Bleeding Espresso

Cast of Characters

• Who is Sognatrice? Who is Michelle? Who *are* you?

I am Michelle Fabio, and I write this here blog. Read more about me on my “about” page and also in the next section below.

When I started this blog, I went by the name “Sognatrice” (“dreamer” in Italian), but when I decided to link the blog with my professional writing, I dropped the pseudonym. But I do still dream, of course, during both the day and night.

• Who is P?

P is my sweet, adorable amore. His name isn’t a secret (it’s Paolo); I’m just too lazy to type it all the time. We’ve been together since May 2005.

• Who are Luna and Stella?

They are my sweet, adorable pooches. Luna came to live with us in August 2005 and Stella (pregnant at the time) in August 2007. Stella had six healthy puppies who have all been placed in loving homes.

• Who are Pasqualina, Margherita, and Carmelina?

They are my sweet, adorable kids (baby goats). Pasqualina came to live with us in February 2009, Margherita in May 2009, and Carmelina in June 2009.

More About Me

• How did you wind up in Calabria?

I came here on vacation in June 2002 to check out my great-great-grandfather’s village. While I was here, I found I didn’t want to leave and started imagining living here for a year, taking time out from the real world, which I had just entered following law school.

My judicial clerkship would be ending in August 2003, and I’d have to do something new anyway, so I decided to come here, try out freelance writing (which was what I had always really wanted to do), and see how it went. It went well, to put it mildly.

• Where exactly do you live?

I live in Badolato (Superiore) in the province of Catanzaro in Calabria, the toe of the boot. Badolato is where my great-great-grandfather was born and raised before going to America with his young family (his wife was from nearby Isca sull’Ionio), which included my great-grandmother, Concetta.

• Where are you from in America?

I was born and raised in the Mount Carmel area of the Anthracite Coal Region of Pennsylvania. I’m very proud of my Coal Region roots (as many of us are) and brag about our hard coal here all the time—I even brought a little bucket of it with me.

Italian Citizenship

• I’m interested in pursuing Italian citizenship, can you help?

Sure, although I do *not* offer the services of gathering or translating documents. What I will do is try to answer questions you may have about whether you qualify, the process, etc. all free of charge. Feel free to send me a message.

Calabria and Southern Italy

• I’d like to visit Calabria and/or southern Italy, do you have suggestions?

Yes, lots! Some of my favorite Calabrian spots are Tropea, Pizzo, Le Castella, and Serra San Bruno; I’ve traveled a bit in Sicily and have some favorites there as well, so, again, feel free to send a message.

Blogging

• How did you come up with the name Bleeding Espresso?

I’ve written about this at A Blog by Any Other Name.

• What are your suggestions for starting a blog?

The fastest and easiest way to start a blog is with a free service like Blogger or Wordpress, but if you have any inkling that you’ll keep up with it and expand, I suggest buying a domain, using Wordpress as your platform, and learning as you go.

The freedom to set up your blog exactly as you want it is worth the extra hassle at the beginning—and you also won’t have to change addresses and risk losing your readership later.

• Can you help me with my blog?

I can certainly try, although I can’t promise anything. I’m no expert, but I’m wiling to share what I’ve learned. Feel free to send me a message!

• What about monetizing a blog?

I’ve written a post about this here, and I’ll also add “Text Link Ads” to the list of ways I make money on this blog.

• How much money do you make on the blog?

Not enough! Seriously, without giving numbers, I’ll say it’s enough to cover operating costs although nothing even near what I’d make at a part-time job.

• Why do you have a PayPal button on your site?

I put up a PayPal button, which allows people to send me money, because some readers had expressed interest in donating to the cause (Bleeding Espresso) after I had helped them with dual citizenship, Italian/Calabrian travel plans, freelance writing, etc.

I offer all information and suggestions free of charge, but I also *greatly* appreciate those who understand how long it can take to reply to e-mails and share my experiences and suggestions—thus the PayPal button.

• What about copyrighting?

Your writing and photos are copyrighted the moment you put them into tangible form; you don’t need to register anything with anyone or put a little © on it to be protected. You can, though, put that © on your work as warning to anyone thinking of stealing that you’re watching and don’t appreciate being stolen from.

On the other hand, if you’re willing to share your work under certain circumstances, you can also investigate Creative Commons licenses.

• What about your photos—editing, watermarking, and where do you find photos not taken by you to use in posts?

I usually edit photos using Photoshop and watermark using the free version of uMark. Photos not taken by me that appear in blog posts almost always come from Flickr through Creative Commons licenses.

UPDATED: As I’ve now become a Mac girl, I use iPhoto for photo editing and iWatermark for watermarking (and in case you’re wondering, yes, iLoveMyMac).

• Have you had any privacy problems because of the blog?

No, at least not yet, but I will admit that if I lived in a more accessible location I would probably have very different concerns about being so public about my name, where I live, etc. Please use your own judgment regarding your personal circumstances.

Freelance Writing

• Can you offer advice about freelance writing?

Sure, and I have during Freelance Writing Week I and Freelance Writing Week II. If you have questions that aren’t covered there, feel free to send me a message.

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