Promotional Information

Compellingly documents the wide spectrum of this oppositional culture and examines the many cultural and artistic forms it took, from newspapers to literature and poetry to theater and visual art.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments Introduction 1 Italian American Radicalism: Old World Roots, New World Developments 2 The Sovversivi and Their Cultural World 3 A Literary Class War: The Italian American Radical Press 4 Politics and Leisure: The Italian American Radical Stage 5 Italian American Literary Radicalism 6 Arturo Giovannitti: Poet and Prophet of Labor 7 Allegories of Anti-Fascism: The Radical Cartoons of Fort Velona Conclusion Notes Glossary of Frequently Used Italian Terms Index About the Author

About the Author

Marcella Bencivenni is an associate professor of history at Hostos Community College (CUNY). Besides her recent book, Italian Immigrant Radical Culture, she has written numerous articles about American labor, immigration and Italian American history, and has co-edited with Ron Hayduk Radical Perspectives on Immigration for the journal Socialism and Democracy of which she is an editorial board member.

Reviews

"Italian Immigrant Radical Culture not only makes an important contribution to the history of the Italian-American left but, more broadly, reminds us of the importance of the cultural and literary dimension of radical politics in the United States during the first half of the twentieth century." -Fraser Ottanelli, Professor of History, University of South Florida "A welcome introduction to the poorly understood immigrant sovversivi, whose ideological commitments to revolution and emancipation as often found expression in poetry, theater, and the arts as on the picket line and in the radical press."-Donna Gabaccia, University of Minnesota "Utilizing a broad spectrum of materials from Italian archives and American repositories, Bencivenni penetrates deeply into a hitherto unexplored dimension of the lost world of Italian immigrant radicalism--its culture. With acute insight and intellectual sophistication, she provides a superb analysis of radical working-class poetry, drama, and art, together with vivid biographical portraits of principal contributors, both men and women, and their struggles against capitalist exploitation and fascist domination. Her book is a must for any scholar or general reader drawn to these fascinating subjects." -Nunzio Pernicone, author of Italian Anarchism, 1864-1892 "Anyone interested in the topic will benefit from Bencivenni's deep understanding of her subject, her exhaustive research, and her clear organization and writing."-R.J. Goldstein, Choice "Bencivenni has written an impressive book that nicely complements existing studies on Italian immigrants. It deserves a wide audience."-Mike Rosenow, H-Net Reviews