Alessandro Baricco, writer and teacher of writers, reflects on the art of storytelling.

Baricco reflects on the narratives and tries to unravel the mysteries of it. What is its ultimate meaning and internal mechanics? The narrative has something of a hieroglyph and something of a map. His alchemy arises in the elusive and enigmatic borders between magic and optical illusion, between the mystical event and the chemical process. Can narration be taught? Can you learn to do it?

«Brief reflections on writing and its secrets» (Raffaella de Santis, La Repubblica).