Getting Dressed in the Dark: An Artist's Way Home

by Gabriella D'Italia

GETTING DRESSED IN THE DARK : AN ARTIST’S WAY HOME is a raw and evocative memoir that explores the complexities of love, betrayal, and the healing power of art. When Rob confesses his affair with Gabriella’s young friend, shattering their decades-long bond built on radical honesty, her immediate reaction is a punch to his mouth—a moment that unravels the life they had so carefully constructed.

From their youthful days spent smoking in café corners, intoxicated by conversations about art and literature, to two decades of living an unconventional artist’s life in a converted 19th-century schoolhouse in rural Maine, Gabriella and Rob created a world rooted in creative exploration. Their polyamorous relationship in the second half of their marriage was just another layer in a life defined by openness and experimentation. But Rob’s betrayal rips apart not only their marriage but the foundation of their shared life’s work.

Through the lens of this crisis, Getting Dressed in the Dark journeys through the aftermath of devastation, reflecting on the meaning of art, trust, and identity. With poetic insight, this memoir contemplates what remains when the story you believed in most collapses—and how, for an artist, the material world becomes a path back to wholeness.

Genres: Memoir

304 pages, Paperback

Published October 24, 2025

About the author

Gabriella D’Italia (she/her) is an interdisciplinary, award-winning fine artist. Her work explores home, nature, female identity and the contributions of these environments to our human wisdom and sustenance. She is best known for her highly inquisitive, pro-craft, feminist fiber works and multimedia collage. Her work has been exhibited at biennials, salons, embassies, and galleries internationally.

Gabriella grew up in Morristown, NJ. After receiving her BA in Philosophy and the History of Science and Mathematics through the Great Books program at St. John’s College, she moved to Boston and then Maine, where for two decades she immersed herself in costume design, quilting, leadership roles in nationally recognized fine craft organizations, and teaching courses on creativity. She holds an MFA in Intermedia from the University of Maine, Orono.

Gabriella lives and works outside of New York City with her family.

Reviews

[Elsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are certain things that bring me joy - stories about people, women in particular, who have faced difficulties but persevere is high on that list. Even higher? When a woman shuns society's arbitrary rules and expectations to find happiness her own way - the payoff is even sweeter, and if she's a Jersey girl - well, that's the icing on the cake.

This was such a well-written self-exploration, seeped in self-understanding, healing, and growth. It was at once entertaining and inspirational. I highly recommend it.

[Gabriella D'Italia · Rating 5 out of 5]

"This book is a strange gem . . . It is for those whose material work foregrounds the body while inviting collaboration with the mind. It is for those who recognize the work of living as a spiral journey, ever revisiting similar questions, ever discovering new intersections within the self." -McKenzie Watson-Fore for Heavy Feather Review https://heavyfeatherreview.org/2025/1...

[CW · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is memoir, but rather than proceed from one event to the next, it proceeds through the everyday stuff of life. Each chapter unfolds another part of the story, which covers the author's childhood and adulthood. Evocative and touching, it's also very relatable despite the very unique voice and perspective.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very honest and compelling memoir- highly recommend it!