Pre-Occupied Spaces

"Fiore's book is a marvelous read. Glowing with humanity, she wears her knowledge lightly. In this book the study of contemporary, post-colonial Italy is filtered through the centuries of the Italian migrant experience. Thus much used terms such as 'diasporic', 'hybridity' and 'liminal' are given human faces. A mastery of the theoretical literature on space, place and the immigrant/emigrant experience is joined by a fascinating analysis of novels, films, social reportage and nursery rhymes in order to bring to life the 'pre-occupation' of the formative experience of the Italian diaspora for modern Italy and the 'preoccupation' of today's Italy where the previous invisibility of the 'New Italians', the sons and daughters of the global migrations of the late twentieth and early twentieth centuries, are reshaping notions of citizenship and belonging. Highly recommended." -- -Carl Levy Goldsmiths, University of London "A sophisticated and brilliant work of theoretical scaffolding, one that never loses sight of the perils of its own iconoclastic undertaking. Pre-Occupied Spaces' extremely well-crafted structure helps the reader navigate from one text to the other, while the theoretical architecture of the book guides the reader through the impressive proliferation of well-researched texts and critical references." -- -Cristina Lombardi-Diop Loyola University Chicago "Teresa Fiore reminds readers that Italy is a country that has long been defined by 'border crossing, movements, displacements and differences,' Its 'emigrants' and 'immigrants' have sparked similarly troubled preoccupations wherever, whenever and in whatever direction they have moved. Using the tools of cultural analysis, Fiore offers a stunning analysis of the boats, houses, and workplaces where nations have repeatedly imagined both themselves and their others, usually through futile efforts to culturally and permanently affix people to particular places." -- -Donna R. Gabaccia University of Toronto