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Italy is mine

... and it owes me a living

Art and Nature, music and literature, animal and human rights, freedom of thought and speech, kindness, culture and education without boundaries.

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Vera da Pozzo, an Italian expat in Paris.

From the Island of the Sun to the Isle of France.

My pseudonym Vera da Pozzo is a pun alluding to what I care about most : truth and loyalty, depth and insight. In my mother tongue, the syntagma "vera da pozzo" means a puteal, but it could be a female name followed by a family name. Water is indispensable for living, and we need to keep it pure and unpolluted; it is the same for truth.
I write in English because I love this language since my childhood and also because English allows me to have a more detached view on both Italy and France. The title of my personal website and blog is a paraphrasis of the verse "England is mine and it owes me a living", from Morrissey's song "Still Ill", released in The Smiths debut album "The Smiths" on 20th February 1984. As Italy had nothing to offer to young people like me, I decided to throw my arms around Paris, as Oscar Wilde did, and I am still here. Like francophone actor Lino Ventura, I am and I will always be Italian.

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In two weeks

It seems so long But two weeks Pass so quickly And I am strong And I am young And I am foolish And I am happy Vera da Pozzo Paris 1st February A. D. MMXXVI Below: resized image of a picture taken in Miami on 22d January by someone who had the chance to be there: I will edit my article when I find the name or the nickname of the photographer. I am very busy with the new cabaret project and I have plenty of ideas for my writings and drawings, but I am not on holidays and my day

The Boss against the Bossy Blond

Bruce Springsteen Has Something Very important to say And Speaking Through Music Is the very best way Vera da Pozzo An Italian in Paris 28th January 2026 Bruce Springsteen, Streets of Minneapolis Pictures below : Bruce Springsteen and his guitar on the cover of his single Born in the U.S.A , from the album of the same name . The album was released on 4th June 1984; the single was released on 30th October of the same year. The extremely well-known cover art of the album Born i

The Boy with many Thorns in both Sides - Saint Sebastian

As I am going to work, I have just the time to post my favourite artwork inspired by Saint Sebastian: the stunningly beautiful picture by the great Renaissance painter Antonello from Messina. I was a very young and extremely curious child who found the best nourishment in books, art and music, and I have always been fascinated by the iconography of Saint Sebastian, and Antonello's masterwork is my favourite because of Sebastian's stoic expression of resignation and His inner

About the music of "Make-up is a Lie"

I have just found on YouTube an interesting video about the music composed by Camila Grey for the new Morrissey's single and album title-track Make-up is a Lie . Thanks to Alex from Morrissey Unofficial Videos for posting on YouTube his collab with Sam from @theironbridge who is on IG, because, as I do not want IG & Co. , I cannot see his contents. I am not sure about who the Poet is (the hypothesis about Gertrude Stein do not convince me) and, by the way. I do not think M

Vernissage

Thank God, and against all odds, I managed to finish my artwork on Wednesday evening, just in time for the collective exhibition in Paris. My drawings were ready the day before but, as I had to get up very early to go to work on Wednesday, I had to put up the whole artwork and write the message (which is also its title) in the evening, during the vernissage. Even if it was absolutely not planned - and, to be honest, I would rather have my artwork already on the wall - it was

Spent Saturday in Bed... for the most part

I hate it, but I have to surrender if I want to get well soon. This week I had to go to work, malgré tout , on Wednesday and Thursday, taking the tram, the métro , the train and the bus (and the way back) because I had no choice (but there was also an excellent reason to be out and about on Wednesday evening) and yesterday took a short walk in my beloved Park, but I was not in good shape. It is just a mild flu, worsened by the frenetic rythm of my working week. I avoid any t

Keep Shining!

To You, Tonight Just keep shining And it's all right Vera da Pozzo Paris, 10th January 2026 (C) Vera da Pozzo (C) Italy is Mine (C) Italy is Mine and It owes Me a Living #keepshining #whateverhappens #whattheyhateinyouismissinginthem #VeradaPozzo #Morrissey #2026Tour #SanAntonio #music #MakeupisaLie #YourerightItstime #ItalyisMine #italyismineanditowesmealiving

Habemus Album!

Oh, I knew, I surely knew, I absolutely knew that it would happen soon. I have always been and I will always be impervious to the Jinxes and other Sad and Bad People whose happiness depend on other People actual, guessed or hoped unhappiness. Sing and shine in the Darkness as always, Silver Boy. Be Young, be Foolish, be Happy... Be YOU. Vera da Pozzo An Italian in Paris 9th January A. D. MMXXVI (C) Vera da Pozzo (C) Italy is Mine (C) Italy is Mine and It owes Me a Living Belo

Morrissey in Europe: my personal overview of his 2025 Tour

[The first paragraphs of this article have been written on 3rd August 2025, but I did not have the time to finish it. I have decided to publish my article in its second version, updated but not completed, while I am looking forward for its whole, definitive version, next year. Vera da Pozzo, 31.12.2025] I have had the chance to attend seven concerts in two months; none of the gigs I planned and bought the tickets for was cancelled. By the way, I was and I will always be compl

You're right, It's time... for Christmas News

Christmas Time is the perfect time for some good news, and here is one from Morrissey : the new album, long-awaited and recently renewed before its release, is coming soon, and the new tracklist is known. After his post about Sire Records , last week (I was so busy I just had the time to copy, past and send to a French friend the link to Morrissey Central's post), we finally know the new tracklist of this album, whose title Without Music the World dies has changed, because t

The Old Lady hasn't lost her appeal

Europe may be old, but her appeal to Morrissey is intact. See You next year, somewhere in Europe . Be young, be foolish, be happy. (C) Vera da Pozzo #TheOldLadyhasntlostherappeal #Europe #Morrissey #MorrisseyinEurope #tour #Morrissey2026 #music #news #VeradaPozzo #ItalyisMine #italyismineanditowesmealiving

Saint Cecilia, Patroness of Musicians

Among the Italian Saints, Cecilia is one of my favourite ones, et pour cause : music is in my life since the beginning, and even before my birth, thanks to the radio and my parent's and siblings' good taste. During the few days I spent in Rome, three months and a half ago, after Morrissey's concerts in Lucca, Rome and Catania, I had not the time to visit the Church of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, but I visited it many years ago and quite hurrily - which is not in my habits,

Do your best and don't worry

When Nothing seems to happen And You're stuck on a Desert Island There is Something coming along, and You'll find it sooner than You imagine So please, no more Tears Falling down from Your Eyes: Do Your Best and don't worry If the Dawn seems to be late And the Darkness is too heavy When your Black Dog bites again I hear You crying de profundis: Through Your Voice I feel Your Pain And It's running through my Veins For I know well what It means Since I was eight, sad and helpl

November, remember

You should have been with Us now Rembering and not being remembered Why did You have to go? The Unanswered Question Stays steadily in my Mind And -alas! - I still cannot find The Key of this sas Enigma But I can light a candle and pray For You and all the Beloved Ones Vera da Pozzo, Paris, 2nd November 2025 Below: pictures taken by me today in one of my favourite Parisian churches. I seldom attend the Mass: I have always preferred the churches when there is nobody. This after

Why I did not attend Johnny Marr's concert in Paris and why I do not regret it

Johnny Marr is undoubtedly a very talented and skilled guitarist and he did a great work when he was just out of his teens in a crowded and extremely lively music scene in Manchester and The Smiths came "to disturb the peace", as James Baldwin said during his famous talk at New York City's Community Church in 1962. In a crowded and extremely lively music scene in Manchester, The Smiths emerged as a band of "ordinary boys" who did not just want to be famous, but who were det

20 October 1986 - 2025: Happy 39th Birthday, "Ask"

Last year I had not the time to write something about one of my favourites songs by The Smiths, but I made this drawing, taking my inspiration from the Australian sleeve of the single. Here is my artwork: Below, the Australian sleeve for Ask , with Cemetry Gates as the B-side. Photograph by Jo Novark. Cemetry Gates is another of my favourite Smiths songs: I was blessed to listen to both of these songs live, at my very first Morrissey's concert at the Paris Zénith in 2009.

Hold on to your Friends

Pictures by me and / with some friends. Saturday night. Below: Sunday afternoon, on the rooftop of the Collège de France and in the...

It's up to You, New York!

Too busy to write, still I have found the time for this drawing. Detail of my artwork. ... and my drawing in its whole. New York, New York...

My Deerest Love

Drawing made by me today. During the concert at the City Folk Festival in Ottawa (the second gig of the Canadian leg of 2025 American...

Sing and Shine, Fantastic Bird!

Quick artwork in my diary. #singandshinefantasticbird #Morrissey #Montréal #singandshine #fantasticbird #music #art #2025tour (C) Vera da...

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