Italian American Imaginative Literature

Though many Italian immigrants who came from the South could neither read or write, there were a substantial number who could and did not hesitate to publish newspapers, novels, poetry, and personal reminiscences. This photograph of 1906 Italian newspa pers taken by the editor of Detroit's La Tribuna (reprinted with his permission) shows that during the height of the Southern Italian "invasion" the papers covered a variety of topics such as politics, unions, anti-Italian incidents, local happen ings, what was going on in Italy, short stories, poetry (often in dialect), and personal reminiscences. However, there was also a hidden tradition of poetry, novel, and playwrighting that circulated among the more literate Italians and now are coming to t he surface. These works, published by vanity presses and written in English, English mixed with Italian, and Italian dialect, have been unearthed by scholars who have discovered in them cultural, social, and linguistic information that helps us to underst and what life was like for an ethnic group that tended to communicate verbally rather than through print.

• Angelo, Valenti. Nino. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1938.
• ---. Golden Gate, a sequel to Nino. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1939.
• ---. Paradise Valley. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1940.
• ---. Hill of Little Miracles. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1942.
• ---. Look Out Yonder. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1943.
• ---. The Rooster Club. The Further Adventures of Nino. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1944.
• ---. The Acorn Tree. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1958.
• ---. The Honey Boat. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1959.
• ---. Angelino and the Barefoot Saint. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1961.
• ---. The Merry Marcos. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1963.
• ---. The Tale of a Donkey. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1966.
• Arleo, Joseph. The Grand Street Collector. New York: Walker and Company, 1970.
• Arrighi, Antonio. A Story of Antonio, the Gallery Slave. New York:F. H. Revell Company, 1911.
• Basso, Hamilton. Relics and Angels. New York: Macaulay Company, 1929.
• ---. Beauregard: The Great Creole. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1933.
• ---. Cinnamon Seed. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1934.
• ---. In Their Own Image. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1935.
• ---. Courthouse Square. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1936.
• ---. Days before Lent. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1939.
• ---. Wine of the Country. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1941.
• ---. Sun in Capricorn. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1942.
• ---. Mainstream. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1943.
• ---. A View From Pompey's Head. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1954.
• ---. The Light Infantry Ball. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1959.
• ---. A Quota of Seaweed. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1960.
• ---. A Touch of the Dragon. New York: The Viking Press, 1964 .
• Benasutti, Marion. No Steady Job For Papa. New York: The Vanguard Press, Inc., 1966.
• Bellestri, Joseph. The Sins of the Fathers. New York: A Geneva Book, 1981.
• Buranelli, Prosper. You Gotta Be Rough. Garden City, N. Y.: Doubleday, Doran & Company, 1930 .
• ---. Maggie of the Suicide Fleet. Garden City, N. Y.: Doubleday, Doran & Company, 1931.
• ---.Prosper. Big Nick. Garden City, N. Y.: Doubleday, Doran & Company, 1931.
• ---. Prosper. News Reel Murder. Garden City, N. Y.: Doubleday, Doran & Company, 1940 .
• Calitri, Charles. Ricky. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1952 .
• ---. Strike Heaven on the Face. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc. 1958.
• ---. Father. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc. 1962.
• Canizio, Frank. A Man Against Fate (As Told to Robert Markel). New York: Frederick Fell, Inc., 1958.
• Canzoneri, Robert. I Do So Politely. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Co., 1965.
• ---. Men With Little Hammers. New York: The Dial Press, 1969.
• ---. Barbed Wite and Other Stores. New Yrok: The Dial Press, 1970.
• Caruso, Joseph. The Priest. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1956.
• Cautela, Giuseppe. Moon Harvest. New York: Lincoln MacVeagh, The Dial Press, Inc., 1925.
• Cendella, Robert. A Little To The East. New York: G. Pl Putman's Sons, 1963.
• Ciambelli, Bernardino. I Misteri Di Mulberry. New York : Frugone & Balletto, 1893.
• ---. I Drammi Dell'Emigrazione, Sequito ai Misteri. New York: Frugone & Balletto, 1893.
• ---. I Misteri di Bleeker Street. New York: Frugone &. Balletto, 1899.
• ---. I Sotteranei di New York. New York: Societa Libreria Italiano, 1915.
• ---. La Trovatella di Mulberrry Street; ovveroLa Stella dei Cinque Punti. New York: Societa Libreria Italiana, 1919.
• Corsel, Ralph. Up There The Stars. New York: Citadel Press, 1968.
• Covello, Leonard (with Guido D'Agostino). The Heart Is The Teacher. New York: McGraw Hill, 1958. Later Title, The Teacher In The Community. Littlefield Adams, 1958.
• Creatore, Luigi. This World is Mine. New York: Rinehard &. Company, 1942.
• Cuomo, Luigi. Jack Be Nimble. Garden City: Doubleday &. Company, Inc., 1963.
• ---.Bright Day, Dark Runner. Garden City: Doubleday &. Company, Inc., 1964.
• ---. Among Thieves. Garden City: Doubleday &. Company, Inc., 1968.
• D'Agostino, Guido. Olives on the Apple Tree . New York: Doubleday Doran &. Company, 1940.
• ---. Hills Beyond Mahattan. New York: Doubleday, Doran &. Company, 1942.
• ---. My Enemy The World. New York: The Dial Press, 1947.
• ---. The Barking of a Lonely Fox. New York: McGraw Hill, 1952.
• D'Ambrosio, Richard. No Language but A Cry. Garden City: Doubleday &. Company, Inc., 1970.
• D'Angelo, Lou. What the Ancients Said. New York: Doubleday &. and Company, Inc., 1971.
• D'Angelo, Pascal. Son of Italy. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1924.
• De Capite, Michael. Maria. New York: The John Day Company, Inc., 1943.
• ---. No Bright Banner. New York: The John Day Company, Inc., 1944.
• ---. The Bennett Place. The John Day Company, Inc., 1948.
• De Capite, Raymond. The Coming of Fabrizze. New York: David McKay Company, Inc., 1960.
• ---. A Lost King. New York: David McKay Company, Inc., 1961.
• De Lillo, Don. Americana. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin Company, 1971.
• ---. End Zone. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin, Company, 1972.
• De Voto, Bernard Augstine. The Crooked Mile. New York: Minton, Balch &. Company, 1924.
• ---. The Chariot of Fire. New York: the Macmillan Company, 1926.
• ---. The House of Sun-Goes-Down. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1928.
• ---. We Accept With Pleasure. Boston: Little, Brown &. Company, 1934.
• ---.John August [pseud.]. Trouble Star. Boston: Little, Brown &. Company, 1939.
• ---. Rain Before Seven. Boston: Little, Brown &. Company, 1940.
• ---. Advanced Agent. Boston: Little, Brown &. Company, 1942.
• ---. The Woman in the Picture. Boston: Little, Brown &. Company, 1944.
• ---. Mountain Time. Boston: Little, Brown &. Company, 1947.
• DiDonato, Pietro. Christ in the Concrete. Indianapolis : Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1939.
• ---. This Woman. New York : Ballantine Books, Inc., 1959.
• ---. Three Circles of Light. New York : Julian Messner, Inc., 1960.
• Fante, John. Wait Until Spring, Bandini. New York: Stackpole Sons, 1938.
• ---. Ask the Dust. New York: Stackpole Sons, 1939.
• ---. Full of Life. Boston: Little, Brown &. Company, 1952.
• Ficarra, Bernard J. I Zappatori. Boston: Christopher Publishing House, 1953.
• Forgione, Louis. Reamer Lou. New York: E. P. Dutton &. Company, 1924.
• ---. The Men of Silence. Introduction by Walter Littlefield. New York: E. P. Dutton & amp. Company, 1928.
• ---. The River Between. New York: E.P. Ddutton &. Company, 1928.
• Fumento, Rocco. Devil By The Tail. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1954.
• ---. Tree of Dark Reflection. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1962.
• Gallico, Paul William. Farewell to Sports. New York and London: Alfred A. Knopf, 1939.
• ---. Adventures of Hiram Holiday. New York and London: Alfred A. Knopf, 1939.
• ---. The Secret Front. New York and London: Alfred A. Knopf, 1940.
• ---. The Snow Goose. Philadelphia: the Curtis Publishing Company, 1940.
• ---. Golf is a Nice Friendly Game. Illustrated by Herbert F. Roese. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1942.
• ---. Confessions of a Story Writer. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1946.
• ---.The Lonely. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1949.
• ---. The Small Miracle. Illustrated by Reisie Lonette. Garden City: Doubleday &. Company, Inc., 1952.
• ---. Trial by Terror. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1952.
• ---. Snowflake. Illustrated by David Knight and Reisie Lonette. 1st ed. Garden City: Doubleday &. Company, Inc., 1953.
• ---. The Foolish Immortals. Garden City: Doubleday &. Company, Inc., 1953.
• ---. Love of Seven Dolls. 1st ed. Garden City: Doubleday &. Company, Inc., 1954.
• ---. The Three Lives of Thomasina. New York: Doubleday &. Company, Inc., 1957.
• ---. Mrs. 'Arris goes to Paris. Drawings by Gioia Fiammenghi. Garden City: Doubleday &. Company, Inc., 1958.
• ---. The Hurricane Story. Garden City: Doubleday &. Company, Inc., 1959.
• ---. Ludmila. Drawings by Reisie Lonette. Garden City: Ddoubleday &. Company, Inc., 1955.
• ---. Three Legends, (Snow Goose, The Small Miracle, Ludmila). Garden City: Doubleday &. Company, Inc., 1959.
• ---. Too Many Ghosts. Gaarden City: Doubleday &. Company, Inc., 1959.
• ---. The Day the Guinea Pig Talked. (Juvenile) Garden City: Doubleday &. Company, Inc., 1960.
• ---. Further Confessions of a Story Writer, Stories Old and New. Garden City: Doubleday &ammp. Company, Inc., 1961.
• ---. Coronation. Garden City: Doubleday &. Company, Inc., 1962.
• ---. Scruffy, A Diversion. Garden City: Doubleday &. Company, Inc., 1962.
• ---. Love, Let Me Not Hunger. Garden City: Doubleday &. Company, Inc., 1963.
• ---. The Abandoned. The Story of Jennie. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1964.
• ---. The Hand of Mary Constable. Garden City: Doubleday &. Company, Inc., 1964.
• ---. The Day Jean-Pierre was Pignapped. (Juvenile). Garden City: Doubleday &. Company, Inc., 1964.
• ---. Mrs 'Arris Goes to Parliament. Drawings by Gioia Fiammenghi. Garden City: Doubleday &. Company, Inc., 1965.
• ---. The Golden People. Garden City: Doubleday &. Company, Inc., 1965.
• ---. The Man Who Was Magic, a Fable of Innocence. Garden City: Doubleday &. Company, Inc., 1966.
• ---. The Story of Silent Night. New York: Crown Publishers, 1967.
• ---. Manxmouse, The Mouse Who Knew No Fear. Illustrated by Janet and Anne Graham-Johnstone. New York: Coward-McCann, Inc., 1968.
• ---. The Poseidon Adventure. New York: Coward-McCann, Inc., 1969.
• ---. The Day Jean-Pierre Joined the Circus. (Juvenile). New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1970.
• ---. Matilda. New York: Coward-McCann, Inc., 1970.
• ---. The Zoo Game. New York: Coward-McCann, Inc., 1971.

• Gallico, Paul William. Honorable Man. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1972.
• Gillette, Paul. Carmela. New York: Arbor House Publishing Co., Inc., 1972.
• Iannuzzi, John Nicholas. Part 35. New York: Richard W. Baron Publishing Company, Inc., 1970.
• ---. Sicilian Defense. New York: Richard W. Baron Publishing Company, Inc., 1972.
• Lapolla, Garibaldi Marto. The Fire in the Flesh. New York: The Vanguard Press, Inc., 1931.
• ---. Miss Rollins in Love. New York: The Vanguard Press, Inc., 1932.
• ---. The Grand Gennaro. New York: the Vanguard Press, Inc., 1935.
• Longo, Lucas. The Family on Vendetta Street. New York: Doubleday &. Company, Inc., 1968.
• Madalena, Lawrence. Confetti for Gino. New York: Doubleday &. Company, Inc., 1959.
• Maggio, Joe. Company Man. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1972.
• Mangione, Jerre. Mont Allegro. Illustrated by Peggy Bacon. boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1942.
• ---. The Ship and the Flame. New York: A.A. Wyn, Inc., 1948.
• ---. Night Search. New York: Crown Publishing, Inc., 1965.
• Marchiello, Maurice R. Crossing the Tracks. New York: Vantage Press, 1969.
• Maresca, James V. My Flag is Down. New York: Dutton &. Company, 1948.
• Miceli, Frank. The Seventh Month. New York: Frederick Fell, Inc., 1969.
• Mirabelli, Eugene. The Burning Air. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1959.
• ---. The Way In. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1968.
• ---. No Resting Place. New York: The Viking Press, Inc., 1972.
• Moroso, John Antonio. The Quarry. Illustrated by L. Thomas Fogarty. Boston: Little, Brown &. company, 1913.
• ---. The People Against Nancy Preston. New York: Henry Hold &. Company, 1921.
• ---. The Stumbling Herd. Frontispiece by Harveyt Dunn. New York: The Macaulay Company, 1923.
• ---. Cap Fallon, Firefighter. New York and London: D. Appleton &. Company, 1923.
• ---. The Listening Man. New York: D. Appleton &. Company, 1924.
• ---. Bread Eaten in Secret. New York: The Macaulay Company, 1931.
• ---. Poor Passionate Fool. New York: The Macaulay Company, 1932.
• ---. Love in Her Heart. New York: The Macaulay Company, 1934.
• ---. Black Chalice. New York: The Macaulay Company, 1934.
• Paese, Robert. The Associate Professor. New York: Simon &. Schuster, 1967.
• Pagano, Jo. The Paesanos. Boston: (Atlantic Monthly Press) Little, Brown &. Company, 1940.
• ---. Golden Wedding. New York: Random House, Inc., 1943.
• ---. The Condemned. New York: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1947.
• Panetta, George. We Ride a White Donkey. New York: Harcourt Brace &. Company, 1944.
• ---. Jimmy Potts Gets a Haircut. Illustrated by reisie Lonette. Garden City: Doubleday &. Company, Inc., 1947.
• ---. Viva Madison Avenue! New York: Harcourt, Brace &. company, 1957.
• ---. The Sea Beach Express. New York: Harper &. Row, 1966.
• Panunzio, Constantine M. The Soul of An Immigrant. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1924.
• Papaleo, Joseph. All The Comforts. Boston: Little, Brown, &. Company, 1967.
• ---. Out of Place. Boston: Little, Brown &. Company, 1970.
• Pasinetti, P. M. Venetian Red. New York: Random House, 1960.
• ---. The Smile on the Face of the Lion. New York: Random House, 1965.
• ---. From the Academy Bridge. New York: Random House, 1970.
• Patri, Angelo. A Schoolmaster of the Great City. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1917.
• Pei, Mario A. Swords of Anjou. New York: The John Day Company, 1953.
• ---. The Sparrows of Paris. New York: The Philosophical Library, 1958.
• ---. Tales of the Natural and Supernatural. Old Greenwich, Conn.: The Devin-Adair Company, 1971.
• Pellegrini, Angelo M. Americans By Choice. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1956.
• Petracca, Joseph. Come Back To Sorrento. Boston: Little, Brown, &. Company, 1956.
• Piazza, Ben. The Exact and Very Strange Truth. New York: Farrar, Straus, &. Company, 1964.
• Pillitteri, Joseph. When the Giraffe Runs Down. New York: The Dial Press, 1970.
• ---. Two Hours On Sunday. New York: The Dial Press, 1971.
• Pollini, Francis. Night. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1961.
• ---. Glover. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1965.
• ---. Excursion. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1965.
• ---. The Crown. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1967.
• ---. Pretty Maids All In A Row. New York: Delacorte Press, and Dell Publishing Company, 1968.
• Pronzini, Bill. The Stalker. New York: Random House, Inc., 1971.
• ---. The Snatch. New York: Random House, Inc., 1971.
• Puzo, Mario. The Dark Arena. New York: Random House, 1955.
• ---. The Fortunate Pilgrim. New York: Atheneum, 1964.
• ---. The Godfather. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1969.
• ---. The Godfather Papers and Other Confessions. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1972.
• Radano, Gene. Walking the Beat. New York: World Publishing Company, 1968.
• Savarese, Julia. The Weak and The Strong. Putnam Publishing Company, 1952.
• ---. Final Proof. New York: W.W.Norton &. Company, Inc., 1971.
• Savo, Jimmy. Little World "Hello!" . Illustrated by A. Birnbaum. New York: Simon &. Schuster, Inc., 1947.
• Siciliano, Vincent. Unless They Kill Me First. New York: Hawthorn Books, Inc., 1970.
• Sorrentino, Gilbert. The Sky Changes. New York: Hill &. Wang, 1966.
• ---. Steelwork.New York: Pantheon, Random House, Inc., 1969.
• ---. Imaginative Qualities of Actual Things. New York: Pantheon, Random House, 1971.
• Sorrentino, Joseph. Up From Never. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1971.
• Stefano, Joseph. The Black Orchid(Novelized by Edward Ronns). New York: Almat Publishing Corporation, 1959.
• Talese, Gay. The Overreachers. Illustrated by Stanislav Zagorski. New York: Harper &. Row, 1965.
• ---. The Kingdom and the Power. New York: The World Publishing Company, 1969.
• ---. Honor Thy Father. New York: The World Publishing Company, 1971.
• ---. Unto the Sons. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1992.
• Tomasi, Mari. Deep Grow the Roots. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1940.
• ---. Like Lesser Gods. Milwaukee: Bruce Publishing Company, 1949.
• Trocchi, Alexander. Cain's Book. New York: Grove Press, Incorporated, 1960.
• ---. The Outsiders(Young Adam). New York: Heineman, 1961.
• Tucci, Niccolo. Before My Time. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1962.
• ---. Unfinished Funeral. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1964.
• Ventresca, Francesco. Personal Reminiscences of a Naturalized American. New York: Daniel Ryerson, Inc., 1937.
• Ventura, Luigi Donato. Peppino. Translated into French with introduction and vocabulary. New York: William R. Jenkins Company, 1913.
• Vergara, Joseph. Love E Pasta. New York: Harper and Row, 1968.
• Villa, Silvio. Claudio Graziani, an Episode of War. New York: Brentano's (privately printed), 1919.
• ---. The Unbidden Guest. Illustrated by Carlo Beuf. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1922.
• ---. Ultraviolet Rays. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1927.
• Vivante, Arturo. A Goodly Babe. Boston: Little, Brown &. Company, 1959.
• ---. Doctor Giovanni . Boston: Little, Brown &. Company, 1959, 1966, 1969.
• Winwar, Frances. The Ardent Flame. New York: The Century Company, 1927.
• ---. The Golden Round. New York and London: The Century Company, 1928.
• ---. Pagan Interval. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill company, 1929.
• ---. Gallows Hill. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1937.
• ---. The Sentimentalist. New York: Harper &. Brothers, 1943.
• ---. The Eagle and the Rock. New York: Harper &. Brothers, 1953.
• ---. The Last Love of Camille. London: Alvin Redman, 1955

• Cuomo, George. Sing, Choirs of Angels. Garden City: Doubleday, 1969.
• DiDonato, Pietro. Naked Author. New York: Phaedra, Inc., 1970.
• Fante, John. Dago Red. New York: The Viking Press, 1940.
• Talese, Gay. Fame and Obscurity. Incudes Short Stories and Reprints of A Serendipiter's Journey (1961) and The Bridge (1964). New York: the World Publishing Company, 1970.
• Vivante, Arturo. The French Girls of Killini. Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 1958-1967.

• Green, Rose Basile. The Italian-American Novel. Rutherford: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1974.
• Gardaphe, Fred L. Italian Signs, American Streets : The Evolution of Italian American Narrative. Durham: Duke University Press, 1996.
• Mangione, Jerre, and Ben Morreale. La Storia: Five Centuries of the Italian American Experience. New York: HarperPerennial, 1992.