Ahhh, Kathe. More tantalizing details of what we may expect to find when Under the Poppy is published. Like Istvan (and what a sexy name THAT is) I think that names can often serve as armour. And for those with ‘titles’, even more so. We have a few friends who are heavily titled, and I’m always slightly flustered when called upon to introduce them to people who don’t have ‘handles’ beyond the obvious ones of Mr, Mrs or Ms. I once had to introduce my cleaner to a Marchioness at the breakfast table. I used the full title: Lady – Marchioness of – . However my cleaner, confronted with this mouthfull, to her everlasting credit siezed upon my house-guest’s Christian name, and thereafter called her only by that! The Marchioness didn’t turn a hair. She’s a doughty woman, as was the cleaner. They continued chummily to call each other by their given names to the end of the Marchioness’s visit! Quite right too!

Insane and bizarre! I want to read ‘Under the Poppy’… puppets could be very disturbing when used to speak about love (for example Barry Purves, Jan Svankmajer).
Hope to see you in Italy with Sharon!
Paolo