Paying homage to the Italian-American experience, Italian Stories celebrates an Italian neighbourhood in the Bronx during the 1930s and '40s, and mourns the loss of this ethnic identity with the migration of subsequent generations to the suburbs. With stories that are both melancholy and comic, Papaleo here explores the contradictory desires of assimilation: his characters want to live the life of the average American while maintaining a strong link to their rich heritage. In addition, Papaleo rails against the damaging stereotypes of Italian-Americans propagated by the media in movies and television.

About the Author
Joseph Papaleo (1925-2004) was an Italian American novelist, and academic. He grew up in The Bronx. He graduated from Sarah Lawrence College, from Columbia University with an M.A., and from the University of Florence with a Ph.D.

Reviews
"Papaleo's appealing stories of an Italian community in the Bronx of the 1930s and 1940s highlight the universality of his characters' experiences, which could just as well take place in Armenian, Irish, or other ethnic communities in America."--Library Journal



Book Information
ISBN 9781564783066
Author Joseph Papaleo
Format Paperback
Page Count 295
Imprint Dalkey Archive Press
Publisher Dalkey Archive Press
Weight(grams) 371g
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 140mm * 20mm