Articles by: N. C.

  • Art & Culture

    Ada Rovatti in Concert

    Ada Rovatti is an Italian jazz musician who continues to take the world by storm.  Ada, who plays the saxophone, will be joined by Jill McCarron on piano, and Daryl Johns on double bass for a free concert at the Italian Cultural Institute in New York City on June 25 at 6:30 pm.

    A Global Musician

    Ada is classically trained in piano and has been playing the saxophone since high school.  She was the winner of a Berklee College of Music scholarship, and from there, her career continued to flourish.  Ada has performed all over the world sharing her passion for music and has collaborated with countless celebrated musicians.  In the United States, she has led various bands, The Ada Rovatti Jazz Quartet/Quintet and Elephunk.

    The Italian Consulate is excited to showcase her talents on Monday for a night of music and fun.  

    For more information, click here >>>
  • Art & Culture

    Fabrizio Bosso’s Quartet in NYC

    Deemed “an authentic and worldwide established jazz star” by Mezzo TV, Fabrizio Bosso and his quartet will be playing a concert at the Italian Cultural Institute.  The group is comprised of Bosso on trumpet, Julian Oliver Mazzariello on piano, Jacopo Ferazza on double bass, and Nicola Angelucci on drums.

    State of the Art

    The quartet has worked together for a several years and they have a double album called State of the Art which was recorded live during their concerts in Rome, Tokyo, and Verona throughout 2016.  Along with dazzling interpretations of jazz standards and virtuoso improvisations, the quartet's repertoire also features Bosso's masterly compositions in pieces like Rumba for Kampei, Mapa, Black Spirit, Dizzy's Blues or Minor Mood.

    Fabrizio Bosso is a talented musician and composer who is sure to make an impression at the Cultural Institute with his quartet! Don’t miss out on this free concert event on Wednesday, June 20 from 6:30 pm to 8 pm.

    For more info, click here >>>
  • Art & Culture

    IDACO NYC 2018

    The IDACO—Italian DAnce COnnection— festival is May 24-27 at the Baruch Performing Arts Center. This showcase is a collaborative and international, contemporary dance event in its fourth year. IDACO creates an Italian themed, cross-cultural collaboration.

    This year, more than 20 dance companies, artists, and filmmakers will be featured.  IDACO presents a wide variety of performances which all include a pre-show film by Parcon NYC and access to Gisella Sorrentino's slide-show and photo exhibit.  The theme for 2018 is intersection and junction focusing on dialogues between countries.  IDACO explains that it wants to “facilitate meeting, joining and crossing distances, creating a zone in between, a shared space for artists of diverse origins where they can have the opportunity to come closer to one another.”

    IDACO at the IIC

    IDACO is having an opening night event at the Italian Cultural Institute in New York City May 23 at 6pm.  There will be a reception, a presentation of the program, a video screening, and a site-specific performance. The refreshments will be provided by I Trulli Restaurant and Avero Limoncello.

    Itinerary of Performances

    May 24 at 7:30 pm

    Anabella Lenzu/DanceDrama

    nancy allison nyc (film) 
    Claudia Gesmundo & Vera Sticchi
    Intermission: Garret Parker 
    Eleina D. Dance Company

    May 25 at 7:30 pm

    FrameaSubstantia & StatoLiquido
    Garrett Parker & Stephanie Noll
    Cie Twain physical dance theatre 

    Intermission: Garrett Parker 
    EnzoCelli/Vivo Ballet  

    May 26 at 8 pm

    Lost Movement

    Virginia Experimental Film (film)
    Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company

    Baobab Romeo + Iuvenis Danza (Film)

    YY Dance Company

    OPLAS/Luca Bruni 

    May 27 at 3:30 pm

    Dance Film Screening - $10
    POPcult /ATERballetto, Virgilio Sieni 

    at 5 pm

    Site-specific – Audience Engagement

    Movement Choir facilitated by Parcon NYC

    at 6 pm

    pre-show: Parcon NYC 
    Ocram Dance Movement
    Gruppo e-Motion

    Piccolo Balletto Sorano 
    Experimental Film Virginia (film)

    meltin_pot exphhdancecompany

    For more information on IDACO, click here >>> 
  • From the left: Dolores Alfieri, Mickela Mallozzi, Terry Paladini Baumgarten, Josepine A. Maietta, Rev Msgr Hilary Franco, Matilda Raffa Cuomo, Mirko M Notarangelo, Joseph Guagliardo.
    Facts & Stories

    VIVA LA LINGUA ITALIANA! The AIAE Celebrates 21st Anniversary

    Introduced by the two celebratory Italian and American National Anthems, sung by Tenor Mauricio Trejo & Soprano Rachel Elizabeth de Trejo with Pianist Alexander Chapilnskiy, the Association of Italian American Educators (AIAE) held its 21st Anniversary in the packed atmosphere of New York's "piazza d'Italia", the Consulate General of Italy in Park Avenue. 

    Grateful for the commitment to the Italian language and culture, Consul General Francesco Genuardi triumphantly opened the ceremony. “It is a great pleasure to renew our commitment towards Italian language and the AIAE,”, stated Genuardi honored to award the recipients devoted to education. He then introduced Cav. Josephine Maietta, the President of the AIAE.

    President Cav. Josephine A. Maietta on the AIAE's Mission

    Maietta described her organization’s mission which enhances the Italian American image in academia.  The AIAE promotes Italian in schools, colleges, and professional life. The President put the emphasis on the importance of learning a language explaining that it provides the opportunity to learn about a new culture, and to make connections to family roots.  Maietta couldn’t contain her gratitude for the amount of support that the AIAE receives in terms of funds, and mentorship, and she acknowledges that it is all about working together to achieve such a great end product.

    “We try to promote a positive image of the Italian Americans here in the US,” said Maietta, “every year we honor distinguished people that have excelled in the Italian American community supporting the study of Italian language and culture. We give scholarships to students in order that they can travel to Italy, because we want them to experience where their ancestors come from. And when they come back we hope that they will continue to study Italian in the universities.”

    The President speech was followed by a thoughtful and inspirational invocation by Rev. Msgr. Hilary C. Franco, Advisor Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations

    The Cuomos and the New York Mentoring Program

    Italian American Governor Andrew Cuomo could not attend this year’s ceremony, but he sent Dolores Alfieri, the Director of Italian American Affairs, to speak on his behalf: “Governor Cuomo is very proud of his heritage, and admires the AIAE’s work that preserves the literature, language, and art of Italy.  He also admires, and appreciates all who are dedicated to this important, educational cause,” said Alfieri.

    Equally proud was his mother, the Former First Lady of NY Matilda Raffa Cuomo, who was in attendance. Mrs. Cuomo created the Mentoring USA program that was reinstated in 2014 to help children who are failing in school.  She encourages the message that education is essential, and a necessary foundation in a child’s life that needs to be maintained.

    “You have to keep young people in school, and they have to do the best they can do in school." Said Mrs. Cuomo. "These kids don’t have a family, and a family is everything. So if they can have a mentor, one on one, an hour every weekn for a year, it would change them profoundly, it is incredible how this program transforms them. They learn education, manners and they get their good grades in school. We also brought this program in Italy from Milan to Milazzo in Sicily”

    The Awardees 

    The first award recipient of the night was Terry Paladini-Baumgarten, the Founder of the FiDi Lion’s Club.  She received the Woman of the Year Award and was recognized for her excellence in academia and business.

    She shared with us her thoughts and her emotions of the night: “I think that are many women who deserve this award tonight, I’m very humble and honored for my accomplishments as a daughter of an Italian family that emigrated from Italy during the first World War. It is important for kids to learn their foreign language to keep our culture alive and our family history. My father taught me always to give back in life and that’s what I’m trying to do with the Lion’s Club and also with the New York City Mentoring Program. I’m in the Advisory Board and I help Mrs. Matilda Raffa Cuomo, to bring the program not just to the States but around the world. We are working right now with the Lion’s club in Italy to embrace Mrs. Cuomo Mentoring Program. My personal mentor is her, Matilda Cuomo, I relate to her a lot, because she opened the door to these kids and thought of a program that it is just for them and that it is not and it shouldn’t be politicized.”

    The next award winner was Cav. Dott. Joseph A. Guagliardo.  Joseph is the President of The Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations and he received the Leadership and Heritage Award.  

    “The AIAE is a very important organization, I feel if I’m going into my roots." Said Guagliardo to us. "I graduated from Columbia University, so it takes me back to my educational background. Tonight they honored me I think specifically because we started the push back on the City Council when they were trying to take away Columbus Day in New York. I am the President of the the National Council of Columbia Associations of Civil Service. We were able to gather people together and rally to The City Hall to send the message that Italians are not going to settle for it. This led to a coalition made with the Columbus City Foundation and its Chairman Angelo Vivolo and that is going to continue the fight.”

    Mickela Mallozzi, the Host and Producer of the 4 time -Emmy Award- Winning show, the “Bare Feet Project”, was awarded for her Excellence in the Arts.  

    The final award of the night for Educational Outreach was received by Dott. Mirko M. Notarangelo who is the Art Director, and Producer for Multimedia Educational Activities.

    Scholarship Winners

    The scholarship recipients of the Programma Ponte-Pisa include: Mario Vincent, from Queens College received the Gov. Mario Cuomo Memorial Scholarship, Melissa D’Angelo from Queens College received the Ida Corvino & Pino Miletich Memorial Scholarship, Elizabeth D’Angelo from Queens College received the Mike Rienzi Foundation Scholarship, Maria D’Angelo from Queens College received the Anthony Calia Memorial Scholarship, Gaetana D’Auria from Hofstra University received the Mario & Josephine Maietta Scholarship, Giuseppe Fuduli from Quinnipiac University received the Cav. Joseph Coccia Jr. Memorial Scholarship, Sabrina Guglielmo from Pace University received the Giovanni Palandra Memorial Scholarship, and Olivia Rose Manna from SUNY Purchase received the AIAE Scholarship.

    The Perfect Catering for a Perfect Celebration

    To end the day on a sweet note, the AICNY - Associazione Italiana Chef New York, provided a wonderful catering full of authenthic Italian delicacies. The catering guided by Michele Mazza President of the AICNY, was coordinated by Chef Rosanna Di Michele.

    ___

    More About the AIAE

    The Association of Italian American Educators was organized by a group of Italian American teachers and professors to enhance the Italian American image and presence in academia. The AIAE promotes discussion of educational issues impacting Italian Americans, supports formal and pertinent education, facilitates professional development for teachers, sponsors the Programma Ponte Scholarship Program (a course of study in Rome on Contemporary Italy, designed for Italian American college and high school students); and recognizes and presents awards to outstanding Italian American educators and leaders of the community for their achievements in their professions.

    For more info please visit the AIAE website here >>>
  • Art & Culture

    Ancient Philosophy Meets Contemporary Art

    The legacy of Plato transcends millennia.  His ideologies can be found in the politics, theology, and ethics of today.  Plato’s profound impact on western civilization permeates into our everyday lives, and naturally, the theme of contemplation can be visualized into art.

    Plato in LA

    The Getty Villa in Los Angeles is showcasing the Plato in LA exhibit until September, 3.  Sculptures, paintings, drawings, and large-scale installations are on display relating back to Plato’s philosophy of contemplation.  The works reflect on the definition of ideal, in addition to the understanding of human condition. Participating artists include: Paul Chan, Rachel Harrison, Huang Yong Ping, Mike Kelley, Jeff Koons, Joseph Kosuth, Paul McCarthy, Whitney McVeigh, Raymond Pettibon, Adrian Piper, and Michelangelo Pistoletto.

    This exhibition features only contemporary art which perfectly juxtaposes the archaic times of Plato.  Timothy Potts, the director of the J. Paul Getty Museum, explains that the museum’s intent is to “draw connections between contemporary art and the ancient world.”

    Michelangelo Pistoletto

    One of the featured artists is Michelangelo Pistoletto.  Representing Italy in Los Angeles, Pistoletto, is not only a painter, but an action and object artist, as well as an art theorist. With his works, he interprets the impact of Plato in the contemporary world at the Getty Villa.

    Born in Biella, Italy, Pistoletto is considered a vital protagonist to the Arte Povera movement.  He has had shows all over the world, and has received countless praise and accolades for his art.  Pistoletto’s unique, and profound work has been recognized for its creativity and its importance to the art world.

    To learn more about the exhibit, click here>>> 

    To read more about Michelangelo Pistoletto, click here >>> 
  • Art & Culture

    "Ghetto PSA" to Premiere in the US

    Starring Europe: New Films from the EU kicks off from May 3 to May 9.  This exciting event will be showcasing the premieres of festival award winning films from various countries, such as Croatia, Austria, Belgium, and Italy.

    The Italian short film, Ghetto PSA (2016), directed by Rossella Schillaci, will be shown May 5 at the Aero Theatre in Sana Monica.  The documentary centers around Jacob who is from French Guinea.  He moves to Turin, Italy by himself when he is 11 enduring a difficult transition.  Now 27, Jacob has a passion for hip-hop music. He is part of the band Ghetto PSA which is made up of other young migrants, and at night, he teaches at a center for refugees.  Jacob’s multifaceted life leads to self-reflection as he embodies the life in Italy he started as a young boy, and his past home and culture.

    A Panel Discussion, Premiere, and More

    Before the premiere of the film, there will be a panel discussion at 6 PM with Caroline Vicini EU, Deputy Ambassador; Rosella Schillaci, the Director; Mary Mucha, Directing Attorney of the Los Angeles County Bar Association's Immigration Legal Assistance Project; and Dr. Jian Wang, Director of the USC Center on Public Diplomacy.

    Ghetto PSA is 15 minutes long and will be screened at 8 PM.  There will be another discussion after the film with just the director, Rossella Schillaci.  Rossella is an anthropologist, and documentary maker from Turin, Italy.  She was trained at the Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology, and has a passion for exploring themes concerning migration and finding one’s own identity.

    For more information on Starring Europe: New Films from the EU, and the other featured films, click here >>>
  • Master Class on Pizza Making at Song'e Napule Pizzeria with Master Pizzaiolo Ciro Iovine
    Dining in & out

    Pizza Under the Spotlight: "Tu Vuò Fa il Napoletano" in NYC

    Organized by journalist Elisabetta Cantone and art expert Francesca Silvestri of Dress in Dreams Movie & Costume , “Tu Vuò Fa il Napoletano - Facce da Pizza” promotes a deeper understanding and appreciation of the art of pizza making, and the neapolitan pizzaioli. These events aim to educate others about this traditional practice because pizza making in Naples was added to UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list in December.

    As Elisabetta Cantone explains, “we intend to share the excellence of pizza making through the cinema” because "cinema has always recounted the dinner table and its liveliness demonstrating the transformation of a country and its history" when asked about this series of events concerning Neapolitan Pizzaioli and their pizzas in film.

    Pizza and Cinema Icons at Ribalta

    On the first day of "Facce da Pizza", in  Rosario Procino and Pasquale Cozzolino's Ribalta Pizzeria, guests were shown a captivating  homage to pizza in cinematic history.  Some of the most iconic scenes in film, like Sophia Loren making “pizza fritta” in L’oro di Napoli, were shown in the packed and lively atmosphere of the renowned pizzeria.

    Afterwards, Chef and Maestro Pizzaiolo of Ribalta, Pasquale Cozzolino was joined by Rosario Granieri, pizza master at Rossopomodoro from Eataly Flatiron, to craft some delicious pizzas, each one dedicated to a movie icon. Matteo Troncone, director of "Arrangiarsi: Pizza… and the Art of Living" - a film inspired by his journey in Italy to discover the secrets of Neapolitan pizza - also joined the two pizzaioli to prepare his own pizza.

    Authentic Italian Products 

    To make a traditional Neapolitan pizza, authentic and fresh Italian ingredients are fundamental.  The chefs had the best Italian products to create magic with their artistry: Cirio, one of the finest tomatoes producers, Le 5Stagioni flour, and Angelo & Franco - The Mozzarella Guys, producers and importers of traditional mozzarella and cheese from the Campania region now based in Los Angeles. These brands also served as sponsors of the event.

    Getting into the Action! Pizza Making Master Class

    Making a pizza  is more than just using the best ingredients, it is an art.  To demonstrate the level of precision and skill that goes into it, a master class was taught at Ciro Iovine’s  Song’ e Napule pizzeria using fresh and delicious ingredients courtesy of Cirio, Le 5Stagioni flour, and Angelo & Franco - The Mozzarella Guys.  This final event drew an excitable group of pizza-lovers eager to learn and celebrate.

    “The scope of the class is to communicate the culture and history of pizza that was always a dish for the poor,” underlined Elisabetta Cantone, “but today it is also considered a gourmet dish prepared with top quality ingredients.”

    The Master pizzaioli, Pasquale Cozzolino and Rosario Granieri, along with Ciro, directed the participants Letizia Airos, Editor in Chief of i-Italy, Elisabetta Cantone, and Gabriella Lepore Gaspar, former Director of Ferrara Bakery NYC ,on how to make their first pizza.  The excited crowd, enjoying delicious appetizersーbread and ricotta, crochette, salame, and prosciuttoー cheered on the women as they learned various techniques and tricks. Overall, the event was a success highlighting the significance and regard of maintaining cultural traditions.

    __

    "Facce da Pizza -Tu vuò fà il napoletano", is produced by Dress in Dreams. Under the auspices and with the support of MiBACT - Direzione Cinema. In collaboration with Associazione VPN, Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia. Sponsored by Cirio, Le 5Stagioni, Angelo & Franco - The Mozzarella Guys.

     
  • From "Daughter of Mine" by Italian Director Laura Bispuri
    Art & Culture

    Italian Films Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival

    The highly anticipated Tribeca Film Festival kicks off April 18.  Encompassing a wide variety of genres, the 2018 Festival is sure to impress.  Excitingly, three Italian films, Daughter of Mine (Figlia Mia), The Man Who Stole Banksy, and Nico, will be presented in New York City.

    Daughter of Mine

    Premiering in North America for the first time, Daughter of Mine (Figlia Mia) directed by Laura Bispuri, will be shown starting April 20.  The film centers around 10-year-old Vittoria who begins spending time with Angelica, a party girl that could possibly be her birth mother.  Torn between the overprotective mother who raised her, and Angelica, Vittoria feels conflicted.

    Having already premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, Daughter of Mine has been praised as a touching, and poignant film.  Laura Bispuri won the Nora award (for the best female director) at the Tribeca Film Festival three years ago with her film, Sworn Virgin.

    The Man Who Stole Banksy

    The Man Who Stole Banksy is making its World Premiere April 20 at the Tribeca Film Festival.  Directed by Marco Proserpio, and narrated by Iggy Pop, the documentary examines the secret art market of stolen works that are created illegally.  A Palestinian taxi driver, Walid the Beast, cut out a part of a cement wall containing the anonymous artist Banksy’s graffiti painting, and then put it up for auction.  Because Banksy’s graffiti was done illegally, it can be stolen and profited from without penalty.

    Marco Proserpio is making his debut as a director with this film.  He has also worked in cinematography, and producing, and got his start working for MTV Italia.  

    In Attendance

    From Daughter of Mine, the director Laura Bispuri, the actress Alba Rohrwacher, and producer Marta Donzelli will be in New York for the Tribeca Film Festival.  Also in attendance will be Director Marco Proserpio and executive producers Lucia Nicolai, and Marcello Paolillo from The Man Who Stole Banksy.

     

    For more information on Daughter of Mine,  click here >>>

    For more information on The Man Who Stole Banksy, click here >>>

    For more information on the Tribeca Film Festival, click here >>>
  • Foods in the Mediterranean Diet
    Dining in & out

    America Celebrates the Second World Week of Italian Cuisine

    November 13th through the 19th marks the second edition of The World Week of Italian Cuisine.  This food inspired week in the United States promotes Italian culture and culinary tradition.  Italian food is known all over the world and is always a crowd favorite, particularly in the USA.  The World Week of Italian Cuisine offers enjoyable, interesting, and also educational activities to learn more about Italian food and its huge impact on the rest of the world.

    All about Food

    During the course of the week, topics such as food quality, sustainability, culture, and identity will be discussed in relation to Italy.  Additionally, more serious issues like the right to food, food security, and biodiversity will also be put into conversation. It is well-known that Italy is largely tourist oriented, so another aim is to promote particular tourist destinations and territories, the culinary arts, and food and wine connoisseurship.

    Another fascinating subject is the Mediterranean Diet.  Italians are known for their healthy lifestyle and habits, and The World Week of Italian Cuisine allows Americans to learn about a food culture, and values that are very different from their own.

    Key Points

    The purpose of this food week is to promote Italian cuisine in a way that is engaging and educational.  Some important concepts that will be obtained through the week are how to combine high quality meals with wine, and how to protect and leverage the controlled and protected designation of origin of products and promoting actions to disseminate Italian brand-protection methods in order to launch initiatives to fight the so called Italian sounding.  Furthermore, various regional foods, the art of Neapolitan pizza making, and goods from the regions that were affected by earthquakes this year will be promoted.  Special attention will also be put on the training of hotel chefs that are both Italian and international to create cooperation, and the inclusion of “Colline del Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene” as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    Activities

    Thanks to the Italian networks of Consulates, Cultural Institutes and Trade Commissions, there will be approximately 50 events taking place in the US to promote Italian food. This year there is an emphasis on Sicilian cuisine and there will be cooking workshops, classes, food and wine tastings, dinners, and conferences to experience true Sicilian cooking.

    Other activities include film and documentary viewings, concerts, language courses, and even photo exhibitions. From an educational point of view, The World Week of Italian Cuisine offers an irreplaceable opportunity to learn and engage in a food culture that is different from their own, and therefore, the immersive style of The World Week of Italian Cuisine is not to be missed.

    Italian Food Events in Washington D.C

    A list of events in Washington D.C include:

    Monday, November 13, 6:00pm - Screening of “La pizza, il cuore di Napoli,” followed by pizza tasting, at the Embassy of Italy.

    Tuesday, November 14, 6:00pm - Conference “Sicilian Flavors: Traditional Farming and Eating in a Modern World. A conversation with Fabrizia Lanza and Ann Yonkers,” followed by winetasting in collaboration with Tasca D’Almerita and Regione Sicilia, at the Embassy of Italy.

    Wednesday, November 15, 6:30pm - Conference “Health And Nutrition: Challenges And Solutions” at Georgetown Univer

    Thursday, November 16, 9:30am – 1:30pm - General meeting on the agriculture and food sector, in collaboration of the New York Office of the Italian Trade Agency, with the participation of Italian companies and sector operators working in the US (closed doors event).6:00pm - Opening ceremony of photography exhibit “Discover the #ItalianTaste,” followed by Italian Street Food Festival, a Sicilian food and wine tasting, at the Embassy of Italy.

    Saturday, November 18, 7:30pm - Gala dinner dedicated to the Sicilian culinary art by Sicilian chef Roberto Toro, who will reinterpret the menu prepared for the Taormina G7 Summit in May 2017. The dinner will be at Villa Firenze, residence of the Ambassador of Italy to the United States and it is organized in collaboration with Regione Sicilia (Closed doors event).

    For more information on the events in Washington D.C, please visit: http://www.iicwashington.esteri.it/iic_washington/en/ 
  • Actor Richard Gere in conversation with Giovanna Calvino and Director of NYU Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò, Stefano Albertini. Photo by Shushu Chen
    Art & Culture

    Richard Gere Embodies the Compassion of Italo Calvino

    Italo Calvino’s 1957 novel, “Il Barone Rampante” or “The Baron in the Trees,” is renewed through Ann Goldstein’s 2017 English adaptation.  Goldstein, a renowned Italian to English translator, is highly praised and respected in her field. Her version of “The Baron in the Trees,” one of Calvino’s bestselling novels, is particularly esteemed and was put into discussion on October 25th at NYU’s Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò with actor Richard Gere, alongside the director of “Casa Italiana,” Stefano Albertini, and Calvino’s daughter, Giovanna Calvino .  

    A Celebration of Words

    “Baron in the Trees,” recounts the adventurous 18th century tale of Cosimo di Rondó, a young Italian aristocrat who decides that he has had enough of his parents' rules and consequently goes to live outside in a tree as a final act of defiance.  His rebellion and newly found independence in the forest help him to develop a new sense of self and a new perspective.  Cosimo grows and adapts to his environment, and constantly learns on his journey.  Calvino’s whimsical story takes the reader on a philosophical and metaphorical exploration while also experiencing the Age of Enlightenment through Cosimo’s eyes.

    Gere, wanting to honor the author and his works, brings the story to life by reading two passages to the audience, beginning with the first chapter.  Later in the humorous Chapter eight, Calvino’s words brought laughter to the room when Gere recited Cosimo and his father’s witty, yet insightful banter. Immersing himself in the text, Gere read with conviction, though he was sure to take a moment to check his Italian pronunciation.  The audience intently listened and enthusiastically applauded as the chapter came to a close.

    Gere’s passion for Calvino’s words was evident as he was reading, but he expressed his passion further when he sat down to talk to Giovanna Calvino and Stefano Albertini. Smiling to himself, he conveyed his gratification for Calvino’s and Goldstein’s work when he emphatically announced, “such good writing, and such good translation.  It’s just a pleasure to be around these words and these thoughts.”  

    The Impact of an Author

    It is more than evident that Calvino’s literature has a profound effect on those who read it. Gere acknowledged this notion when he praised Calvino’s “depth of understanding of people in the world.” For Gere, Calvino’s writing goes beyond the text.  Giovanna Calvino also spoke about the power of her father’s writing and how his “books are very spiritual” because he was able to go beyond his ego. In addition to admiring the power or her father’s language, she complimented Goldstein’s work saying that she provided new life to the book because even if “the original doesn’t get old, the translations do.”

    Compassionately reflecting on Calvino's writing, Gere offered his own wisdom to the audience.  When describing “The Baron in the Trees,” he explained that “the book is saturated with generosity, and a sense of love and care and concern…it’s inherent.” Gere encouraged everyone to embody these empathetic qualities. He mused about the power of self-reflection and how we need to think about our own actions, choices, and values, and through this process of taking personal responsibility we can better ourselves and create a better world.

     

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