15 with Fosca

“It shouldn’t be taboo to tango with history.” Daniel Grace This week on 15 with Fosca , I sit down with Daniel Grace: novelist, winemaker, former advertising agency owner, and mythologist at heart. Daniel divides his time between San Francisco and Panzano in Chianti, where he produces critically acclaimed Tuscan wines at his family’s estate, Il Molino di Grace.  His debut novel, In the Wake of Go...

In this episode of 15 with Fosca , I speak with author Angela Sims, whose richly researched historical fiction brings Renaissance Florence vividly to life. Angela’s path to writing began after long careers in clinical cardiology and higher education. What started as academic writing later became what she calls an “itch to write” — one that eventually led her to Florence, the Pazzi conspiracy, Savo...

In this episode of 15 with Fosca, I speak with professor, scholar, and author Gigi Berardi about her latest novel, Bianca’s Cure , a richly imagined story set in Renaissance Florence. Gigi’s work moves between science, food systems, sustainability, dance, storytelling, and the arts, and in this conversation, all of those worlds come together. We talk about Florence as a living city rather than a p...

Jodi Koskella never planned to work in Silicon Valley. She certainly never planned to launch a vegan shoe company, write a book about business failure, or leave a successful corporate career to start over in Florence. And yet that’s exactly what happened. In this candid conversation, Jodi shares her remarkable journey from Minnesota to Silicon Valley, through the dot-com boom and bust, into entrep...

What happens when you leave behind a successful career and choose a completely different path? In this episode of 15 with Fosca , I sit down with Dutch ceramic artist Jacqueline Haberlinck, founder of JHA Porcelain, to talk about reinvention, craftsmanship, and the unexpected turns that shape a life. Trained as a lawyer and once firmly rooted in the corporate world, Jacqueline eventually found her...

What does it take to reinvent not only yourself, but an entire nation? In Part 2 of my conversation with acclaimed authors and cultural historians Idanna Pucci and Terence Ward, we continue exploring the extraordinary life of Emilio Pucci—a man whose story reaches far beyond the world of fashion. Before his vibrant prints became synonymous with glamour, Pucci found himself at the center of one of...

“Pucci didn’t just design dresses. He helped reinvent Italy.”  Did you know that one of the most celebrated fashion designers of the twentieth century was also a wartime hero whose actions helped shape modern international law? In this extraordinary episode of 15 with Fosca , I sit down with acclaimed authors and cultural historians Idanna Pucci and Terence Ward to discuss their riveting new biogr...

“I use dialogue. I ask questions. And I don’t give answers.” Alessandro Bruni  In this episode of 15 with Fosca , I sit down with philosopher, strategist, professor, author, and musician Alessandro Bruni for a conversation about philosophy, business, Italy, AI, and how to keep our footing in a world that seems to be changing faster than we can name it. Alessandro teaches at the University of Pisa...

In this episode, I sit down with writer, professional tour guide, and Florence Literary Society co-founder Lauren Mouat for a conversation about Italy, writing, community, and the strange, unexpected doors that open when life doesn’t follow the plan. Lauren first came to Italy as a study abroad student in Rome, thinking she might stay for a year. More than fifteen years later, that year has become...

What does it mean to build a life designed not just to last, but to function well over time? In this conversation with Andrea Longinotti Buitoni, we move beyond the usual language of wellness and into something more structured and demanding. His Longevity Camp is not a retreat in the traditional sense, but what he describes as an ecosystem: a framework that connects environment, behavior, and long...

“Writing was my escape. But at some point it became something I needed to share.”        R.J. Sinclaire In this episode of 15 with Fosca , I sit down with author and fellow American expat in Italy, RJ Sinclaire, for a conversation that moves between place, instinct, and the long road to writing a first novel. What began with a chance meeting in Florence unfolded into a deeper exploration of what i...

“AI started unlocking a creative portal of stories I didn’t even know I had in me.” Elettra Fiumi  In this episode of 15 with Fosca , I’m joined by filmmaker, educator, and AI expert Elettra Fiumi for a wide-ranging conversation about artificial intelligence, creativity, education, storytelling, and the future of work. Rather than treating AI as something abstract, threatening, or distant, Elettra...

“I wanted to build a space where nobody would feel unseen.” Esther Tadjiev My guest today is Esther Tadjiev, founder and owner of The Parlour in Florence, a beautifully designed space that goes far beyond nails or aesthetics. What Esther has created is a study in hospitality, community, and the emotional architecture of luxury. Before moving to Florence, Esther worked at the highest levels of the...

The ultimate indicator of a society is how you treat the most vulnerable. Joseph Luzzi In this episode of 15 with Fosca, I speak with Professor Joseph Luzzi, Asher B. Edelman Professor of Literature at Bard College and acclaimed scholar of Italian culture. Our conversation centers on his latest book, The Innocents of Florence , a powerful exploration of the Ospedale degli Innocenti, the Renaissanc...

Mastery is when you don’t know if it’s intuition, experience, or knowledge. It just feels right.” Aelita Leto What if your life isn’t something you need to fix, but something you need to understand? In this intimate conversation recorded in Florence just before the Year of the Fire Horse, I sit down with Feng Shui master and Chinese astrologer Aelita Leto to explore what it really means to read en...

“Just do what you enjoy doing. Be curious. You don’t know where your path will take you.” Vincenzo Lodato  There are people you meet at the end of a party, when the night is winding down and you’re already halfway out the door, who stop you dead in your tracks. Vincenzo Lodato was that person for me. We met at one of Mary Shea’s unforgettable vineyard dinners at Querceto di Castellina, talked for...

“When I write under different names, I can be a different person. So, if I got stuck on whatever I was writing as Katherine Mezzacappa, that was a bit more literary, then I could dive off into a romance, if you like, and be Kate Zarrelli, and that does feel a bit different.” Katherine Mezzacappa In this episode, I’m joined by author Katherine Mezzacappa, the Irish-born, Tuscany-based novelist behi...

“People don’t just want the result; they want the experience of the work coming to life.” Sheean Hanlan In this episode of 15 with Fosca , I’m joined by Sheean Hanlan, a live event illustrator based in Florence whose work captures people not as perfect replicas, but as their essence, gestures, moods, microexpressions, and spirit. We talk about how Sheean first encountered Florence as a Pepperdine...

“It’s not about what happens to us, it’s about who we become going through it.” Gina Mazza  In this episode of 15 with Fosca , I sit down with author, editor, and self-described “word provocateur” and “creative alchemist”, Gina Mazza, for a grounded and expansive conversation about writing, fear, consciousness, and why storytelling may be the most powerful force we have. Gina has built a career no...

“When you’re triggered, you always have a choice: reactive or responsive.” Louise Evans What if every difficult moment in your life came down to one simple truth: you have a choice ? In this rich and deeply human conversation, I sit down with Louise Evans, creator of the Five Chairs Framework, a powerful behavioral model that has transformed workplaces, schools, families, and relationships around...

“Seek information led by autistic voices. We are scientists, writers, teachers, and we are here.”Jennifer Brunton  In this episode, I’m joined by Jennifer Brunton, autism and neurodivergence expert, author, activist, advocate, and keynote speaker, for a deeply human conversation about language, identity, and what it truly means to build a more inclusive world. We explore how the way we talk about...

“There’s a fine line between being selfish and being true to yourself.” Nita Tucker  In this episode, I’m joined by Nita Tucker, author, executive coach, and the founder of The Florentine, the English-language newspaper that has shaped and served Florence’s international community for more than twenty years. We begin with Nita’s first encounters with Florence, from hitchhiking through Europe in he...

“Curiosity and humility are the only things that change toxic workplaces, and they have to come from the top.” Jamie Fiore Higgins In this episode of 15 with Fosca, I sit down with Jamie Fiore Higgins, former Goldman Sachs executive and author of Bully Market , for an honest conversation about power, ambition, identity, and the quiet damage toxic workplaces can do. Jamie shares what it was like ri...

“Cities are not historic objects; they are places we live in right now.” Karin Templin In this episode, I sit down with practitioner of architecture and urban design, academic, design lecturer, writer, editor, and urban historian, Karin Templin, for a wide-ranging and deeply personal conversation about cities, housing, and what it means to truly live in Florence today. Karin has played a behind-th...

“Italy gives people permission; permission to slow down, to enjoy themselves, and to live with less urgency.” Rachel Zitin In part two of my conversation with Rachel Zitin, we go deeper into what it means to live, travel, and create in a way that is truly embodied and humane. Rachel reflects on how life in Italy has reshaped her relationship to time, productivity, rest, and desire. We explore the...