I’m proud to say I can read Greek, recite some poems by Catullo and (with some effort, to be honest, after so many years) try to crack some Latin translation. I’ve studied Classics, read hundreds of books, wrote articles and essays and used my brain in any possible way.
But few things give me the same satisfaction than taking my weekly upholstery class where, together with other pretty well educated women (a linguist, a magistrate, an architect, a copywriter among others) I forget everything about my mind and take pleasure in the use of my hands.
I explain to family and friends that performing a manual work from time to time is like going to the shrink, by cheaper.
In this issue we have played around the concept of hands (as dexterity but also as a means of communicating concepts and feelings).
You’ll find an interview with a famous hand-gesture expert, that explains why the Italians can express themselves without the use of words, a feature about Alberto Burri, one of the most tactile of our artists, an article about the healing power of hands and much more.
For the first time, also, we will invite our reader to use their hands: we have partnered with Delicatezza to offer a making-pasta session to the winner of our (easy) competition. Try your luck on page 24. You might discover that using your hands is more rewarding than using your brain.
