Chiara Mazzucchelli new book, The Heart and the Island: A Critical Study of Sicilian American Literature, was published by SUNY Press earlier this month.
The Heart and the Island is the first full-length study of Sicilian American literature, and it opens a space for new interdisciplinary discussions on what it means to be Italian on both sides of the ocean. Focusing on the island’s geography, history, and culture, Mazzucchelli examines how many American authors of Sicilian descent derive inspiration from their ethnic milieu and lay out a recognizable set of Sicilian culture markers in their works, thereby producing a literature that is distinctly Sicilian American.
Mary Jo Bona, author of By the Breath of Their Mouths: Narratives of Resistance in Italian America writes,
“The Heart and the Island makes a distinctive contribution to the field of Italian American studies, provocatively extending it as well as continuing the invaluable work of providing reflection on a variety of narratives distinguished by generic innovation and distinctive responses to sicilianità. Chiara Mazzucchelli has beautifully advanced the field, interweaving with skill and poise the voices of Sicilian and Sicilian American writers.”
For more information, you can navigate to SUNY Press.
Category: Faculty/Staff, Highlight