Antonio Romani Presents The Patient Wait of the Stones, with Martha Cooley

Join Antonio Romani at Community Bookstore for a conversation with Martha Cooley on his new book, The Patient Wait of the Stones.

About the book:

The Patient Wait of the Stones is a memorable meditation on the phenomena of place and the compelling force of history. First published in Italian, this hybrid narrative combines memoir with national and regional history. This literary work is an evocation of the stunning particularity to be found in a tiny medieval village in Northern Tuscany.

Antonio Romani, a former teacher and bookseller, discovers astonishing facts about his refuge built of stones and the castle at the center of his village (that once housed Dante in exile.) He finds a place for himself in the great sweep of history that touches both the dry stone walls he painstakingly repairs, and with the human inhabitants, past and present, who are the creators of a sustaining and continuing story. Co-translated into English with Marth Cooley, novelist and author of the recently published My Little Donkey (Catapult, November, 2025)

About the participants:

Antonio Romani's translations of poems by Italian poet Giampiero Neri have been published in AGNI, Atlanta Review, PEN America, A Public Space, and others. He formerly taught Italian Literature and History in two high schools in Cremona and was the owner and manager of two bookstores.

Martha Cooley is the author of three novels, including the national bestseller The Archivist, Thirty-Three Swoons, and Buy Me Love, the memoir Guesswork, and the essay collection My Little Donkey. Her short fiction, essays, and translations have appeared in numerous literary journals. Her co-translations of Italian fiction, poetry, and nonfiction include Antonio Tabucchi’s story collection Time Ages in a Hurry and Antonio Romani’s The Patient Wait of the Stones.

Please note that an RSVP does not guarantee you a seat. We can accommodate approximately 50 seated and 80 standing. If you require a seat, please plan to arrive early.

Buy the book here.