Italy, My Beautiful Obsession

About the Book

Italy, My Beautiful Obsession: An American Italophile Falls in Love is a travel memoir based on the author's many decades of visiting Italy. Fowler's extensive art and music education, as well as her experience as an artist and performer enable her to bring Italy's very appearance and treasured heritage vividly to mind.

The book starts with her first arrival in Italy as a young woman and having to deal with the bureaucracy (a tale amusingly told!) in order to get married in Rome in 1951. It is based on her meticulously detailed private journals.

This book is insightful, informative, innovative and entertaining. The author explores every aspect of Italian life and culture as she experienced it; delving into, analyzing, and revealing the essence of what makes Italy the destination of choice for so many people. She covers subjects from the country's topography to its food, its architecture and its language, to its awesome culture, its wonderful people, and more.

This highly readable book appeals to those experienced travellers who have already been to Italy, know they love it, and never tire of reading about it. It also appeals to those considering vacationing in Italy, whetting the appetite to visit more than just the few highlights afforded by packaged tours.

Everything in the book is seen and described through the author's personal prism. Neither a guide book nor a cook book, Italy, My Beautiful Obession contains elements of both, presented in a most enjoyable way.

About the Author

Art and music have been the dominant themes in Arden Fowler's life; punctuated with a passionate love of foreign travel, especially to Italy. Her art career morphed from fashion and crafts designer in New York City to lyric coloratura soprano on the recital and opera stage, while serving as choral and church soloist.

In 1979, she was the guiding force and Founding President of GLORIA MUSICAE, the first professional chamber chorus in the southeast United States, based in Sarasota, FL. Fowler holds a Certificate in Music Therapy from the Turtle Bay Music School, N.Y.C., and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance degree from the Univ. of South Florida, Tampa. She is a private voice teacher and performance coach.

For a dozen years she lectured on the history of opera and vocal music at The Education Center on Longboat Key, FL. She has been a volunteer for Head Start, teaching Music for Early Childhood.

As correspondent to the Sarasota Herald Tribune, (a N.Y.Times publication) Fowler wrote classical music, dance and theatre reviews from 1985-1991, as well as writing a number of travel articles.

She is an avid sailor, accomplished mosaicist, careful sewer, gifted teacher, and a good cook. She is a devoted wife, mother , and grandmother. Blessed with multiple talents, she would rather die of exhaustion than boredom.