Michele Prisco
Michele Prisco (1920-2003) was an influential Italian writer, known for his keen psychological insights and exploration of the human condition. Born in Torre Annunziata, Italy, he was the youngest of eleven children and pursued a law degree at the University of Naples, graduating in 1942. Prisco began his literary career with the publication of his first short story in the same year and quickly became recognized for his work, particularly with his 1949 collection, "La provincia addormentata," which established the province of Naples as a recurring setting in his fiction.
His writing is marked by a focus on the darker aspects of the human psyche, often reflecting on middle-class values, emotional turmoil, and the nature of evil. Prisco transitioned to novel writing, producing several notable works, including "Gli eredi del vento" in 1950 and "Il pellicano di pietra" in 1996. His literary contributions earned him significant accolades, including the Prize Strega in 1966 for "Una spirale di nebbia." Beyond his literary achievements, Prisco's personal life included a marriage to Sarah Buonomo, with whom he had two daughters, further humanizing his narrative exploration of familial and societal dynamics.
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Michele Prisco
Writer
- Born: January 18, 1920
- Birthplace: Torre Annunziata, Italy
- Died: November 19, 2003
- Place of death: Naples, Italy
Biography
Michele Prisco was born on January 18, 1920, in Torre Annunziata, Italy, the youngest of eleven children born to Salvatore and Annamaria Prisco. Captivated by writing at an early age, he nonetheless followed family tradition and studied law at the University of Naples, graduating with a law degree in 1942. His first short story was published that year in the journal Lettura. From 1942 to 1943, Prisco served in the Reserve Officers Military School and wrote for newspapers and journals. He published his first collection of short stories, La provincia addormentata, in 1949, and with that publication began to fulfill the goal he stated in his journal at the age of sixteen: to show people the depths of their psyches and by so doing, hopefully, teach them to do less ill to other people. La provincia addormentata established Prisco’s characteristic setting for his works, the province of Naples and the nearby towns, and his characteristic exploration of the dark sides of the human mind and soul.
Taking as his models such traditional novel writers as Gustave Flaubert and Katherine Mansfield, Prisco next turned his attention to novel writing, the genre in which he has written the majority of his fiction. His first novel was Gli eredi del vento (1950; Heirs of the Wind, 1953), and he has since written a number of other novels, including Il pellicano di pietra, published in 1996. On October 6, 1951, Prisco married Sarah Buonomo, and the couple had two daughters, Annella and Caterina.
Prisco received the Prize Venezia in 1950 and in 1966 was awarded the Prize Strega for Una spirale di nebbia (1966; A Spiral in the Mist, 1969). Prisco’s significance lies in his unflinching exploration of middle-class motives and mores, destructive impulses and emotions, and the nature of evil.