When I wrote my first book about Sicilian immigrants, I included the appearance of a classical musician from Milano as an incidental character. However, a question plagued me. What events led him to be living with Sicilians in East Harlem? That answer was explored in the writing of my third book: The Diva. I had been married to Ezio Flagello who was a leading bass-baritone at the Metropolitan Opera Company in New York. Often I accompanied him to European theaters such as the Covent Gardens in London, La Scala in Milan, and The Staatsoper in Berlin. Fascinated with the high power energy and sheer talent of an opera singer, there was a story which I could not turn away from...the story of a Diva. In my subconscious mind I sometimes visualized myself on the operatic stage, but what it takes to be one was not one of my talents, so I did the next best thing. I created a Diva and gave her my name, which is as close as I''d ever get to being on stage (being a writer has its perks, and this was one of them). As I wrote the story, I felt the tension of my characters, and I experienced the thrill of a magnificent performance, and the incredible courage of having an accident on stage while continuing to remain in character. Courage, intelligence and sheer will power is part of their psychological makeup, with attributes which fulfill the demand of their art form: vocal perfection, memorization, singing in many languages, stepping out in front of multitudes knowing that "you''re as good as your last note." No other profession can possibly be as demanding. I dedicate this story to opera singers all over the world who give their heart and soul to their craft, making the sense of beauty of the human vocal instrument so awesome as to lift the spirits of the ardent fans who attend their performances, buy their records and deserve the adoration with which their fans bestow upon them.
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