#ferranteposting

[balkanlila]

Raffaella Cerullo + Transition state theory

"She was like that, she threw things off balance just to see if she could put them back in some other way." - Elena Ferrante

largely inspired by this post by my beloved @elenagrec and this discussion i've had with @prismelit

[rotzaprachim]

pg 19 and going insane already

[balkanlila]

love letter to the girl who runs; poem by @elenagrec

time capsule note: today my brilliant friend colette wrote this poem for me and i wanted to make sure it remains a monument💙🧡

[balkanlila]

Lila Cerullo + Enzo Scanno: Volumetric Analysis Conducted in a Kitchen

text by me | perhaps the world ends here - joy hario | my brilliant friend - elena ferrante | summer kitchen - donald hall | jacebeleran | letters to donald windham - tennessee williams | x | x | x | my tags

[balkanlila]

an arrangement between effects of the light and the flesh of the city

My Brilliant Friend (TV) // L'amica geniale, Elena Ferrante // excerpts from my diary

I am perpetually fascinated by the landmark qualities behind Enzo's physicality in a world plagued by disintegration. I especially enjoy how it compliments Lila's outwardly signatures, such as nervousness and a body that is often described as fragile and betraying, all characteristics that are in tune with dissolving boundaries as a concept. There are two spheres this relationship inhabits narratively: one of the cyclical, historical and architectural Naples and one of the confined area that is a room and I am restless in my curiosity when it comes to those spaces interacting and what that means for these characters.

[balkanlila]

poem by: @elenagrec

paintings by: Vincent van Gogh, Pierre Boncompain, Yuri Krotov

[balkanlila]

you didn't hear it here but lila does this thing where she judges elena for something she's still mad at herself about because she can't stand the idea of elena being in any proximity to her own fate, but there's a tiny part of her that finds pleasure in bringing elena to what she sees as her inadequate level and yes, this can be seen in immacolata as well. i feel like the pleasure lila derives from elena being reduced to her neapolitan roots is the same pleasure elena derives from her marks of superiority in comparison to lila, significantly higher level of formal education most of all. of course, both of them are quick to view those arguments as weak and petty because they will always see the other friend as the brilliant one, sometimes with jealousy, but more often with fondness that exists both at the expense of their own credibility and as their one untarnished positive quality. being your friend is the sole good thing about me etc.

[balkanlila]

that kindled her, she lighted up

Lila's love for learning and Lila's love for people in her life are identical and come from the same place. This is rather unusual and she is consistently transformed into something either less or more than human for it. She is made out to be less than human when her love for people more closely resembles love one might have for an idea or a book or a city. She is made out to be more than human when her love for learning more closely resembles love for a person in its intensity, dedication and passion. Both of these things inspire a fascination that turns sour in others who in return want to make this part of Lila dissappear. It's only with Enzo that she gets to be this way, not only without having it be a bad thing, but also having it be something that she can share and enjoy in the presence of the other.