Oral History, Oral Culture, and Italian Americans

"This collection, edited by veteran oral historian Luisa Del Giudice, reflects not only the persistently evolving nature of Italian American experiences, but also the poetic and performative characteristics of this dynamic culture. Fighting for the legitimacy of what is considered authentic, whether it is a musical tune, a vernacular expression, or a political affiliation, the oral accounts included in this collection amply prove the importance of their contribution to history writing." - Ali F. Igmen, Altreitalie

"A sparkling collection! The whole is decidedly more than the sum of its wonderfully diverse parts, in two senses. Framed by an excellent introduction, the essays collectively leverage the power of oral history, oral performance, autobiography, storytelling, folklore, and narrative to open important new insights into Italian and Italian-American history, culture, and tradition, often in very original ways. And such detailed explorations in that rich context, in turn, sharpen our understanding of broader issues in and between these important dimensions of inquiry. The result is an engaging, readable volume of broad interest and significance." - Michael Frisch, University at Buffalo, SUNY

"This book importantly contributes to an extension and enhancement of understandings about the range and depth of oral history and culture in the intersecting worlds of Italian, Italian American, and American environments. The high-quality essays enlarge an understanding of the importance of orality to everyday life and the ways in which ethnic cultures influence, resurrect, and revise oral traditions from pre-modern, largely agricultural milieus...The book s greatest appeal is the work of recovery it performs: of Italian American communities; of story-tellers whose words, if not transcribed, will be lost to future generations; of Italian folk traditions in music; and of the multiple intersections between telling stories, healing, and organizing feste." - Stephen Siporin, Professor of English and History (Folklore), Utah State University

"With interest in oral methodologies again reviving, Del Giudice's collection of essays provides a beautiful and timely illustration of Italianists' and Italian Americanists' explorations of sound, music, voice, spoken word, and memory." - Donna R. Gabaccia, Director, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota