[Dean's World] Dean: Oriana Fallaci: An Amazing Woman

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Posted by Dean:
Oriana Fallaci: An Amazing Woman
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1149559978.shtml


   She fought fascism, she fought communism, she fought radical religious
   nutjobs. She may be crazy and I would love to argue with her over some
   things, but she's my kinda woman. Example:

     Fallaci was born in Florence in 1929, to a family with a long
     history of rebellion. Her mother, Tosca, she said, was the orphaned
     daughter of an anarchistââand I tell you those were people with
     balls! With balls! And they were the first ones to be executed.â On
     both sides of her family, she said, she had relatives who fought
     for the Risorgimentoââpeople who were always in jail.â Fallaci was
     an avid reader as a child (her parents lived modestly but splurged
     on books), and a favorite author was Jack London. His tales of
     brave acts in the face of savage nature inspired her to become a
     writer. She describes her father, Edoardoâa craftsman who became a
     leader in the anti-Fascist movement in Tuscany, and who served time
     in prison for itâas a sweet man. âHeroes can be sweet,â she said,
     adding that Panagoulis had been that way, too. But both of
     Fallaciâs parents prized courage and toughness in their three
     daughters. In âThe Rage and the Pride,â she tells a story about the
     Allied bombardment of Florence on September 25, 1943. She and her
     family took refuge in a church as the bombs began to fall. The
     walls were shakingâthe priest cried out, âHelp us, Jesus!ââand
     Oriana, who was the eldest, at fourteen, began to cry. âIn a
     silent, composed way, mind you,â she writes. âNo moans, no hiccups.
     But Father noticed it all the same, and, in order to help me, to
     calm me down, poor Father, he did the wrong thing. He gave me a
     powerful slapâhe stared me in the eyes and said, âA girl does not,
     must not, cry.â â Fallaci says that sheâs never cried sinceânot
     even when Panagoulis died.

   Margarat Talbot has an [1]exceptional interview and profile with
   Fallaci in The New Yorker.

   Read the whole thing.

   (Thanks [2]Jerry.)

References

   1. http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/060605fa_fact
   2. http://www.jerrykindall.com/