by Andrew HALE , who lives and works in Rome as a journalist and writer
Earlier this year Mr. Hale broadcast a Letter from Rome in which he described a flight over the city in a helicopter, with Rome beneath him looking like a huge spider, the hairs on its legs grown so dense that legs and body seemed to have merged into one amorphous mass. Listeners asked for more talks from him, and now he gives the first of six monthly commentaries. Each talk will be recorded in Rome, but the topics will be chosen from the wide range of Italian life.
Next talk: June 15