And as many have noted, this work of “investigative journalism” was published in the weekly cultural suppliment of financial newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore (very roughly the Italian equivalent of the Wall Street Journal or Financial Times),as if Ferrante was a corrupt politician or an industrialist on the take from the…

Except the only people who are negatively affected are her beloved readers as well as her publisher who would never doxx her. People like this guy Gatti most likely aren’t readers of Ferrante’s and could care less if she ever writes again. The lesson would be for nothing :/ If Ferrante did stop writing, it wouldn’t…

This comment.

• Jia Tolentino makes an excellent point.

I agree. The entire article seems a lot less interested in literature than in revealing Ferrante’s Jewish background (while suggesting there’s something wrong with her “passing” as a normal Italian woman). Of course, “exposing” Jews in the media is a favorite pastime of antisemites to this day.

There is a weird undercurrent of xenophobia and anti-Semitism in this unveiling of Elena Ferrante’s identity. As if the author’s mother being German Jewish disqualifies her from being Italian or writing about Italian characters.

I don’t know whether this has anything to do with the fact that Ferrante is (and was assumed) to be a woman, but I’d wager this has everything to do with Gatti being a man.

There’s a distinction between wanting your art to receive attention/appreciation and yourself to receive attention/appreciation. It’s cruel to insist that every person who wants their expression to be heard must also open up themselves, even against their own wishes. It’s not necessary.

No. Artists create art for people to enjoy. Beyond that they don’t owe people shit.

Bullshit.