Holy Thursday, Good Friday, & Sorrento
Alright, I admit it. I am not that into Easter. Gosh, I feel like an old curmudgeon when I say things like that. A couple of weeks back I posted that I wasn’t crazy about St. Patrick’s Day. The only trouble with blaming it on being a grumpy old man is that I have felt this way all my life which makes it worse. Have I always been this sour puss, the Eeyore at the birthday party of life?
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.
Nothing Against St. Patrick, but I’m Italian, give me The Feast of St. Joseph
Let me start by saying that I have no animosity towards the Irish. Even though my first wife was Irish, I hold no grudge against all of those from the Emerald Isle. I even think that Lucky Charms are magically delicious. However, I am not Irish even on St. Patrick’s Day.
Italian Americans & The Catholic Church
I am a survivor of fourteen years of Catholic education. I am still waiting for my lapel pin to come in the mail. Although I may joke about surviving the notorious nuns, I did receive a very good education in those years. One thing that I didn’t understand back then was the relationship between the Italian American community and the Catholic Church.
Who is Bill Giovinazzo?
An award-winning author, William (Bill) Giovinazzo is a journalist, blogger, and public speaker. Available for speaking engagements, there are few things Bill enjoys more than sharing his unique perspectives on Italian and Italian-American culture and history. In addition to his blog italianita.blog, he is also a regular contributor to La Gazzetta Italiana.
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.
The Climb was Worth the View
Today we left the seaside city of Sciacca heading for the pleasant mountain community of Caltabellotta. The keyword in that previous statement is mountain. I am on a bike. So, before you read much further you could pretty much guess what my day was like. I started the day looking up at the mountain seeing all these lovely windmills way off in the distance, high up on the slope. By lunchtime, I was looking down at those same windmills.
The Cerberus of Selinunte
Today was an easy day, we did a simple loop ride in the Menfi area that took us up into the hills above the town and then to the Greek ruins in Selinunte.
A Voice for Columbus
The evil that men do lives after them, the good is oft interred with their bones. It is so easy to attack the dead, to misquote, to misrepresent motive, to manipulate the representation of past events.
Italian Americans & The Confederacy
Last week as I watched the Confederate flag paraded through the Capitol, I was reminded of a conversation I recently had with another Italian American who defended flying the Confederate flag. His position was that he lived in a former Confederate state where many of his neighbors who flew the Stars and Bars were good people who see it as part of their heritage. As I told him, I had little doubt about the goodness of the people.
Columbus On Trial
In my previous article, I discussed the man Christoph Columbus, details of who he was that are often overlooked by his detractors. In this article, I would like to review the chief accusation against him which was his involvement in the slave trade.
Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben, & Chef Boyardee
Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben, & Chef Boyardee; one of these things is not like the other. In the wake of the world becoming more aware of the damage caused by racial stereotypes, many of the icons with which we have become accustomed are being replaced.
Invading Marsala
As I wrote about in my book, Italianità: The Essence of Being Italian and Italian-American, Garibaldi is the Italian version of Washington. Just like Washington, Garibaldi led a group of volunteers to victory over the professional army of one of the world powers at that time.
I am a Proud Italian-American
Some people tell me that there is no room in America for hyphenated Americans, repeating a phrase first used by Teddy Roosevelt but he was wrong. Although I have long been an admirer of the 26th President of the United State, even the greatest among us get it wrong at times. Concerning American diversity, President Roosevelt was very wrong. In fact, in 1891 New Orleans when they lynched 11 Italian-Americans this future president said: “It was a rather good thing.” Perhaps it is best, therefore, to not take him as our guide as for whom American has room. I am one of those hyphenated Americans. So…
The Woman In Red
Today is a great day! Today is the reveal of the cover of my daughter’s upcoming book. As my daughter has said “When The Woman in Red was still just a bunch of words, scratched into my notebook I allowed myself to daydream about what it could look like.
Arrival
Today, after a very long day of travel, we arrived in Syracuse, or more correctly Sircuasa. I am referring to the original in Sicily and not the one in central New York.
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.
Daughters & Dowries
Recently I passed a milestone in the life of a father; I walked the younger of my two daughters down the aisle. As the day approached, I played up the stereotype of the father of the bride, bemoaning the expense of the wedding to friends at work, despite her remaining well within budget.
Columbus & The Historians
When I was a kid Columbus Day was a special holiday. OK, it wasn’t Christmas or Easter, but it was better than Arbor Day, with all due respect to that holiday. I didn’t think of it back then, but it was an acknowledgment of the contribution Italians made – and continue to make – to the United States.
The Italian Immigrant Myth
If you are Italian American, you have probably seen the meme of Italian immigrant children circa 1900 in homespun clothes waving American flags. The image is captioned; Legal Italian Immigrants did not wave Italian flags coming into America, they did not riot and try to stop the legal election process.