Melissa Panarello
Encyclopedia
Melissa Panarello alias Melissa P., is an Italian writer
.
town of Aci Castello
, near Catania
in Italy. In 2004 she became famous for authoring the erotic novel, 100 colpi di spazzola prima di andare a dormire (translated into English by Lawrence Venuti
as One Hundred Strokes of the Brush Before Bed, 2004). The novel, written in diary form, focuses on the narrator's extreme sexual life during her teenage years and is loosely based on the author's own experiences. The book was distributed in forty countries and translated into over thirty languages. Coming from Sicily, one of the most traditional and old-fashioned parts of Italy, Panarello's book created a scandal because she writes about penetration
, sperm
, and orgasm
in a very matter-of-fact fashion.
Panarello currently resides in Rome
with her partner, Thomas Fazi, the son of her publisher. She published her second novel, L'odore del tuo respiro (The Scent of Your Breath), in 2005. In that same year a film was also made about her first novel, titled Melissa P.
, produced by Francesca Neri
and directed by Luca Guadagnino
. Panarello, however, did not back the film, claiming a lack of faithfulness to her novel. In April 2006, she published a third book, titled In nome dell'amore (In the Name of Love), presented as an open letter to Camillo Ruini in which she accuses the Catholic Church
of interfering in the Italian political scene
and defends the laïcité
of the country.
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
.
Biography
Panarello grew up in the small SicilianSicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
town of Aci Castello
Aci Castello
Aci Castello is a city and comune in the Province of Catania in Sicily, Italy. The city is located 9 km north of Catania on the Mediterranean coast. The primary economic sectors are agriculture and industry...
, near Catania
Catania
Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse. It is the capital of the homonymous province, and with 298,957 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in Sicily and the tenth in Italy.Catania is known to have a seismic history and...
in Italy. In 2004 she became famous for authoring the erotic novel, 100 colpi di spazzola prima di andare a dormire (translated into English by Lawrence Venuti
Lawrence Venuti
Lawrence Venuti , American translation theorist, translation historian and translator from Italian, French, and Catalan.-Career:...
as One Hundred Strokes of the Brush Before Bed, 2004). The novel, written in diary form, focuses on the narrator's extreme sexual life during her teenage years and is loosely based on the author's own experiences. The book was distributed in forty countries and translated into over thirty languages. Coming from Sicily, one of the most traditional and old-fashioned parts of Italy, Panarello's book created a scandal because she writes about penetration
Sexual penetration
Sexual penetration is a sexual activity that involves the entry into a bodily orifice, such as the vagina, anus or mouth, with a body part or an object....
, sperm
Sperm
The term sperm is derived from the Greek word sperma and refers to the male reproductive cells. In the types of sexual reproduction known as anisogamy and oogamy, there is a marked difference in the size of the gametes with the smaller one being termed the "male" or sperm cell...
, and orgasm
Orgasm
Orgasm is the peak of the plateau phase of the sexual response cycle, characterized by an intense sensation of pleasure...
in a very matter-of-fact fashion.
Panarello currently resides in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
with her partner, Thomas Fazi, the son of her publisher. She published her second novel, L'odore del tuo respiro (The Scent of Your Breath), in 2005. In that same year a film was also made about her first novel, titled Melissa P.
Melissa P. (film)
Melissa P. is a 2005 erotic drama film directed by Luca Guadagnino. It is based on Melissa Panarello's semi-autobiographical diary novel, 100 colpi di spazzola prima di andare a dormire which focuses on the narrator's teenage sex life...
, produced by Francesca Neri
Francesca Neri
Francesca Neri is an Italian actress.Neri was born in Trento, she has twice received the Silver Ribbon Award for Best Actress from the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists, for Pensavo fosse amore invece era un calesse, directed by Massimo Troisi and Carne trémula .She has also...
and directed by Luca Guadagnino
Luca Guadagnino
Luca Guadagnino is an Italian film director. He rose to notability with the 2005 film Melissa P., and he is a frequent collaborator with Tilda Swinton, including the 2010 film I Am Love.-Life and career:...
. Panarello, however, did not back the film, claiming a lack of faithfulness to her novel. In April 2006, she published a third book, titled In nome dell'amore (In the Name of Love), presented as an open letter to Camillo Ruini in which she accuses the Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
of interfering in the Italian political scene
Politics of Italy
The politics of Italy is conducted through a parliamentary, democratic republic with a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised collectively by the Council of Ministers, which is led by the President of the Council of Ministers, referred to as "Presidente del Consiglio" in Italian...
and defends the laïcité
Laïcité
French secularism, in French, laïcité is a concept denoting the absence of religious involvement in government affairs as well as absence of government involvement in religious affairs. French secularism has a long history but the current regime is based on the 1905 French law on the Separation of...
of the country.