Creative Light featuring Karena Benke
“Creative writing is really about teaching people how to trust themselves.” Karen Benke For my final episode before taking a hiatus, I’m joined by author, writing guide, and fellow Florence transplant Karena Benke. Karena divides her life between Florence and the San Francisco Bay Area, a life she describes as leaving her heart “forever divided.” […]
Practicing Joy featuring Alatia Bradley Bach
“If you are not getting quiet and getting to know who you are, there is no free will.”- Alatia Bradley Bach What happens when the thing that frightens you most turns out to be exactly what you are meant to do? Alatia Bradley Bach spent more than three decades in New York, working at publications […]
The Algorithm & Me featuring Fosca D’Acierno
This week, I’m taking a break from guest interviews for a more personal episode. After putting out a call for stories about love and dating in Italy—and hearing plenty from women but surprisingly little from men—I decided to hit pause on that project and instead share something unexpected: my own recent plunge into the world […]
Bianca’s Cure featuring Gigi Berardi
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 […]
The Long Way Home featuring Jodi Koskella
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 […]
In her Hands featuring Jacqueline Harberink
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 […]
The Quality of the Question featuring Alessandro Bruni
“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 […]
Open Doors featuring Lauren Mouat
“As foreigners in Italy, we are often living in the middle between languages, places, and versions of ourselves.” Lauren Mouat 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 […]
On Writing and Instinct featuring R.J. Sinclaire
“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, R.J. Sinclaire, for a conversation that moves between place, instinct, and the long road to writing a first novel. What […]
In the Parlour featuring Esther Tadjiev
“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 […]