Mariella Gattini

  • Letters
  • Blog
  • Books
  • Short Circuits
  • About
  • Contact

Blog

I Live in Texas

November 18, 2015

Austin, Texas.

I’ve been living here since 1999, first in Houston, and now in the Dallas area. Texas has nothing to do with the stereotypes that you know the state for. There are many interesting and kind individuals around. Among my inspirational ones starting back in time: Debbie Reynolds, Farrah Fawcett, Sissy Spacek, Woody Harrelson, Matthew McConaughey, …Willie Nelson! Among the younger artists that had been there for me intellectually: Wes Anderson, Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, Richard Linklater. Others, like Ellen Degeneres and the Duplass brothers, came from Louisiana and lived in Texas for a while. One way or another, they all are a brilliant addition to the arts in this country. Many other Texan artists are working in California right now, living their dream.

In this side of Texas, summers are sizzling and winters are cold, particularly the first week of December in my experience. Sometimes winters seem never-ending freezing ones. Nevertheless, most people are polite, resilient, and creative. Here is were I became a U.S. citizen in 2010. Because of the good people around, I decided to stay.

There are two extraordinary writers I really like: Paul Burka and Skip Hollandsworth, both write for Texas Monthly, magazine that I’ve been reading since I arrived in the state. They have different styles, but both have managed to grab my attention with their skillful prose. It’s always a delight to investigate what they are up to, and every time they surprise me with something even more interesting. Since I’m not a journalist, my approach to writing comes from my discipline as a translator, so it’s always refreshing to read something from those two great writers, they have never disappointed me, …and I’m very picky.

What else I’m up to now? I’m working on my second book, this one is only set in the U.S. I’m discovering new things in this country every day, and I can’t write fast enough.

  • Next:  Films, Filmmakers, and Writers


Posts by date

 2025

Jan 23   The War of the Words V

 2024

Oct 09   Kamala and The Tree of Knowledge

Jul 11   About Writing III

Jul 11   Actresses 101

Mar 06   What Linklater Got Wrong

Feb 09   Techno-Heaven

 2023

Dec 25   Peter Panish

Sep 01   Pleasure or Paradise?

Aug 21   The War of the Words IV

Aug 16   Indicted

Mar 11   Witch Hunt

 2022

Sep 15   Optics II

Jul 16   The War of the Words III

Mar 26   Irrational Minds

Feb 05   Ursula's Path

Jan 16   Predicting the Future

 2021

Sep 11   Con-Science

May 26   The War of the Words II

May 26   Halston

Mar 19   The War of the Words I

Jan 12   January 6th, 2021

 2020

Nov 02   Separated

Aug 26   Optics I

Jul 27   Name Calling

Jul 13   About Writing II

Jul 04   Mr. Shallow

Jun 11   Hidden Figures

Jun 03   9 Minutes

Apr 21   Signaling

Feb 18   ToKyoTokyo Series Part III

Jan 16   ToKyoTokyo Series Part II

 2019

Dec 20   ToKyoTokyo Series Part I

Nov 04   Mr. Power

Oct 10   Today Is a Good Day

Sep 05   Inspiration Point

Aug 08   The Ones Who Walk Away

Jul 25   On Feminism

Jun 16   Marie Colvin in a Private War

Jun 12   About Writing I

Jun 06   Nureyev

May 31   Nora and Her Neck

Apr 24   Home Less

Apr 11   The Passion Side of Love

Mar 25   Gloria Bell

Mar 03   Mary Shelley

Jan 12   Mr. Fart

 2018

Dec 15   My Orson

Dec 15   Ping-Pong

 2017

Dec 05   Breaking Away

Nov 30   Julieta and the Despair of Being a Woman

Oct 24   Stupro

Oct 04   The Painter

Aug 05   A Quiet Passion… No More

Jul 27   Worst-Case Scenario

Jun 15   Catfight 2016

May 17   From Girl to Woman Boss

Apr 17   South

Mar 29   The Forgotten

Mar 03   In

Feb 22   Lost

Feb 04   2017

 2016

Nov 10   Hillary Lost

Oct 10   Trump, Trumpettes, and the Politics of Hate

Sep 11   September 11th, Laura Rodríguez, and the Haunting Past

Aug 19   Hillary

Aug 13   Striking Gold

Jul 25   What Is in the Name

Jul 09   Free in Dallas

Jul 02   Carol and Orlando

May 31   Reality and Reality Perception

Apr 22   Il Sorpasso

Apr 19   Lena Dunham and Kitty Genovese

Feb 25   December in California

 2015

Dec 02   My Italian and I

Nov 29   Three Different Geographical Points; One Basic Premise

Nov 28   I’m a Woman

Nov 23   From My Childhood to Our Last Day

Nov 22   Paris

Nov 22   Films, Filmmakers, and Writers

Nov 18   I Live in Texas


Posts by series

 About Writing

Jun 12, 19  About Writing I

Jul 13, 20  About Writing II

Jul 11, 24  About Writing III

 Optics

Aug 26, 20  Optics I

Sep 15, 22  Optics II

 The War of the Words

Mar 19, 21  The War of the Words I

May 26, 21  The War of the Words II

Jul 16, 22  The War of the Words III

Aug 21, 23  The War of the Words IV

Jan 23, 25  The War of the Words V

 ToKyoTokyo

Dec 20, 19  ToKyoTokyo Series Part I

Jan 16, 20  ToKyoTokyo Series Part II

Feb 18, 20  ToKyoTokyo Series Part III

Close

<< SWIPE LEFT

© Mariella Gattini 2025 v2.03.02