The
Italian American Writers Association [2] will have a presence this year for the first time at the historic
San Gennaro Feast [3] as part of the Via del Popolo initiative. The
“Via del Popolo: San Gennaro [4]” will turn Mulberry Street (between Prince & Houston Streets) into a simulated Italian town piazza experience for the celebration of art and culture. IAWA will host a special area for Italian-American authors at Mulberry and Prince Streets to showcase their books for sale, their flyers and posters and to interact with festival-goers and share their passion for Italian-American literature. Co-Hosting the table is the Lt. Joseph Petrosino Lodge of the Order Sons of Italy In America.
This "innovative" concept for the Feast actually harkens back to the ancient Italian tradition of the Cantastorie, the 14th century professional street showmen who wandered from town to town during festival times performing sensational or tragic tales in public spaces. Traveling as they did, they typically also reported local news and stories of the region. IAWA, located during the feast in proximity to the church and other landmarked buildings, hopes to re-create the artistic, cultural spirit of those improvised ethnic street performances of the medieval poets and itinerant cantastorie, with entertaining discussions for visitors to the site.
IAWA was founded in 1991 to nurture the growth of a genuine community of Italian-American readers and writers and to give Italian-American writing a public forum where the full range of Italian-American expression can find a hearing. IAWA represents poets, essayists, playwrights, history and fiction writers whose work about their Italian roots is heartwarming, revelatory, sometimes shocking and, in many cases, downright hilarious.
The Italian Academy Foundation [5] honored IAWA and its president Prof. Robert Viscusi with the prestigious BRAVO Award for excellence in promoting Italian and Italian-American Culture.
* * *
Itaian-American Writers at the San Gennaro Feast
Emelise Aleandri
John Anselmo
Amy Barone
Santi Buscemi
Philip Cioffari
Vincent Casale,
Gil Fagianil
Ed Fiorelli
Maria Lisella
Anthony Mancini
Angel Marinaccio
Frank Polizzi
Richard Rinaldo
Frank Salamone
Gregory St. Thomasino
Susan Scutti
Rosalind Palermo Stevenson
Michael Tedesco
Camilla Trinchieri
____
The 86th Annual Feast of San Gennaro, New York City's oldest, and biggest religious street festival will be celebrated starting Thursday, September 13, and continuing through Sunday, September 23, 2012. T
he festival began in 1926 and is held along Mulberry Street between Canal and Houston Streets in what is now the remaining area of Little Italy. [6]
LOCATION: corner of Mulberry and Prince Streets
HOURS: 11AM to 10PM Saturdays & Sundays
5PM-11PM Monday- Friday
Italian-American Authors
are invited to
display and SELL their books
at the
San Gennaro Feast [3] in New York's Little Italy
Bob Agnoli of the IAWA Board is organizing the schedule for the authors’ book table and is the contact for reservations ([email protected] [7]). Please reserve with Bob immediately if you are interested.
All other questions can be addressed to Emelise Aleandri ([email protected] [8]) as the liaison between the Lt. Joseph Petrosino Lodge [9], of the Order of the Sons of Italy, IAWA and St. Patrick’s Basilica, [10]New York's first Roman Catholic Cathedral, built over two centuries ago was elevated to the status of Basilica in 2010.
