Carlo Levi, Author of “Christ Stopped at Eboli”
Where do you live? Some place rural where the air is clean and you know your neighbors? Maybe you are an urban dweller, attracted to the excitement and diversity of a big city. Now, imagine all of that taken away. Imagine, someone from the government forcibly taking you to an unfamiliar place, far away from the place you live and the people you know.
Italia, Ieri, Oggi, Domani.
Today we boarded our flight for our Italian adventure. We battled traffic on the LA freeways, passed through the gauntlet of security, and ourselves into seats that would be restrictive for hobbit. There is not much to tell about my odyssey at this point, so let’s talk about Italy.
Siracusa
oday was our first full day in Syracuse Sicily. As I had noted yesterday, I am very excited to be here. This morning, much to the chagrin of my son, we got a bright an early start. There is just too much to see in this wonderful place in just one short day. So, after a quick Italian breakfast, we were on our way. I should note that the breakfasts here are quite different.
Sauce, Gravy, or Dante? (Part 1)
In 1954, Giuseppe Prezzolini, Italian author and historian of Italian literature asked; “what is the glory of Dante compared to spaghetti?” He went on to observe “spaghetti has entered many American homes where the name of Dante is never pronounced.”
Sauce, Gravy, or Dante? (Part 2)
Dante Alighieri; author of The Divine Comedy, Father of the Italian Language, philosopher, theologian, statesman. In my previous post, I make the point that to truly understand Italian and Italian-American culture you need to understand Dante. That post focuses on Dante the poet, the author of The Divine Comedy.
Love Italian Style
It’s Valentine’s Day!! A day of chocolates, flowers, romantic dinners, and sexy lingerie. It is estimated that the average man will spend $300 to $400 on wooing his true love, or at least his current love. While I don’t want to appear as a Valentine’s Day cynic, I can’t help but feel that all this Valentine’s Day furor is more the result of effective marking than heartfelt expressions of devotion.
La Festa di San Giuseppe
Two days after Saint Patrick’s day, March 19th, after all my Amerighan friends have recovered from drinking green beer while eating corned beef and cabbage, is Saint Joseph’s day or more accurately La Festa di San Giuseppe. Throughout the world, you will find Italians celebrating La Festa di San Giuseppe to honor the patron saint of all father’s, Saint Joseph.
Bicycle Diaries Siciliano
I have some interesting news for my friends, family, and followers, over the next few weeks to promote my award-winning book, Italianità: The Essence of Being Italian and Italian-American, I will be touring Italy. We will begin with a bike tour along the southern coast of Sicily, the home of my maternal ancestors, followed by a visit to the Amalfi coast, and concluding in the Eternal City, Rome.