embellish and omit certain parts which he had not enjoyed.

Henry Chinaski is a postman in the city of Los Angeles, but resigns after becoming disillusioned with his job, and chose instead to dedicate himself to horse racing (a great passion for the writer). Some years later though, he is forced to return to the job for the money, and his life starts to change. The story stretches about 15 years of the life of the protagonist, and it makes for gripping reading – it is impossible to stop until the end.

Since his first publication in 1971, the success of the writer crystallised him into definitive literary status, and to this day, Charles Bukowski is one of the key exponents of the dirty realism genre, and many contemporary writers have named him as one of their influences.

d.b

Rent apartments in Milan and take Postman along with you. Whilst reading Charles Bukowski’s first novel, you can discover the city, it’s wonderful history, as well the gripping story of Henry Chinaski.

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Translated by: Poppy
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The term mafia is used universally round the world to refer to organised crime. The word takes its origins in Italy; and the four main Italian mafias are the Ndrangueta in Calabria, the Cosa Nostra in Sicily, the Camorra in Campana (which are the three historical mafia regions) – and the Sacra Corona Unita in Abulia. But it’s like the tentacles of an octopus; they have infrastructure, political links and business halfway round the world, from Italy, Canada, Argentina, United States, Columbia, Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, to the Spanish coast. Countries such as Switzerland, Monaco and Liechtenstein have always been prime spots for the money laundering antics of the mafiosos.

The mafia was born in Sicily, as the Cosa Nostra, during the middle of the 19th century, in parallel with the establishment of the new Italian State. Sicily found itself governed by factions, in a feudal system whereby the only way of obtaining anything, was the by the law of force. Originally, the group was an organisation dedicated to the protection and independence from the law, which later moved into a complex system of organised crime. Its members, the mafiosos , always defined themselves as men of honour, who employed a series of codes of unforgettable honour; amongst the most well known being the law of silence. Blood links are also of the upmost importance within the mafia, which is where the clans came from.

There have been many criticisms of this long-standing side of Italy. One of these voices was that of acclaimed writer Roberto Saviano, who was born in 1979 in Naples, and wrote the book Gomorra, which details the inner workings of the Camorra. The book went on sale in 2006, and was met with worldwide success, but it brought its author to be ostracised, and hounded. Receiving death threats, he was forced to leave the country and live in a secret location, with 24 hour security protection. Saviano is conscious of the fact that his life is on the line, and that the publication of his book might have been also his death sentence.

Many threatened just like Saviano, such as the Sicilian journalist Lirio Abbate, have stated that the difficulty of fighting the mafia is in a constant clash with the wall of politics. In the north of Italy, the mafia has gradually integrated into the legitimate the economic system – it is not seen, or heard, or associated with the kind of murdering of innocent people, or bloody crime which we have come to hear about the mafia of the south.

In Milan, the financial capital of the country, the second and third generations of the Ndrangueta control the economic sectors of Lombardia, also infiltrating local political institution. Nowadays, the mafia capitals are no longer those we always thought they were, such as Palermo, Naples and Reggio Calabria.

It is estimated that organised crime in Italy generates around 120,000 million euros per year. If there mafia has also triumphed in Milan, it is because the city has always been the national emblem of wealth, the place of the bourgeoisie, private banking, the design world, cutting edge fashion, innovation, and above all, the ideal terrain for doing things silently, furtively, without leaving any traces.

Ara

When you travel, you have the opportunity the understand the behaviour of a community. The best way to understand the origins and evolution of the Mafia is to read the books, and articles by journalist Roberto Saviano – and rent apartments in Milan a city on the cutting edge of design and culture.

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Translated by: Poppy
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The pop is a genre that in spite of many years of popularity, with memorable artist as: Madonna, Britney Spears or Robbie Williams, is far from disappearing. Constantly, there are new artist eager to offer new proposals and renew the stages, one of many reasons for which pop is the most   loved and famous genre in the world.

The Naked and Famous is a new indie pop band from New Zealand that released an album that made them famous in no time. They have been ranked number one in some charts in the world, becoming one of the few New Zealand’s band to do so in the last three years.

The group, which was formed in late 2008, recorded “Passive Me, Aggressive You”, launched on the 6^th of September, 2010. Since then, the quintet managed to position itself as one of the most important bands in the indie world, because of its unique synthesizers and mixture of the voices of its members both, of the guys and Alisa Xayalith, the only woman in the band.

Their most famous song is without a doubt “Young Blood”. Song, that not only was remixed by many of the major DJs around the world, but also appeared in many television series such as Covert Affairs, Chuck, Gossip Girl and The Almighty Johnsons. Logically, it was an instant hit.

The naked and famous has been influenced by: Massive Attack, Bjork, PJ Harvey and Tricky. In fact, its name was taken from one of the songs of the artist from Bristol. The New Zealanders have been compared to some of the most important groups of the electro pop scene around the world as MGMT or Passion Pit, in many occasions.

More information: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=111804388906223

Tunnel: Via Giovanni Battista Sammartini 30, Milan, Italy

MiLK

Auckland’s band is taking advantage of their fame by making presentations around the globe. This time The Naked and Famous will perform in Italy on the 7th of September in the Tunnel. If you want to see one of the most important indie pop bands of the moment, rent apartments in Milan and enjoy their concert.

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Translated by: Hans
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Generally, museums replicate what circumstances don’t say. In each event, the invent a new concept to sell tickets and art. Galleries work in the same way. The art business has become a range of discourses that have little to do with the current processes of the art of today but, with the voracity of time passing and, in the same way and with the same voracity, following cultural studies up to date. Politics has a lot to do with all of this and, in the end, nobody creates without thinking that they believe in something which is above the object that they produced, of the work itself. There isn’t a work which is exempt of its discourse: the interesting thing is that the work justifies that discourse, without the need of texts or pompous introductions. The decadence of current art just scares purists away and, on the other hand, asserting those that without a lot of talent can have great careers, via Facebook.

Design on the other hand, from its functionality and need regarding better ways of expression and dialogue with consumers, companies and all types of machinery of sense in today’s culture, is usually a field in the middle of the great emptiness of meaning that, at the moment, visual art leaves in all of its shapes. In fact, design is conditioned to comply efficient work, from whatever it is proposed, where t’s more effective and punctual in many ways. Furniture, interior and clothes design are examples. Milan is the capital of design and fashion in Italy. Maybe, today design is more honest because if has a fix market that doesn’t run out, that you’re always talking to and of which we all depend of.

The Triennale di Milano is a space where all the aforementioned combines. From design, graphic art, photography, paintings and art seminars , the Triennale is one of the richest spaces when it comes to contemporary culture and it’s now in Milan. Among the best in this exhibition which runs until the 28th of August, you’ll be able to see a photographic exhibition dedicated to the legendary and unique Pier Paolo Passolini. The exhibition explores the everyday life of this genius, who created masterpieces such as ‘Salò, 120 days of Sodom’ probably one of the riskiest films of all time, which was made in Italy. Salò is the crude story of a group of young people captured by a fascist sect in a mansion to be subjected to the most horrible and, at the same time, erotic rituals in which they all participate, sometimes, until they die. The exhibition presents on the other hand the everyday life of one of the most extravagant minds of Italian film. For more information on the Triennale di Milano visit its webpage: http://www.triennale.org/

Alexa Ray

That’s why, nothing better than getting apartments in Milan and be part of its hectic cultural agenda. As well as fashion, art is costly, and it will cost you a lot to ignore the fact that while they consume, others consume you.

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Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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