Aldo Palazzeschi

Aldo Giurlani-Palazzeschi
Born 29 May 1885
Florence, Italy1
Died 17 August 1974 (aged 89)
Rome, Italy
Occupation Poet, novelist, journalist, essayist

Aldo Palazzeschi (Italian pronunciation: [ˈaldo palatˈtseski]; 2 February 1885 – 17 August 1974) was the pen name of Aldo Giurlani, an Italian novelist, poet, journalist and essayist.

Early life

He was born in Florence to a well-off, bourgeois family. Following his father's direction he studied accounting but gave up that pursuit as he became enamored with the theater and acting. Respectful of his father's wishes that the family name not be associated with acting, he chose his maternal grandmother's surname Palazzeschi as a pseudonym.

Poetry

His family's comfortable economic stature provided him with finances to published his first book of poetry, I cavalli bianchi (in English, The White Horses) in 1905 under the pen name Palazzeschi.

Futurism

After meeting Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, he became a fervent Futurist. However, he was never entirely ideologically aligned with the movement and had a falling out with the group over Italy's involvement in World War I which he opposed, even though he did spend a brief period at the front lines after having been inducted into the military in 1916. His "futurist period" (roughly the 1910s) was a very fecund time in which he published a series of works that cemented his reputation. Most notable of these is his novel Il codice di Perelà (translated into English as Man of Smoke) published in 1911. Marinetti was inclined to gove away more of the Futurist literature than he sold and Palazzeschi later recalled that in 1909, so many copies of one of his books were given away that even he failed to secure a copy.[1]

Later life

During the interwar era, his productivity lessened, as he became involved in journalism and other pursuits. Also during this time, he took no part in the official culture of the regime, although he had to work in various magazines such as: Pegaso, Pan, directed by Ugo Ojetti, and Il Selvaggio, directed by Mino Maccari. He returned with a series of novels in the late sixties and early seventies that resecured his place in the new, post-war avant-garde. He died in 1974 in his apartment in Rome.

Legacy

Today he is often considered an important influence on later Italian writers, especially those of the neoavanguardia in both prose and verse. His work is well noted by its "grotesque and fantastic elements"[2]

Published works

References

  1. ↑ Tisdall, Caroline, and Angelo Bozzolla. (1977) Futurism. London: Thames & Hudson, p. 11. ISBN 0500201595
  2. ↑ Aldo Palazzeschi Biography (1885–1974) (pseudonym of Aldo Giurlani) Online Encyclopedia Article About Aldo Palazzeschi Biography (1885–1974) (pseudonym of Aldo Giurlani)

External links