Amazon.com Does Not Have a
Category For Italian American Literature- A Campaign!!!
The
ANNOTICO Report
Amazon.com
is the largest Book Seller in the World.
And
while Amazon.com already offers special categories for such other worthy ethnic
subject areas such as AFRICAN American, HISPANIC American, and JEWISH American
literature, It DOES NOT OFFFER A CATEGORY FOR ITALIAN AMERICAN LITERATURE!!!!!
Italian
American literature deserves an equivalent domain
Anthony
Maulucci at the Lorenzo Press has initiated a letter writing/ Emailing campaign to convince
Amazon.com to create a subject category for Italian American literature.
Mr Maulucci has asked all Italian
Americans and all those "others" who believe in this cause to join
him in his efforts.
If
you support this idea please write a letter to
Jeff
Bezos, CEO
Amazon.com
or even more easily by Email to jeff@amazon.com
Please
make a reference to the "Lorenzo Press Campaign to Create a Separate
Category for Italian American Literature" in your letter.
Please
recruit others to help and feel free to give out
Anthony Maulucci's Email address
quietcity@att.net for anyone who might want to contact me for more information.
An
Article by Mr. Maulucci on Italian American Culture follows:
CAN
ITALIAN AMERICAN CULTURE BE SAVED?
by Anthony Maulucci |
Most
people can name at least one prominent Italian American figure in the world
of business, politics, sports and entertainment, but how many people, Italian
Americans included, can identify a single great American author of Italian
descent? My guess is very few. In fact, the only Italian American novel known
to the majority of Americans is Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, the most popular novel ever published in the |
Sadly,
most Italian Americans under the age of 50 seem to have no clear idea what
Italian American culture really is and tend to define it in terms of the
self-parodies and stereotypes borrowed from the mainstream media. Most Little
Italy’s, including the one in New York City, have been transformed by
the departure of second or third-generation Italians to the suburbs and the
influx of other ethnic groups -- they are no longer the vibrant centers of a
living Italian American culture. At best, these once-culturally-rich neighborhoods
now offer an annual festival or are home to shops and restaurants that are
watered-down versions of the real thing which were run by Italian-speaking
immigrant families. Not knowing where to look for inspiration, knowledge and
guidance about their cultural heritage, younger Italian Americans have turned
to |
Can Italian American culture be saved from this pernicious disease? Can a return to its roots produce an Italian American cultural renaissance? If so, then where are these roots to be found? Where do you go to experience a heritage on the verge of extinction? Italian American literature is the wellspring of our culture and the richest, perhaps only, source of its renewal. |
But in order for the is renewal to take hold and flourish, Italian Americans must be willing to embrace their history and their uniquely ethnic literature. |
The first step, then, in this process of renewal is to identify worthwhile Italian American authors. The second step, which is very exciting and deeply rewarding, is to read, study, discuss and write about their works. |
Who are these important Italian American authors? Well, there are many, but a good place to begin is with Pietro Di Donato, John Fante, and Helen Barolini. These names are not well known and that’s a shame because these authors have produced some of the most poignant, passionate, complex, and aesthetically pleasing American literature ever written, and it just happens to be about the real Italian American experience. |
Pietro Di Donato (1911-1992) wan an Italian immigrant bricklayer inspired to write his first novel, Christ in Concrete, by the accidental death of his immigrant father on Good Friday, 1923. The book was published in 1934 and became an instant bestseller, read by thousands of second-generation Italian Americans. The reviewers were also very enthusiastic about the book: The New Yorker praised the writing for its “white-hot passion” and the Saturday Review called it “robust” and “full-blooded.” The novel, written in a poetic form of English based on Italian syntax, tells the story of an immigrant bricklayer named Geremio and the effect of his accidental death on his family, espe! cially young Paulie, who must quit school to go to work as a bricklayer on the same site in order to help the family survive during the Depression in New York City. It is also the story of the Italian immigrant community that rallied to their support. Geremio, Paulie, and his mother Annunziata . . . they are unforgettable characters. |
John Fante (1909-1983) was born in |
Helen Barolini grew up in |
All
of these wonderful books are still in print and available from Amazon.com,
Barnes&Noble.com, and bookstores everywhere.
|
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ANNOTICO Reports are Archived at:
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