A Quindecennial Celebration of the relaunched Italian American Review!
The first iteration of the Italian American Review (IAR) dates to 1951; it was reestablished as an academic journal and eventually found a home at the Calandra Institute in 1996. After a hiatus, the IAR was revamped and relaunched in its current form as a double-blind peer reviewed journal in 2011. We invite you to join us in celebrating the fifteenth anniversary of the new IAR. To mark the happy occasion, associate editor Anthony Julian Tamburri will lead a roundtable discussion featuring the current editor, David Aliano, in conversation with previous editors Marcella Bencivenni and Joseph Sciorra, followed by light refreshments and a brindisi.
F. K. Clementi reads from South of My Dreams: Finding My American Home (University of South Carolina Press, 2024)
Growing up in 1970s Italy, F. K. Clementi felt constrained by a stale environment, a corrupt society, and a national culture hostile to women’s independence. In pursuit of her childhood fantasy version of the American Dream, and heavily influenced by Hollywood films, she left everything behind to begin her new life in New York City. It was then that her American nightmare began. Studded with miraculous opportunities and tragic setbacks, Clementi’s path is marked by an irreparable trauma but also graced by intense love, faithful friendships, and inspiring mentors. Navigating dramatic twists and turns—and to her great surprise—she learns the true meaning of the American expression to “go south.” Clementi’s memoir, simultaneously merciless and humorous, is an inspiring account of a woman’s disillusionment and personal rebirth.
Discussion led by Sian Gibby, John D. Calandra Italian American Institute, Queens College, CUNY.
