Stanzas for a Travel Memoir. Southwest of Italy is an ode to the deep value of the things that are out of our control-history, place, emotion, coincidence, the community of friendship. The title refers to one of the most apparent intents of the text, which is to trace the relationship between Sardinia and the American Southwest, particularly in the layering of time and culture. Though this relationship is subtly played, even understated, because the book also aims at tracing deeper themes, such as those of hope, illusion, and cultural mediation. It is densely composed in a hybrid style, merging lyrical prose and travel essay. Narrative,