In this episode of The Italian American Podcast, we talk with two Italian American authors about their connection to their heritage and how they are helping to keep the Italian American traditions alive.

In the main segment, we speak with Joseph Luzzi, writer and Professor of Comparative Literature at Bard College, where he also teaches in the Italian Studies and Film programs. In the stories segment, we talk with Stephanie Longo who has dedicated her life to celebrating and focusing on her family’s heritage.  You can find full biographies of each of our guests below.

“We Italian Americans, on the other hand, commemorate our past only to remind ourselves how far we have travelled from it.” ― Joseph Luzzi, My Two Italies

Tweetables

•  “It doesn’t matter how much better of a place somewhere else might be, it’s still not home.” – Anthony Fasano
• “There’s always a limit on how much a person can sacrifice.” ― Joseph Luzzi, My Two Italies
• “My father might have given me life, but he never let me into the silence.” ― Joseph Luzzi, My Two Italies
•  “We should work hard to hang onto the language of our culture.” – Joseph Luzzi
• “If you don’t take the time to do something, you will end up not doing it all.” – Anthony Fasano
•  “Italian Americans may be spread out nationally, but they all embrace each other.” – Stephanie Longo
• “Being Italian American is a deep-seated sense of belonging to something that’s greater than you.” – Stephanie Longo
• “Italian Americans have a different way of looking at the world and that is what makes them unique as an ethnicity.” – Stephanie Longo
  

About our Guests

Joseph Luzzi

Joseph Luzzi is a writer and Professor of Comparative Literature at Bard College, where he also teaches in the Italian Studies and Film programs. The first child in his Calabrian family born in the U.S., he is the author of the memoir, In a Dark Wood: What Dante Taught Me About Grief, Healing, and the Mysteries of Love. His other books include My Two Italies. He is a frequent contributor of essays and reviews to publications including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Bookforum, the London Times Literary Supplement, and many others. His first book, Romantic Europe and the Ghost of Italy, received the Scaglione Prize for Italian Studies from the Modern Language Association, and his book A Cinema of Poetry: Aesthetics of the Italian Art Film was a Finalist for the “The Bridge” Book Award from the American Initiative For Italian Culture Foundation, International Competition in Italy and U.S.

Stephanie Longo

Stephanie was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA, she holds dual Italian citizenship and descends from the town of Guardia Lombardi, Avellino Province, Italy. Specializing in immigration, her books aim to give people a glimpse of Italian life in NEPA-past and present.

Resources Mentioned

The New Neighborhood
IAP 59: The Italian American connection to Jazz Music
Joseph Luzzi Website
Stephanie Longo Website

Books Mentioned

In a Dark Wood	My Two Italies	Romantic Europe and the Ghost of Italy	A Cinema of Poetry	Italians of Northeastern Pennsylvania	Italians of Lackawanna County	Dunmore