Curzio Malaparte (pseudonym of Kur Eric Suckert, 1898-1957) was born in Prato and served in World War I. An early supporter of the Italian Fascist movement and a prolific journalist, Malaparte soon established himself as an outspoken public figure. In 1931 he incurred Mussolini’ s displeasure by publishing a how-to manual entilted Technique of the Coup-d’ Etat, which led to his arrest and a brief term in prison. During World War II Malaparte worked as a correspondent, for much of the time on the Eastern Front, and this experience provided the basis for his two most famous books, Kaputt (1944) and The Skin (1949). Malaparte’ s political sympathies veered to the left after the war. He continued to write, while also involving himself in the theater and the cinema.
Dan Hofstadter’ s last book was The Love Affair as a Work of Art, a study of French writers. Falling Palace, about daily life in contemporary Naples, will be published in 2005.
