Villa in the Storm
In the quiet of Provence, reading a book about populist chaos
To hear the related 5-minute audio file that I uploaded today as my Morning Journal flash briefing for Alexa devices, please click on the play button:
Les ingénieurs du chaos by Giuliano da Empoli
As we settle into the tranquility of our rented villa in La Colle-sur-Loup, I wonder why I am drawn to reading a book about populist chaos.
Maybe it’s just the right place.
Giuliano da Empoli, an Italian political operative and media guy, wrote The Engineers of Chaos five years ago. I haven’t found it in English, so I am reading it in French with the help of my Kindle’s terrific translation capability.
The book shows how right-wing political leaders are using digital communication, data analytics, and social media to gain power. Da Empoli’s engineers of chaos are the spin doctors, including Steve Bannon, who make it happen.
At 1 a.m. I was in a chair in the bedroom, unable to get back to sleep.
“Are you reading something calming?” Darlene asked from the bed.
“No,” I replied. Another hour went by before even the engineers of chaos couldn’t keep me awake.
Still, I find this setting a good one for reading a smart analysis of reality, however chaotic. The quiet and the beauty of my friend Flip Morse’s villa enable me to read and think more slowly, with more curiosity and openness than I might have elsewhere.
On my own, I would be tempted to read and write all day here on the patio, rationing my intake of croissants and Nespresso.
Luckily, I am traveling with more active companions.
Darlene has set up a three-hour cooking class for us at the home of a chef in Vence. It will take place Thursday, on my 74th birthday. Our niece Liz arrives tomorrow to join us in France. She and I share the same birthday, 41 years apart. Maybe our chef, Noel, will help us to bake un gâteau!
On tap for today, if Deb has adequately recovered from her head cold, is a drive across the boarder to Bordighera, a picturesque town on the Italian coast.
ChatGPT advised me that Bordighera’s artistic legacy includes “the British painter Claude Monet.”
When I challenged that hallucination, the genial AI replied:
You're absolutely right! Claude Monet was indeed a French painter, not British. Monet is one of the most famous figures of the Impressionist movement in France. He visited Bordighera in 1884, where he spent several weeks painting its beautiful landscapes, capturing the town's unique light, vibrant colors, and lush vegetation in his works.
Thank you for catching that mistake, and I hope you enjoy your visit to Bordighera!
Traveler beware.
What a great place to celebrate your birthday tomorrow! 🎂