The Florentine Poet
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Why are the churches closed on Christmas Eve in Florence’s San Frediano district? This mystery perplexes an acclaimed American poet who journeys to the fabled city seeking inspiration. The proprietor of his hotel, raconteur Alberto Giannotti, reveals that it has nothing to do with the holiday—and everything to do with poetry.
With charm and Tuscan flair, Giannotti relates the story of Pietro Begnini, he who was born with the sign of the sonnet. He wants to become a poet and marry his beloved Sophia—but a devastating blow from a jealous enemy, the Grand Inquisitor for the Academy of Poetic Arts, sends him reeling throughout Italy and beyond. Pietro meets the great genius Leo (from Vinci), the doomed beauty Lucy (eventually a Borgia), the publishing pioneer Aldus Manutius, the poetry instructor Vito (the Vituperative), and the renowned pirate Jean-David Neu, the Italian Flail. He is even tempted by The Evil One. But eventually, Pietro returns to Florence for one last chance to achieve his dreams.
If you cherish passion, perseverance, or poets, you’ll be enthralled by this enchanting story of what one man can achieve for love. The Florentine Poet is bestselling author William Bernhardt’s masterpiece, illuminated by Brian Call’s delightful illustrations.
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William Bernhardt is the author of over sixty books, including The Last Chance Lawyer (#1 National Bestseller), the historical novels Challengers of the Dust and Nemesis, two books of poetry, and the Red Sneaker books on writing. In addition, Bernhardt mentors aspiring authors, hosts an annual conference (WriterCon), small-group seminars, a newsletter, and a bi-weekly podcast.
Bernhardt has received the Southern Writers Guild’s Gold Medal Award, the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award (University of Pennsylvania) and the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award (Oklahoma State), which is given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." In 2019, he received the Arrell Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award from the Oklahoma Center for the Book.
In addition Bernhardt has written plays, a musical (book and score), humor, children stories, biography, and puzzles. He has edited two anthologies (Legal Briefs and Natural Suspect) as fundraisers for The Nature Conservancy and the Children’s Legal Defense Fund. In his spare time, he has enjoyed surfing, digging for dinosaurs, trekking through the Himalayas, paragliding, scuba diving, caving, zip-lining over the canopy of the Costa Rican rain forest, and jumping out of an airplane at 10,000 feet.
In 2017, when Bernhardt delivered the keynote address at the San Francisco Writers Conference, chairman Michael Larsen noted that in addition to penning novels, Bernhardt can “write a sonnet, play a sonata, plant a garden, try a lawsuit, teach a class, cook a gourmet meal, beat you at Scrabble, and work the New York Times crossword in under five minutes.”
I have always loved to draw. I began my career in fifth grade when they put me in accelerated math to work on my own. I never worked on math a day after that, until I was found out. I spent my time drawing pictures and I would sell them to kids at lunch time.
I attended Rick College and began my education. I continued learning at Brigham Young University-Provo. I now live in Ammon, Idaho, with my wife and family and work as an illustrator. I’m represented by illustrationonline.com. I also share my talents and love of art as an instructor at Brigham Young University-Idaho.
