A Dance With Dragons

“I am ironborn [...]. I laugh at pain. You will have what you require… but if you fail [...], I will cut your throat myself [...].”

Martin, George Raymond Richard. (2011). A Dance With Dragons.

Macbeth

“Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.”

Shakespeare, William. (1623). The Tragedy of Macbeth.

Ode to the West Wind

“[...] O Wind,
If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”

Shelley, Percy Bysshe. (1819). Ode to the West Wind.

Ascesa al Monte Ventoso

“È proprio così: amo, ma ciò che amerei non amare, ciò che vorrei odiare; amo tuttavia, ma contro voglia, nella costrizione, nel pianto, nella sofferenza. In me faccio triste esperienza di quel verso di un famosissimo poeta: ti odierò, se posso; se no, t’amerò contro voglia.”

Petrarca, Francesco. (1352-53). Ascesa al Monte Ventoso.

The Nemedian Chronicles

“Know, oh prince, that [...] in the dreaming west [...] came [...] a thief with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his [...] feet.”

Howard, Robert Ervin. (1932). The Phoenix on the Sword.

Giap!

“La contraddizione [...] fa parte della complessità delle cose con cui confrontarsi. Guai se dovesse diventare motivo di paranoia o di paralisi. Ci trasformerebbe in stracchi situazionisti.”

Ming, Wu. (2003). Giap!.

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell

“The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom.”

Blake, William. (1790-1793). The Marriage of Heaven and Hell.

Unknown 2

“E quello
che vorrei dirti di più bello
non te l’ho ancora detto.”

Hikmet, Nazim. (1942). Unknown.

Unknown 1

“Amo in te l’impossibile
ma non la disperazione.”

Hikmet, Nazim. (1943). Unknown.

Little Things Mean A Lot

Sing in the shower • Plant a tree on your birthday • Watch a sunrise at least once a year • Compliment three people every day • Never refuse homemade brownies • Buy whatever it is kids are selling on card tables in their front yards • Floss your teeth • Strive for excellence, not perfection • Wear polished shoes • Say “Thank you” a lot • Say “Please” a lot • Overtip breakfast waitresses • Learn three clean jokes • Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know • Think big thoughts but relish small things • Leave everything a little better than you found it • Return borrowed vehicles with the gas tank full • Avoid negative people • Remember other people’s birthdays • Have a firm handshake • Carry jumper cables in your trunk • Send lots of Valentine cards and sign them “Someone who thinks you’re terrific” • Use the good silver • Be the first to say “Hello” • Make some new friends, but cherish the old ones • Keep secrets • Don’t expect life to be fair • Wave at kids on school buses • Look at people right in the eye • Plant flowers every spring • Be there when people need you • Return all things you borrow • Live your life as an exclamation, not an explanation •  Never ever underestimate the power of love • Rekindle old friendships • Always accept an outstretched hand • Stop blaming others • Don’t be afraid to say, “I made a mistake” • Count your blessings • Call your mother • Keep your promises (no matter what) • Buy a kid a chocolate ice cream cone • Feed a stranger’s expired parking meter • Compliment even small improvements • Call Dad