Career

Modena, Italy 1985

Hollywood, USA 1990

A combination of serendipitous events made me reflect on my 45-year career recently.

In spring 2014 I took a class on writing autobiography from USC Emeriti College, every week we wrote a short essay. Last fall I was chosen to contribute one to an anthology book. I combined two: My Photography and My Career. On June 15, 2015 at USC we had a lunch celebration for the publication of  Autobiography Matters: Themes of Our Lives, edited by our professors, Marlene Wagner and Susan Aminoff.

On that same day, June 15, the first chapter of the story of my career, From Modena to Hollywood, was published in an Italian blog.  Salvatore Giannella, a magazine editor that I had worked for in the 1980s as a photographer, at Europeo and Genius, asked me to write how I had “made” it in America, with advice for young Italians who wished to work abroad.

In January 2015 the curator of the LA Library digital archives invited me to give a talk about my photography. I gladly accepted and chose as theme 1970s Street Photography.  That event took place on June 24, 2015.

In August 2015 Adam Leipzig, publisher of Cultural Weekly, asked to publish my 1981 interview and photos of Charles Bukowski, then welcomed me as a regular contributor.

So I created a website to feature these writings and photos: Elisa Leonelli-My Career.  Please enjoy!