Athens, Ga. – Frances Mayes, author of the best-selling memoirs Under the Tuscan Sun and Bella Tuscany, will speak in the University of Georgia Chapel March 30 at 4 p.m.
Her talk, “Living Under the Tuscan Sun” is sponsored by the UGA Libraries to celebrate Mayes’ donation of her personal papers to the libraries. A reception and book signing will follow at Demosthenian Hall.
“Many, many people have enjoyed reading of Frances Mayes’ adventures in Italy and we are excited to present this opportunity for the university community to hear her personally,” said William Gray Potter, the university librarian and associate provost. “More so, we are thrilled that she has trusted us with preserving her papers and look forward to sharing them with her fans and scholarly researchers alike.”
In Under the Tuscan Sun (1996), Mayes began the story of finding an abandoned house while traveling in Italy, buying it and the arduous task of restoration. Her writing focuses on making the house, Bramsole, her home and simultaneously establishing a new life.
In her new memoir, Every Day in Tuscany: Seasons of an Italian Life, Mayes offers an account of her present-day life in Tuscany, reflecting on the simple pleasures of Italian life. Interspersed throughout the chapters are 25 recipes from duck breast with caramelized spices to dessert.
An exhibit at the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library will feature selections from the collection, including typescripts, hand-corrections of galley proofs, poetry, and examples of foreigntranslations of her books into such languages as Estonian, Polish, Romanian and Japanese.
A native of Fitzgerald, Ga., Mayes divides her time between Italy and North Carolina. She is also the author of a travel memoir, A Year in the World, the illustrated books In Tuscany and BringingTuscany Home; Swan, a novel; The Discovery of Poetry, a text for readers; and five books of poetry. Additional information on Mayes is available at www.francesmayesbooks.com.
