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RIVISTA DI FOLKLORI E LITTIRATURA SICILIANI

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R B A

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I C U L A

JOURNAL OF SICILIAN FOLKLORE & LITERATURE Diritturi-Editor GAETANO CIPOLLA

CUNSIGGHIERI Ô DIRITTURI

EDITORIAL BOARD

Antina Lentini Babakhanian

Antony F. Lazzara

Salvatore Bancheri

Antonio Pagano

Alissandru Caldieru (CO-FOUNDER)

Salvatore Paternò

Cosimo Corsano

Paolo Possiedi

Nicolò d’Alessandro

Antonino Provenzano

Alfredo Danese

Giuseppe Provenzano

Salvatore Di Marco

Giuseppe Quatriglio

Paolo Fiorentino

Florence Russo

Mario Gallo

Federico Vaccaro

Giovanna Jackson

Justin Vitiello Jana Vizmuller-Zocco

VOLUMI XXIX, NUMIRA 1 & 2, PRIMAVERA E STATI 2008 VOLUME XXIX, NUMBERS 1 & 2, SPRING & SUMMER 2008 © Copyright 2008 by ARBA SICULA, ISSN 0271-0730 Design and Camera-Ready Text by LEGAS

ARBA SICULA è l’organu ufficiali dâ società siculu-americana dû stissu nomi ca si proponi comu obbiettivu principali di prisirvari, studiari, e promoviri a lingua e a cultura siciliani. ARBA SICULA è normalmenti pubblicata dui voti l’annu, ntâ primavera e nta l’autunnu. Pi comunicari direttamenti cû diritturi, pi mannari materiali pâ rivista, pi l’abbunamenti e pi informazioni supra a nostra società, scriviti a Gaetano Cipolla, Languages and Literatures Department, St. John’s University, 8000 Utopia Pkwy, Queens, NY 11439. I materiali ricevuti non si restituisciunu si nun si manna puru na busta affrancata cû nomu e indirizzu. ABBUNAMENTI Cu si abbona a la rivista, diventa automaticamenti sociu di Arba Sicula. Cu n’abbunamentu annuali i soci ricivunu du nummira di Arba Sicula (unu, si pubblicamu un numiru doppiu) e dui di Sicilia Parra. Arba Sicula è na organizzazioni senza scopu di lucru. Abbunamenti fora dî Stati Uniti Abbunamentu regolari Anziani e studenti

$40.00 $35.00 $30.00

ARBA SICULA is the official journal of the Sicilian-American organization by the same name whose principal objective is to preserve, study, and promote the language and culture of Sicily. ARBA SICULA is normally published twice a year, in the Spring and in the Fall. To communicate with the Editor, to submit materials for publication, to subscribe and to obtain information on our organization, write to Gaetano Cipolla, Languages and Literatures Department, St. John’s University, 8000 Utopia Pkwy, Queens, NY 11439. The materials received will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. SUBSCRIPTIONS Those who subscribe to the journal, automatically become members of Arba Sicula. Annual dues entitle the members to two issues of Arba Sicula (or one if a double issue) and two of Sicilia Parra. Arba Sicula is a Non-Profit Organization. Subscription outside USA Regular Subscription Seniors and Students

$40.00 $35.00 $30.00

ARBA SICULA A Non-Profit International Organization Promoting the Language and Culture of Sicily

Languages and Literatures Department St. John’s University 8000 Utopia Parkway Queens, New York 11439 Telephone (718) 990-5203 Fax (718) 990-5954 E-mail [email protected]

CUMITATO ESECUTIVU

EXECUTIVE BOARD

GAETANO CIPOLLA, Ph.D.

President and Editor

ANTONINO PROVENZANO

Vice President

FLORENCE RUSSO, Ph.D.

Treasurer

ROSARIA PIPIA, Ph. D.

Secretary

CHARLES CAPPELLINO, MD

Community Affairs (P.P.)

GIUSEPPE PROVENZANO

Historian

CUNSIGGHIERI

ADVISORY BOARD

Salvatore Bancheri, Ph.D.

Rev. Anthony Failla.

Joseph Bellestri, M.A.

Gaetano Giacchi (CO-FOUNDER)

Alissandru Caldieru (CO-FOUNDER)

Robert Marchisotto, Ph.D.

Ursula Cottone, Dott.

John Randazzo

Printed and bound in Canada

ARBA SICULA VOLUMI XXIX, NUMIRA 1 & 2, PRIMAVERA E STATI 2008 VOLUME XXIX, NUMBERS 1 & 2, SPRING & SUMMER 2008

Indici / Table of Contents DICHIARAZIONI DI LU SCOPU / DECLARATION OF PURPOSE ................. 8

Puisia siciliana/Sicilian Poetry LU SCHINFIGNUSU /The Haughty Man, by Maria Rosaria Mutolo ..................... 15 Il PARLAMENTU/The Parliament, By Mario Scaglia ................................................. 17 ‘NTA UN UFFICIU COMUNALI /Inside the Municipal Office By Vincenzo Ancona ........................................................................................ 19 COMU SI PO’ SMINNARI UN PATRIMONIU /How You Can Lose your fortune, By Pino Maltese ................................................................................. 21 ME NONNA, NARDINEDDA /My Grandmother Leonarda by Nino De Vita .. 23 LA VISITA /THEVISIT, By Marisa Frasca .................................................................. 25 A’atì (a carusa runnata dî pirati)/Agatha (a girl kidnapped by the pirates) by Alfio Inserra ................................................................................................. 33

Narrativa Siciliana / Sicilian Fiction L’eroi /The Hero, by Berto Giambalvo ......................................................................... 36 Lu canarieddu accuntintatu /The Satisfied Canary, by Carmelo Lauretta ................... 40

Saggistica / Essays Giustaposizioni dâ vecchia e nova Sicilia ntâ littiratura poliziesca di Camilleri, / Juxtapositions of Old and New Sicily in Camilleri’s Detective Literature, by Piera Carroli .................................................................................................. 44 U Tic tac du tempu/ Ticking History ............................................................................. 56

Na Clarissa Missinisa /A Poor Clare from Messina ..................................................... 66 Sicilianità e canto di pueti/ Sicilianity and Poets’ song, by Raffaele Urzì .................... 72 A Granni Flotta Bianca/The Great White Fleet, by S. Lagumina ............................... 80

Sezioni Spiciali/ Special Section Mario Gori: na vuci mpurtanti da puisia siciliana/Mario Gori: an Important Voice of Sicilian Poetry, by Gaetano Cipolla ............................................................ 84 Prigheri siciliani/ Sicilian Prayers, edited and translated by Joe Ruggeri ..................... 123

Arti Siciliana /Sicilian Art U pitturi di carretti/ The Painter of Carts ...................................................................... 124

A Nostra Lingua/Our Language Prverbi/ Prooverbs Compiled by Monsignor Richard S. Amico ................................ 130

Cucina Siciliana/ Sicilian Cuisine Eat Smart in Sicily by Joan Peterson and Marcella Croce ............................................... 134 Sicily Culinary Crossroads by Giuseppe Coria .................................................................. 138 Books Received ................................................................................................................. 144 Recommended Books ...................................................................................................... 148

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DICHIARAZIONI DI LU SCOPU DA NOSTRA ASSOCIAZIONI

“ARBA SICULA é, prima di tuttu, la riflissioni in ritardu, di na nicissitá sintuta di na cumunitá etnica stabiluta nni li Stati Uniti d’America pi difiniri, prisirvari e difúnniri la nostra antica ereditá p’assicurari la so vera supravvivenza. Mentri ca l’orientazioni nostra é littiraria, lu nostru métudu é storicamenti evucativu cu l’intinzioni di nun passari supra nuddu aspettu di la cultura Siciliana comu indignu di la nostra esaminazioni e análasi. Lu scopu di stu sforzu é, allura, di riscupriri zoccu é ligittimamenti nostru ntra tuttu lu sintasi d’un populu isulanu pussidennu rádichi nni l’espirienzi storichi Siciliani, Italiani e Americani e macari ligami chiú antichi cu tutti li nazioni di lu Meditirraniu.

Circamu la canuscenza d’un senzu di cuntinuazioni ntra nui stissi, e picchissu amu pigghiatu un simbulu anticu di li Siculi (la stirpi principali in Sicilia prima di lu stabilimentu di li Grechi) pi suttaliniari la seriitá di lu nostru scopu e pi marcari nni li menti di la juvintú nostra un signu di l’antichitá di la so ereditá. Nui semu, prima di tuttu, intirissati ca la chiavi di l’arma Siciliana (la lingua di li nostri avi) fussi cunsirvata e studiata cu preggiu e attinzioni. Pi la fini di rializari st’intinzioni, ARBA SICULA invita a tutti ca ponnu vantari armenu un avu Sicilianu, a unirisi cu nui in un sforzu culittivu pi aumintari la canuscenza di la nostra stissa ereditá. Stu disignu é pigghiatu di na midagghia d’urnamentu ca nchiudi na specia di cruci dicurativa. Un esemplari si trova nni lu Museu di Siracusa Fu truvata a San Cataldu e fa parti di l’Adrano Hoard, la chiú granni cugghiuta d’uggetti di brunzu ca á statu truvata in Sicilia. Lu disignu é di circa 1300 anni avanti Cristu. di la civilitá Sicula.” Ristampammu ntâ pagina precedenti a dichiarazioni dû scopu accussì comu fu scritta ntô primu numiru di Arba Sicula ntô 1979. A copiammu esattamenti comu fu scritta senza fari currezioni. Comu si vidi, a lingua canciau Arba Sicula XXIX

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STATEMENT OF PURPOSE FOR OUR ORGANIZATION

“ARBA SICULA is, above all else, the overdue reflection of a felt need by an established ethnic community of the United States of America to define, preserve and disseminate our ancient heritage in order to assure its undistorted survival. While our orientation is literary, our approach is historically evocative and intended to overlook no aspect of Sicilian culture as unworthy of our examination and analysis. The purpose of this effort is, therefore, to rediscover what is legitimately ours within the composite synthesis of a displaced island people possessing immediate roots in the Sicilian, Italian and American historical experiences, as well as far more ancient linkages to every nation of the Mediterranean.

We seek recognition of a sense of continuity within ourselves and for that reason have chosen an ancient symbol of the Sikel people (the predominant strain in Sicily prior to its settlement by the Greeks) both to underscore the seriousness of our intent and to stamp upon the minds of our youth a sign of the antiquity of their heritage. We are, above all, concerned that the key to the Sicilian soul (the language of our forefathers) be preserved and studied with attentive appreciation. To the end of fulfilling these declared intentions, ARBA SICULA extends to all and any able to claim at least one Sicilian grandparent, an invitation to join us in a collective effort to increase our consciousness of our common heritage. This design is taken from an ornamental pendant enclosing a sort of cross decoration from the Sikel civilization. A sample is in the Museum of Syracuse. It was found at San Cataldo and is part of the Adrano Hoard, the largest collection of bronze objects ever found in Sicily. The design dates from about 1300 before Christ.”

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nanticchia; semu forsi chiù attenti a comu scrivemu in sicilianu, ma mi pari ca in linia di massina amâ statu fidili a l’ideali espressi nta sta dichiarazioni. Si canciau l’edituri, non canciau u disidderiu di travagghiari pi ddi stissi motivi ca ficiru nasciri a nostra società. Forsi avissi a fari na brevi storia da nostra associazioni pî soci ca sunu novi e oramai sunu sparsu in tuttu u munnu. Arba Sicula fu funnata ntô 1979 di un gruppittu di siculo-amiricani di Brooklyn tra cui Gaetanu Giacchi, Joseph Palisi, Alissandru Caldieru, Sebastianu Passioni, Mons. Santi Privitera e Mons. Anthony Failla e autri ca si riunevanu ntâ parrocchia di St. Finbar’s a Brooklyn. Chisti si putissiru cunsiddirari i soci funnaturi dâ società, anchi si giustamenti u titulu di funnaturi spetta a Gaetanu Giacchi ca fu ô principiu chiddu ca chiù di tutti travagghiò pi purtari avanti l’organizzazioni. I presidenti dâ nostra associazioni hannu statu chisti: Joseph Palisi, 19791980; Gaetanu Giacchi, 1980-1987; Mons. Santi Privitera, 1987; Charles Cappellino, 1987-8; e Gaetano Cipolla, dû 1988-finu a ora. L’edituri di Arba Sicula hannu statu sulu dui: Alissandru Caldieru dû 1979 fina ô 1986 e Gaetano Cipolla dû 1987 finu a oggi. L’autra nostra pubblicazioni, Sicilia Parra, ca durau pi na para d’anni, fu edita di John Randazzo, dâ sedi di Los Angeles. A secunna serii di Sicilia Parra cuminciau ntô 1989 e cuntinua finu a ora cu Gaetano Cipolla comu diritturi e Henry Barbera comu Co-diritturi, fina ô 2000. Comu sapiti, Henry muriu u 24 di settembri dû 2000. Ntô 2003 i rispunsabbilità di Gaetano Cipolla foru alliviati un pocu di Giuseppe Provenzano ca fu numinatu Edituri Associatu di Sicilia Parra. Ntâ prima fasi, Arba Sicula ebbi assai successu organizzannu reciti di puisii e programmi nta li chesi e nta li scoli. Però u numiru di soci non superau mai 700-800 pirsuni. Ci fu un piriudu di decadenza a causa di malatii e di autri cosi ca misi in piriculu l’organizzazioni ntô 1985-7. Arba Sicula fu salvata grazzii a Mons. Santi Privitera e a Charles Cappellinu ca l’aiutarunu finanziariamenti e grazzii a Gaetano Cipolla ca prima si pigghiaiu a direzioni dâ rivista facennula maturari non sulu dû puntu di vista dâ grafica usannu u computer (i primi numiri si stampavanu cu na machina di scriviri manuali) ma anchi pû cuntinutu e pâ lingua, e poi pigghiau a direzioni di l’organizzazioni. Arba Sicula ha crisciutu assai nta l’urtimi diciassetti anni, non sulu pû numiru di l’abbunati, ma puru pi l’ottima riputazioni ca godi ntô munnu. A società havi soci ca si trovanu principalmenti nta zona metropolitana di New York, ntâ California e poi ntâ tutti i Stati Uniti, macari nta l’Alaska e l’isuli Hawai. Tra i rivisti italiani, Arba Sicula è a rivista chiù populari d’America. A niautri nni pari picca cosa aviri chiù di 2500 abbunati, picchì pinsamu ca i Siciliani d’America sunu assai numirusi e n’avissimu aviri 10,000 almenu! Ma

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We reprinted on these pages the statement of purpose published in the first issue of Arba Sicula twenty one years ago. We reproduced it exactly as it appeared without any corrections. As you can see, our language has changed a bit. We are perhaps a bit more conscious of how we write in Sicilian, but I think that we have remained faithful to the ideals that prompted our predecessors to found this publication. If the editor has changed, the desire to work toward the achievement of the same goals that spurred our foundation has not. Perhaps I ought to give a brief history of our association for the members who are new to it. Arba Sicula was founded in 1979 by a small group of Sicilian-Americans living in Brooklyn composed by Gaetano Giacchi, Joseph Palisi, Alissandru Caldiero, Sebastianu Passione, Mons. Santi Privitera, Mons. Anthony Failla and others who met monthly in the basement of the church of St. Finbar’s. These people can be considered founding members of the organization, even though the title of founder belongs rightly to Gaetano Giacchi who at the beginning was the one who did the most to promote the organization. The presidents of our society have been the following: Joseph Palisi, 1979-80; Gaetano Giacchi, 1980-86; Santi Privitera 1987; Charles Cappellino 1987-88; and Gaetano Cipolla 1988-present. The editors of Arba Sicula have been only two: Alissandru Caldieru from 1979 to 1986 and Gaetano Cipolla from 1987 to the present. Our other publication, Sicilia Parra was originally edited by John Randazzo of our Los Angeles Branch, and it was published for a few years. A new series of Sicilia Parra began in 1989 and continues to the present with Gaetano Cipolla as editor. Henry Barbera was Co-editor until 2000. As you may know, Henry passed away on Sept.. 24, 2000. Gaetano Cipolla’s responsibilities of producing the newsletter wew alleviated by the appointment of Giuseppe Provenzano as Associate Editor in 2003. During the first phase, Arba Sicula was very successful in organizing recitals and performances in churches and schools, but its membership never rose above 700-800. Then there was a period of stagnation because of illness and other reasons which jeopardized the organization (1985-7). Arba Sicula was saved thanks to Mons. Santi Privitera and Dr. Charles Cappellino who helped with donations, and thanks to Gaetano Cipolla who first assumed the duties of editor of the journal, making it more mature not only from a graphic point of view by introducing the the use of computers and laser printers (the first issues of Arba Sicula were printed using a manual typewriter), but in its content and language, then assuming the duties as president of the organization. In 1988 Prof. Cipolla assumed the duties as president of the organization. 11

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l’autri rivisti specializzati si cunsiddiranu furtunati si hannu 300-400 abbunati. Nautra cosa: tanti rivisti stannu in circulazioni dui, tri anni e poi fallisciunu. Arba Sicula chist’annu fa vintottu anni di vita, vintottui anni di travagghiu pi dari o munnu n’idea chiù giusta dâ cultura siciliana e dî so contributi ô munnu. E’ un traguardu ca attravirsamu cu umiltà e cu granni cumpiacenza pi chiddu c’avemu fattu, ma puru câ spiranza ca putemu rializzari ancora assai dicchiù nta l’anni dû terzu millenniu. Arba Sicula ha statu n’ispirazioni pi tanti Miricani d’origini siciliana. Annu dopu annu amâ prisintatu u megghiu dâ cultura siciliana, dannucci mutivi di essiri orgogliosi di essiri Siciliani. Autri società siciliani hannu statu funnatu nta stu paisi e guardanu a niautri pi ispirazioni e sustegnu. Arba Sicula câ so luci illuminau a Sicilia e ê Siciliani facennucci canusciri a tutti u megghiu latu d’iddi. Senza piccari di superbia, nta sti anni u nostru pisu s’ha fattu sentiri e pi chissu putemu essiri orgogliosi dî nostri contribbuti.

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Arba Sicula has grown a lot in twenty-eight years, not only in the numbers of subscribers, but also for the excellent reputation it enjoys all over the world. While we may think that our list of over 2,500 subscribers is small, because we know that there are many Sicilian-Americans out there and we should have ten thousand subscribers, we are the most popular journal of Italian studies in this country. Other specialized Italian journals struggle along with 300-400 subscribers. Furthermore, many of them fold after two or three years. Arba Sicula has been an inspiration to many Sicilian-Americans. It has made available to them the best of Sicilian culture and year after year has offered them reasons to be proud of their heritage. Many other Sicilian organizations have been founded throughout the country, and they look to us as for inspiration and support. Without fear of sounding immodest, Arba Sicula, by shining a truer light on Sicily and Sicilians, has made a difference and can be proud of its contributions.

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Puisia Siciliana LU SCHINFIGNUSU Di Maria Rosaria Mutolo A tia ... si, propriu tu! Viri ca parru cu tia. Chi fai, t’ ammucci? Nun vo’ sentiri? Certu, ti pisanu sti palori! Sai ca sunnu pi tia, e fai finta di nenti! E poi, stu fattu ca ti parru ‘ ndialettu, propriu nun lu supporti; comu si fussi ‘ ngrisi e nun capissi chiddu chi dicu! Lu capisci, ‘u capisci rnegghiu di mia lu sicilianu! Pero, li genti fini parranu sulu ‘talianu, picchi, sinno, sunnu cafuni, sunnu pedi ‘ncritati. Chiddi cornu a tia s’ allordanu la vucca si parranu sicilianu! Ma chi ti pari? Puru ju sacciu parrari ‘ nlingua. Ma cu tia e megghiu nun perdiri tempu, e ti lassu sulu, tantu nun capisci nenti! Nun c’e cchiù surdu di cu’ nun voli sentiri! Tu hai un balatuni ô postu di lu cori! Ti parru di la terra mia ch’è puru la tua, e ti voti la facci! Picchi nun ti nni vai? Vattinni dda unni si parra furisteri. Accussì si’ cuntentu!

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Sicilian Poetry The Haughty Man Di Maria Rosaria Mutolo

translated by Gaetano Cipolla You, yes you! I am talking to y ou, yes you! Why are you hiding? You do not want to hear? My words must weigh on you! You know they’re meant for you and you make believe it’s nothing. The fact I’m talking to you in dialect is something you can’t bear. as though I spoke in English that you don’t understand. You understand Sicilian maybe better than I do. But uppity people speak only Italian, otherwise people might believe you’re a poor slob with dirty feet. Men like you don’t want to taint their mouth by speaking in Sicilian. What do you think? I too can speak Italian. But with you I don’t want to waste my breath and leave you alone, You really do not get it. No one is deafer than the man who does not want to hear. You have a slab of stone instead of a heart. I am talking of the land that’s mine and yours and you just turn the other way. Why don’t you go away? Go where they speak a foreign tongue and you’ll be happy.

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Il PARLAMENTU Di Mario Scaglia Chî deputati, misu ‘n parlamentu, lu prisidenti stava a ciarmuIiari. Qualcunu già cci dava ‘Uumalu avventu: ‘’’Sta liggi nun è bona! ‘Un pò passari!” “Gnurnò. Nun babbiati! Stati attentu. Liggiti. E daccussì. Cci sacciu fari! Nun spogliu li sacchetti a stu cunventu, ma a chiddi ca si fannu cumannari!” Si persuadi ed approva ‘u parlamentu. Quann’ eccu un generali ddà arrivari. Dici: “Eccellenza, a casa l’ha’ purtari cà lu spugliaru tuttu!” “A quantu sentu -scattia ‘u prisidentiappi a sgarrari! ‘Nzoccu diciti vu’ nun pò quatrari. Si semu tutti ccà, cu pò arrubbari?” ‘A storia ‘mbara: Li cosi onesti si fannu ammucciuni cu li fani ‘n palisa è un gran crapuni.

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The Parliament By Mario Scaglia The president together with his deputies was talking in the hall of Parliament. Someone was giving him an argument: “This law is just no good. It will not pass!” “No sir, don’t fool around. Take care and read it. This is the way. I know what I am doing. I am not emptying this convent’s pockets, only of those who let themselves be bossed.” The Parliament gave in and passed the law. But then behold! A general arrived and said: “Excellency, I have to take home. Someone has emptied out your house completely!” “There’s something wrong here.” He mus have made an error. “What you are saying simply cannot be. If we’re all here how could a thief go there?” History teaches: All honest deeds are done in secrecy Who does them in the open’s a he-goat.

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‘NTA UN UFFICIU COMUNALI Di Vincenzo Ancona “Scusassi; mi lu fa un certificatu?” Dicia un omo cu tanta prudenza A lu spurtellu dunni l’impiegatu mancu nutava di la so prisenza “Si metta in coda”, rispunni sgarbatu chiddu, mustrannu la so ‘ndiffirenza “In coda? Quali coda, s’un c’è nuddu. Ma chistu è strunzu cu lu piricuddu.” “Senta, sta carta mi la voli fari?” insisti dda pirsuna sempri brava “Mi scusi si la vinni a disturbari. Un ci vinia s’un mi bisognava.” “Ci ho detto, stia in coda ad aspettari” senza chi mancu ‘nfacci lu taliava. Allura chiddu; “Mi pigghi pi fissa?” Metti un cazzottu e pigghiati chissa “Ahi!” Si susi a lampu l’impiegatu e “Chi è stato questo mascalzone? Ma lei l’ha visto? Che ha fatto, è scappato? Io lo denunzio: atto d’aggressione.” “Ma chi nni sacciu. Nun l’haiu nutatu A cu va trova ‘nta sta confusioni? av’a capiri quannu chi c’è fudda c’è qualchedunu chi scappa e cafudda”

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Inside the Municipal Office By Vincenzo Ancona “Excuse me, can you issue a certificate for me,” a man asked cautiously outside the window of a clerk who had not seen him. “Just stand on line there,” curtly said the clerk. The fellow seeing his indifference remarked: “What line? There’s no one here” and added to himself This guy must be a veritable jerk. “Say there, I really need this piece of paper,” the man continued in a friendly voice. “I’m sorry if I am disturbing you. I would not be here if I did not need it.” “I told you just to stand on line and wait,” the man replied not even looking up. So then the fellow said: “You take me for a fool?” And as he did reached out and punched the clerk. “Ahi,” the office clerk immediately got up and cried: “Who was the scoundrel who struck me? Did you see who it was? Did he run out? I’m going to sue him for assault for sure.” “I do not know, I did not see the guy. Who’s going to find him now in this confusion You have to understand when there’s a crowd there are folks who throw punches and run out.

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COMU SI PO’ SMINNARI UN PATRIMONIU Di Pino Maltese Si dici ca pri sminnari un patrimoniu, si nun si ci metti ‘mmezzu lu dimoniu, ci sunnu a quantu pari, nta l’assiemi, ‘nta tuttu lu munnu sulu tri sistemi: - li fillmini, e lu sistema chi all’omini chiu piaci e canci i sordi cu carizzi e baci; - lu jocu, e forsi di tutti lu chiù emuziunanti e addiventanu diavuli anchi i santi; - l’architettu, tu ‘ncapu ‘a testa ci vulivi un tettu: iddu ti studia cu la so’ menti un gran progettu, ‘cca un pilastru, ‘dda una scala, la piscina, ti tramuta ‘nna un salottu la cucina, ci ‘nni spuntanu centu ogni matina, Dicci sempri di si, e stai sicuru ca t’arridduci cu li spaddi o' muru! (Alla mia carissima nipote DANIELA NANIA, Architetto)

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How You Can Lose your fortune By Pino Maltese People believe that squandering one’s fortune even if devils do not get into the act, apparently can be accomplished only in three ways in this world of ours: Women This is the system that men like the most So they exchange their dough for kisses and caresses Gambling This is perhaps the most exciting game and it can turn a saint into a devil. The architect, You wanted just a roof above your head: An architect will draw a mighty project: a staircase here, a column there, the pool your kitchen soon becomes a living room and every day he comes with a new plan. Say yes to him and you can rest assured he’ll pin you with your back against the wall. (To my dear niece Daniela Nania, architect)

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ME NONNA NARDINEDDA Di Nino DeVita Me’ nonna Nardinedda - curta, cu’ i peri lesti, travagghina - nnall’urtimi cocci ri vita avia - e ‘ nzurra - ‘a testa china ri stravacantarii. M’u ricordu: attangava, appena chi scurava, cu’ firriggijara, porti, mizzini e finistredda: v’ appuntiddava seggi, marruggia, tavulina ... Ri notti, arruspigghjata, si susia pi’ vviriri, sciugghia prijeri a ttti i santi e litanii. Ma i latri ‘un ci cinniru mai Nna ssa povira casa ‘mmicchit’a a mezz’ô bagghiu. ‘U reci avustu r’u cinquantanovi, a ottant’anni, nno lettu, mentri si nn’ija me nonna ciatau a me patri —chi cci stava allatu— Ô capizzu e chiancia—: “va a cuntrullar’a porta R’a stadda, figghiu meu, mi pari c’un fu cchiusa bbona.”

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My Grandmother Leonarda Nino De Vita My grandmother Leonarda —short but fast on her feet— always running around, was full of stubborn and extravagant ideas. During her last few bits of life I recall that she as soon as darkness fell, would start to lock all doors, and windows, even small ones. She wedged chairs, tables, and pick shovels against the doors. If she awoke at night, she would get up to check and would begin a litany of prayers to all the saints. But the thieves never came inside that poor and ancient house around the courtyard. On the ten of August of Nineteen-fifty-nine when she was eighty, My grandmother n her bed, as she was leaving us whispered to my father who was crying next to her pillow “Go check the door to the stable, my son, I don’t think it was closed properly.”

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LA VISITA di Marisa Frasca

Mi truvasti nta’ lu lettu cu lu sonnu beddu chinu versu li 4 di matina, orariu di New York. Senza mancu tuppuliari mi trasisti nta’ la testa. Eri cuntenta e frisca comu raramenti t’haiu vistu. Avevi cumpagnia. Cui, nun lu capiu. Sacciu sulu ca facevavu bordellu. Pui, riturnau lu silenziu. T’appoggiasti la testa nta’ lu me cuscinu comu se m’avevi a cunfirari lu misteru dilla vita, e mi dicisti: “Huh! Cu e’ chissa cu la panza tisa?” Ppi diri la virita’, m’incazzaiu. Pinsaiu: Chi modo e’ chistu di na matri morta visitari na figghia viva ca riposa? Ma pui capiu. Avevi vogghia di schirzari. Sbadigghiannu, e menza n’sunnacchiata, t’arrispunniu: “Huh! Chissa, cu po’ essiri?” Tutta na vota, mi ‘ntisi comu se eramu o paisi, a Vittoria versu lu tardu vespiri, assittati davanti la nostra porta a Via Vicenza, Iu e tia, intimi amici, e vulevamu sparrari. Vittimu passari a Cuncetta, quidda tutta panza, e cu li gammi sicchi sicchi. Arba Sicula XXIX

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The Visit By Marisa Frasca translated by the author You found me in bed with full sleep over me at about 4 a.m., New York time. Without even knocking you entered my head. You were fresh and content as I’ve rarely seen you. You had company. Who, I couldn’t tell. All I know is you were making a racket. Then, silence returned. You put your head on my pillow as if you were going to reveal the mystery of life to me and said: “Huh! Who is that with her belly hard and high?” To tell the truth, I was pissed off. I thought: What way is this for a dead mother to visit her daughter whose alive and resting? But then I understood. You wanted to play. Yawning, and half asleep, I answered: “Huh! Who do you suppose it is?” Suddenly, I had the feeling we were in our town, in Vittoria late afternoon, sitting in front of our door on Via Vicenza, you and I, intimate friends, and we wanted to gossip. We saw Concetta passing, the one who’s all belly, and with skinny skinny legs. 25

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Si stuccava li scianghi di latu e latu cu ogni passu p’accumpariri chiu’ strolica, ppi sintirsi la Reggina Elizabetta. Ma la vistina l’aveva assai chiu’ curta di davanti e a causa di la panza pareva na jaddina ammaistrata, na jaddina indossatrice nta’ la passarella. Mi misi a ririri pinsannu a Cuncetta, I’avevi sempre supra o nasu a chissa, quannu passava, dicevi spissu: “Ma’, sta’ Vitturisa cu la panza tisa, cu si senti d’essiri? Pari ca tutti cacarunu e ficiru a idda!” E accussi’, cu Cuncetta ancora nta’ la menti mi ricurdaiu autri frasi e frammenti dilla nostra vita. Cornu quannu ti cunfiravi li guai e suffrimenti cu qualchi vicina di casa. Ti isavi un supracigliu e suspirari, “Ah Signura bedda mia, li guai di la pignata li sapi sulu la cucciara ca l’arrimina.” E ti sintevi prurenti. Oppuru quannu me frati era giovanottu e s’impumatava tuttu senza ca prima si lava va. Cornu se avevi dari prova alla giuria, tu sparavi, “Di supra lisci lesce’, E di sutta viriti cchi c’e’!” Ti ricordi quannu emigrammu, quantu littri scrivisti all’amici e li parenti a Vittoria! Ogni littra cuminciava la stissa, nall’!talianu ca sapivi, naturalmenti: “Cari , Noi bene. Cosi’ speriamo di voi. L’ America e’ menzogna. Credetemi, qua’ si suda sangue.” Cu li littri mittevi fotografie di mia e tia in posa. Tu cu lu telefunu, Iu cu lu televisuri, Arba Sicula XXIX

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She was swaying her hips from side to side with every stride to appear like she was the cat’s meow, Queen Elizabeth. But her dress was so much shorter in the front and because of all that belly hard and high she looked like a trained chicken, modeling on the runway. I laughed hard thinking of Concetta, and how you always had it in for her, whenever she walked by, you said: “But, this Vittorese, with her belly hard and high, who does she think she is? Like her crap doesn’t stink!” And just like that, with Concetta still in my head I remembered other phrases and fragments of our life. Like when· you would compare your troubles and suffering with some neighbor. You’d raise an eyebrow and sigh, “Ah my dear Signora, only the spoon that’s mixing knows the problems of the pot.” And you felt prudent. Or when my brother was a young man and he would polish and perfume himself without actually washing. As if giving evidence to a jury, you’d blast him, “On the surface you’re all pretty pretty but underneath, just take a look at the filth!” Remember when we emigrated, all the letters you wrote to our family and friends in Vittoria! Every letter began the same, in the Italian that you knew, naturally “Dear , We are well. We hope the same for you. America is a lie. Believe me, here we sweat blood.” With the letters you included photographs of you and me posing. You with the telephone, me with the television, 27

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cosi ca a lu paisi ancora si sunnavanu. L’arrivasti a capiri quantu era stramrnu mettiri telefunu, TV e sangu tutti nta’ la stessa busta? Dopu un’annu d’ America, pirdisti lu maritu. Avevi 37 anni, cu dui figghi ancora nichi. Nun avevi nè casa, nè lingua, nè famigghia. Ti tiravi li capiddi. Gridavi: “Turiddu, c’iappizzasti la vita nta’sta terra strana e mi lassasti. Ma picchi,? Picchi? Chi ci fici allu Signuri?” E dopu ca ni criscisti Cornu megghiu ca putisti, a fari sacchetti, “a pisi worki” cornu dicevi tu, 3 sordi a pezzu, 3 sordi ogni sacchetta e ogni sira calculari nta’ lu blockettu quant’era la paga, ti vinni dda malattia tinta e li dittura mi dissiru di nun spirari. Ma iu, ca mi facevu cririri, ti dissi ca la saluti riturnava. Tu, ppi si’ e’ ppi no, ti mittisti a fari patti cu lu Signuri. Nun sacciu chi cosa ci dicisti, ma lu cummincisti, ppi n’anticchia ‘e tempu. Arrivasti alia sittantina, vurricasti lu secunnu maritu, viristi criscriri li niputi. Tra na preghiera e na lamintela, ancora avevi ammiraturi ca ti mannavanu sciuri e ti vulevanu spusari. Qualchi vota, puru quannu stavi ppi finiri, se sintevi musica, ancora ti spurtava. M’ammitavi a ballari la manzurca. Ti piacia purtari, Arba Sicula XXIX

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things that most people in our home town still only dreamed of. Did you ever get to understand how weird it was, to put telephone, TV and blood all in the same envelope? After that first year in America, you lost your husband. You were 37, with two little kids. You had no home, no language, no family. You pulled your hair. You screamed: “Turiddu, you hung up your life in this strange land and left me. But why? Why? What did I ever do to God?” And after you raised us as best you could by making pockets, “peezee workee” as you used to say, 3 cents a piece, 3 cents a pocket and calculating every night on your little pad how much you earned, you got that nasty disease and the doctors told me not to hope. But I, who could make you believe, told you that your health would return. You, just to be on the safe side, started making deals with God. I don’t know what you said, but you convinced Him, for a time. You made it past your seventies, buried your second husband, saw your grandchildren grow. Between your prayers and your laments, you still had admirers who sent you flowers and proposed. And sometimes, even when you were almost done for, if you heard music, you’d get into it. You’d invite me to dance the manzurca. You liked to lead, 29

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accussi’, comu eri cumminata, zoppica, curva e tignusa. La me frasi preferita? La vuoi sapiri? Chidda ca ti chiamava to’ nonna Catina. “La Cumirianti, La Cumirianti Di Lu Tiatru.” A propositu, vi viriti? Chi ura e’ unni siti? Ppi cumpagnia a cu aviti? Toto’ e Angilu Musco? Ah! Picch’ issu sentu bordellu vi futtiti di risati! Scriviti sceni, cantati e recitati alli 4 di matina a spisi mei. Oh Matri mia! Si na cumirianti. Cumirianti di lu tiatru di prima categoria.

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just like that, as you were, crippled, bent and bald. My favorite phrase? You want to know it? It’s what your grandmother Catena called you: “The Comedian, The Stand-Up Comedian.” By the way, do you see each other? What time is it where you are? Who else do you have for company? Toto’ and Angelo Musco? Ah!, I see, no wonder I hear the racket you’re all killing yourselves with laughter! You’re writing plays, singing and reciting At 4 a.m. at my expense. Oh Mother! You’re a comedian. A first-rate stand-up comedian.

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A’atì (a carusa rubbata dî pirati) Di Alfio Inserra Tu la vidisti, olivu saracimu, e la sintisti chianciri e gridari, tu chi sbalanchi li to rami nsinu ncelu e ti torci, mpittannu lu mari. Nun ti putia sradicari lu ventu zuttiannu a morti sti Turchi assassini ca mi lassaru spersu e senza abbentu purtannusi lu sangu di sti vini? A’atì, unni sì? Sutta voscura feli? Ti stravia lu disertu senza friscu o, sutta spanghi di petri ficìli t’ammuccia lu pirata barbariscu? Chi ci mittisti li turri a difisa, Giuvanni di la Vega, munsignuri, ca nun bastaru a sburdiri sta mprisa e schiava si nni parti lu me amuri. Supra la rina dunni t’aggranfaru mi strantuliu, chiancennu la to sorti, spaccu lu labbru cu lu suli amaru e m’arruzzòlu cu l’unni chiù forti. S’avissi n manu la spata d’Orlannu comu ncori mi sta la so pazzia tuttu lu munnu mi nni issi furriannu, senza risettu, pi truvari a tia. A, matri scelerata e senza cori, nun sintisti l’arringa di lu bannu? “Nun ghiti a mari ca ci su li Mori!” e la mannasti a circari lu nannu. Amuri miu chi fai? Cu cu ti curchi? Arba Sicula XXIX

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Agatha (the girl kidnapped by the pirates) by Alfio Inserra You saw her and you heard her cry and scream Saracen olive tree, who throw your arms wide open toward the heaven and you twist and writhe to pose a challenge to the sea. Couldn’t the wind uproot you as it lashed to death those murderous and heartless Turks who left me lost and without consolation when they kidnapped the blood out of my veins? Agatha, where are you? In frightful woods? Lost in the desert where no fresh air blows, or does the Arab pirate keep you hidden beneath a pile of stones baked by the sun? Why did you build all those defensive towers, Giovanni de la Vega, my Monsignor, if they did not succeed in stopping this deed that made my love depart as a poor slave? Upon the sand where they made you their prey I writhe and weep upon your destiny, I split my lips apart in the bitter sun and hurl myself against the strongest waves. If I possessed Orlandu’s mighty sword as I possess his madnesss in my heart, I would roam through each part of the known world without repose in order to find you. Ah, mother without heart and without care, did you not hear the town cryer announce “Don’t go down to the beach: The Turks are there!” And yet you sent her there to fetch her grandfather. My love, what are you doing? Who now shares 33

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Cu ti l’allappa sta vucca di meli? A pinsariti n manu di li Turchi mi sfardu li vudedda e agghiuttu feli. Tu chi appena passavi pi li strati, bianca di latti e russa di puduri, paria quannu lu suli di l’estati ammìla d’oru la zagara n ciuri. E mentri stavi ntall’aia pi spulari, cu li spighi mpagghiati ntra li trizzi paria quannu a la scuma di lu mari nasci la Dia di tutti li biddizzi. Ora, sutta st’olivu cintinaru jettu bestemii all’oceanu profunnu chi m’affucassi stu malu cursaru e, pi la dogghia, la menti cunfunnu. Priannu, ncinucchiatu n facci all’unni, ti chianciu e lu to nomu gridu nvanu, ca sulu l’ecu a mari m’arrispunni mentri la navi ti porta luntanu.

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you bed? Who sucks the honey from your mouth? Thinking of you emprisoned by the Turks makes my intestines writhe as I eat gall. And you who were milk white and red from blushing as soon as you set foot outside your door, resembled orange blossoms when the sun paints them with honey in the days of summer. And while you were there on the threshing floor with stalks of wheat and hay mixed in your hair, you seemed to be the Goddess of all beauty when she emerged out of the foaming sea. Now under this centenary olive tree I hurl my curses at the deepest ocean beseeching it to drown that evil pirate, and for the pain, my mind is all confused. Praying upon my knees before the waves I cry for you and call your name in vain but only the echo answers me at sea while on the ship you’re taken far away.

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Prosa Siciliana L’eroi Di Berto Giambalvo

ra nta la finitoria di lu misi d’aprili di dd’annata, lu suli unn-era arraggiatu: sciusciava um-minticeddu leggiu leggiu chi-ppiacia a li vecchi, a li nutrica eppuru a li malati. Tuttu lu paisi di Castedduvitranu era nton rrivugghiu, um veru firmicularu; tutti li megghiu crozzi sciuti nchianu: di l’Arcipreti a lu Potestà, lu Ddiliatu, prufissura e avvucati, sbirri di tutti li muzzini. Avianu abbattuta pi-ddavanti la bbanna cu strumenti di rramu chi-ssunava il Piave mormorò (1i carni addivintavanu spinguli spinguli); e-gghianu versu la stazzioni ch’all’unnici arrivava Peppi Tilotta ntisu «lu Cannuneri»: un eroe, un cristianu chi cci abbastava l’arma, ddrittu comu lu fusu di la vecchia. Avia vrazza e ggammi comu quattru pezza di truncuna; di pilatura siciliana cu li supraggigghia ntruffati, scanniddiava mmezzu dda fudda tra li evviva e li bbattuti di manu, mentri la bbanna sicutava il Piave mormorò ... E mpriciss’ioni, comu lu Signuri, quasi senza faricci pusari peri nterra, lu purtaru a lu Municipiu, dunni lu Potestà, ncingatu cu la fascia a-ttricculura, cci fici unniscursu chi-mmacari a li quatri cci affacciaru l’armi all’occhi e-ccu li so manu cci appunta a lu pettu na miraglia d’oru, mentri la bbanna sicutava il Piave mormorò ... Peppi Tilotta turnà a la so casa, a lu so paisi, a lu so sirvizzu, dopu aviri diffinnutu di l’Austriaci la Patria, no-ccu li chiacchiari ma cu la so peddi, vinennu a-ttu pi-ttu cu la bbaiunetta nfrinzata di sangu a-ffarisi scannari comu umporcu. Fu sul Carso, sul monti Rrappa, sul monti Cuccu, sul Piave; e, quannu iddu cu li so cumpagni foru misi n fua a-Ccapurettu, cu la forza bbistiali chippussiria si carrica la canna di lu cannuni e-ssi la purtà appressu p’un farisi ammazzari cu la so stessa arma, mittennusi n-zarvamentu iddu e li so cumpagni nzemmula a lu capitanu. Pi-cchissu quannu sintia sunari «Il Piave mormorò>> la facci cci canciava di culuri e li carni cci addivintavanu spinguli spinguli: sa quantu cosi cci vinianu davanti all’occhi! Dopu di ddu iornu sullenni, di l’ eroi Peppi Tilotta un nni parlà cchiùnnuddu: cci arristà la miraglia, la ngiuria di cannurieri e-ddu corpa di bbaiunetta di strisciu chi cci scuseru un-ciancu. Ma ie mi dumannu e-ddicu: picchì Rricu Toti fu misu nta la storia e-mmacari quarchi strata cci la didicaru, picchì cci tira la crozza all’ Austriaci e cci dissi “Viva l’Italia”? Ma lu zzu Peppi l’app’a-ddiri

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Sicilian Prose The Hero By Berto Giambalvo Translated by Gaetano Cipolla e were at the last few days of the month of April that year. The sun was not raging, there was a light breeze that pleased the old people, the children and event the sick people. The whole town of Castelvetrano was in turmoil, real ants’ nest; the most important heads were there from the Archpriest to the Mayor, from the Facist Delegate to professors and layers, cops of every kind. They were following a band with instruments of bronze that played Il Piave mormorò that gave one goose pimples. They were going toward the train station because at eleven o’clock Peppe Tilotta known as “the cannoneer” was arriving. He was a hero, a rock of a man who had undaunted courage, who stood tall like the Column of the Old Lady. He had arms and leg like four tree trunks. He had a Sicilian complexion with bushy eyebrows and stood way above the crowd that welcomed him with hurray and clapping hands, while the band continued to play Il Piace mormorò. They brought as in a procession carrying him literally from the station to the Municipal building where the Mayor wearing his Tri-colored sash delivered a speech that moved to tears even the portraits on the wall. He then proceeded to pin with his own hand a gold medal on the chest while the band continued to play Il Piave mormorò… Peppe Tilotta went back to his house, to his town and to his work after he defended his Homeland against the Austrians, not with empty talk but putting his skin on the line., facing the bayonet stained with blood that could have killed like a pig. It happened on the Carso, on Mount Grappa, near the Piave River and when he and his comrades were routed at Caporetto, with his awesome strength he carried on his back their cannon so it could not be used against them as they fled. He saved his life and that of his comrades and his captain. For this reason whenever he heard the song Il Piave mormorò his face would changed color and his flesh started to quiver. God knows how many things passed through before his eyes. After that solemn day, no one ever spoke again of Peppe Tilotta. He was left with his gold medal, the nickname of “cannoneer” and two bayonet wounds that sliced his side. And thus I ask myself and say: Why did they write Enrico

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pi-fforza, dopu quarchi-cchilometru di purtari, assicutatu, la canna di lu cannuni ncoddu, «Viva Maria». Ma ntantu un nni parlà cchiù-nnuddu e-mmancu nni vosiru cchiù-ssentiri parlari, picchì unn-era lu Peppi cannuneri di na vota, chi la vicchiaia, chi-pprestu iunci, l’arridducì darrè na porta di chiesa anchi picchì cci vinia ... stramanu mettiri pignata, e cchiossà di na vota iu ni lu Sinnacu cu la miraglia misa, si cci dava um-mersu di campari; ma siccomu nun fu un eroe di la Libberazzione e-ppoi a-ssittant’anni era na cattedda d’ossa, mancu lu taliavanu. E-ddopu tanti mprisi, e cci vosiru purtati p’un fallu moriri veramenti di fami, la Comuni cci cuncirì l’alta carica di pulizziari lu pisciaturi a-Ssant’ Antonu, ogni-ttantu ittaricci un catu d’acqua. Si viria a lu zzu Peppi cu la miraglia d’ oru appuntata cu na spingula nurrizza all’occhiettu di la ggiacca e lu catu mmanu: di tanta gloria a-ttanta umiliazzioni! Cc’era di fari comu fici Rricu Toti cull’Austriaci, di tiraricci ncanciu di la crozza lu catu nta la facci a lu Sinnacu cuttutti l’assessura e-bbuciannu forti «Viva l’Italia»!

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Toti’s name into the history books and even named a few streets after him, because he threw his crutches at the Austrians saying “Long live Italy!” but not Uncle Peppe who must have really had to yell “Long live Mary” carrying the heavy cannon on his back a few miles with the Austrians chasing him? Nobody spoke of him any more nor did they want to hear anything about him. He was no longer the Peppe “cannoneer” that he was once. Old age –which arrives soon—reduced him to beg for food behind the church door. He found it cumbersome to put up a pot to cook, and more than once he went to the Mayor with his Gold Medal to ask if he could give him the means to live. But as he was not a hero of the Liberation nobody even looked at him. At seventy years of age he was reduced to a pile of bones. And after so many attempts and a great deal of obstinacy on his part— and thanks to a few recommendations—the town granted him a “High privilege” of cleaning the town’s urinal in the Saint Anthony’s quarters so that he would not starve to death. He was supposed to throw a pail of water in the urinal once in a while. You could see uncle Peppe wearing his gold medal with a pin on his lapel carrying a pail of water. From so much glory to greater humiliation. It would have been fitting to repeat the deed of Enrico Toti with the Austrians and hurl against the face of the Mayor and all the councilmen not the crutches but the pail of water yelling “Long live Italy!”

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Lu canarieddu accuntintatu Di Carmelo Lauretta

erti cosi nun si cridissiru se nun si vidissiru cu li propri occhi, comu li vitti iu. In faccia a la me casa ci abita na brasiliana Rachelas cu ‘n figghiu di na decina d’anni, cunnannatu nti na carruzzedda di quannu nasciu e ca si chiama Edì Hernandez. Havi li jammi ciunchi e li manu sturciuti ca nun pò addizzari. Quannu parra, murmuria paroli ca ci voli tempu a capirisi, e quannu ti talia, l’occhi ti fannu pieta e nun ridunu mai. So matri è sempri appressu a riddu: lu vesti, lu pulizia, ci duna a mangiari, lu porta a spassu, lu accumpagna nni la scola di li disabili, ci joca, lu fa divertiri: nun ci fa capiri chiddu ca havi dintra lu cori e ca si ci leggi nni la facci ca pari stirata di ferru: lu maritu mortu a trent’anni, scacciatu di ‘n macchinariu di la segheria, unni travagghiava, e lu distinu di stu figghiu nchiodatu nta carruzzedda! Davanzi a la finestra di Edì c’e lu balcuni di la signura Celestina, na fimmina tutta cori, ca teni appisa nni lu muru na gabbia eleganti cu ‘n canarieddu russu di pilatura, beddu ncutugnatu di carni, ballarinu di na sbarra all’autra, sempri fistanti e cantaturi. Cu Edì si talianu sempri cu simpatia e nun passa jornu ca nun lu chiama Piò ... Piò ... Piò ... e iddu ci fa casicatummi di festa. Ma na matina chi successi? Comu fu comu nun fu, la signura Celestina forsi pi la prescia, si scurdau di chiudiri lu sportellu di la gabbia, ca grapia, ogni matina, pi mittirici l’acqua, iu mangimi, e na pampinedda di lattuga virdi e iu canarieddu, mancu ci parsi veru, si nni scappau. Tuttu s’avissi pinsatu ca avissi approfittatu di irasinni iuntanu a gudirisi a libertà e s’avissi jutu a perdiri pi nun si fari ‘nciaccari chiùi e ca avissi fattu dispirari la so signura Celestina. Inveci cu lu cridissi? Nesciri di la gabbia e pigghiari la direzioni di la casa di Edì e trasiri dintra la finistredda aperta fu tuttunu. Edì nun cridia a li so occhi e gridava Piò ... Piò ... Piò ... e lu canarieddu fermu supra lu comò, lu taliava e friscava friscava: pari ca lu vulia cunfurtari, ca ci vulia stari vicinu, ca ci vulia mustrari la so pietà. Versu sira, la Celestina, comu a lu solitu, grapiu lu balcuni pi trasiri dintra la gabbia, ristau paralizzata, taliava di ca di dda e lu aucidduzzu nun c’era. Si dava pugni nni la testa ca s’avia scurdatu aperta la gabbia. Si firmau na bedda urata nni lu balcuni a spiari a cu passava di lu vicinatu se s’avissi vistu lu so canarieddu e parrava accussì forti e allarmata e ‘ncuttata ca Rachelas, ‘n funnu a l’alcova la sintiu, affacciau di la finistredda e ci dissi: -

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The Satisfied Canary By Carmelo Lauretta Translated by Gaetano Cipolla ertain thing if you did not see them with your own eyes as I did would be difficult to believe. There is a Brazilian woman named Rachelas living across the street from me who has a son who is relegated to a wheel chair since he was born. His name is Edì Hernandez. His legs are paralyzed and his hands are twisted so he can’t even straighten them out. When he speaks his words are difficult to understand and when he looks at you you’re moved by pity. His eyes never smile. His mother is always near him: dressing him, feeding him, taking him out and accompanying him to the school for disabled children. She plays with him and tries to amuse him; she does not let him understand what she feels inside her heart, but you can see it in her face so taut it looks as if an iron passed over it. Her husband died when he was thirty. He was packed in by the machinery of the cutting plant where he worked and also by the fate of a son nailed to a wheel chair. Across from Edì’s window there is Mrs. Celestina’s balcony. She is a generous woman who has a little canary inside an elegant cage. The bird is red, has a strong body and dances back and forth across its cage singing with joy. The boy Edì and the canary always look at each other with affection and not a day goes by without his calling Piò, Piò, Piò… the bird in turn jumps with joy. But one morning this is what happened. I don’t really know how it happened, but Mrs. Celestina, perhaps because she was rushing, forgot to close the door to the cage that she opened every morning to put in water, seeds and a leaf of fresh lettuce. The little canary could not believe it and flew away. One would think that the bird would fly away and enjoy its newfound freedom and that it would do everything possible so as not to be captured again, making Mrs. Celestina very upset. Instead—who would have thought it?—as soon as it flew out of its cage he went straight for Edì’s little open window. Edì could not believe his eyes and kept saying, Piò, Piò, Piò… and the little canary sitting on the night table kept looking at him as he continued to sing . It seemed as if it wanted to console the boy, that he wanted to stay near him and show him all its compassion. At night fall, when Celestina went out to the balcony to bring in the cage for the night, she was shocked. She looked left and right, but the bird was nowhere to be found. She hit her head several times for having left the door to the cage open.

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Ca è chiddu ca cerca, è vicinu a Edì ca ci fa - Piò ... Piò ...Piò... e ci vola ‘n coddu ... Ora vegnu subitu e ci lu portu. - A sti paroli, Edì scoppiau a chianciri, a sbattiri la testa di ccà e di ddà nni la carruzzedda, a fari cosi di dispiratu, comu nun avia fattu mai, tantu ca Rachelas tutta ‘mprissionata e avviluta, senza perdiri tempu, si nni jiu e assumau nni lu palazzu di la signura Celestina, senza purtarisi lu canarieddu. Si ci jttau a li pedi, ci rivilau la dispirazioni di lu figghiu disgraziatu e ci dissi; - Signura, me figghiu sta facennu l’infernu, nun voli sentiri ragiuni, teni l’aucidduzzu strittu ne manu. - Lu chiantu ci lavava la facci e i lacrimi ci arrivavanu nti la vucca e s’ammiscavanu cu li paroli. Facissi felici un poviru dannatu! Facissi cuntu ca lu Piò ... Piò si nni avissi vulatu a perdiri nni li campagni! Finiu ca a Celestina ci rimuddau lu cori, si la abbrazzau e nun sulu ci benediciu lu canarieddu, ma ci detti magari la gabbia specialissima e accussì Edì si lu putia purtari nni la carruzzedda paisi paisi. Cchi cunfortu duna la pietà nti stu munnu!

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She remained on the balcony for about an hour asking any passerby if he had seen her canary. She spoke so loudly and was so agitated that Rachelas who was inside her alcove heard her and leaned over the window and said to her: “The bird you’re looking for is here, near Edì who’s calling it: Piò, Piò, Piò… The bird just flew to Edì. Now I will take it and bring it back to you.” On hearing these words Edì began to cry, shaking his head left and right violently. He reacted with desperation as he had never done before. Rachelas was so frightened and upset that, without wasting time, went across the street and climbed up to Mrs. Celestina house without the little canary. She kneeled before her and told her about the despair that had overtaken her unfortunate son at the thought of losing the canary: “Mrs. Celestina, my son is very upset. He does not want to hear anything, he is holding the little canary in his hands and does not want to let him go.” Tears were streaming down her face, entering her mouth so that her words were mixed with tears. She begged her to make that poor and wretched boy happy. “Make believe that the Piò, Piò, Piò…has flown away into the woods. Celestina’s heart softened in the end, she embraced her and not only did she gave her blessing for the canary, but she gave her very special cage to the boy so the he could carry the canary with him around town on his wheel chair. What great things can be achieved through compassion in this world!

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Saggistica Siciliana Giustaposizioni dâ vecchia e nova Sicilia ntâ littiratura poliziesca di Camilleri. Di Piera Carroli traduzioni in sicilianu di Gaetanu Cipolla ndria Camilleri divintau unu dî cchiù famusi rumanzeri taliani, canusciutu nta tuttu u munnu specialmenti pî so storii polizieschi di Muntalbanu. Un dialogu cuntinuu ntra Sicilii diffirenti emergi ntâ narrativa di Camilleri mentri u passatu e u prisenti sunu ammiscati ntê discrizioni dû paisaggiu sicilianu e ntê riflessioni di nustalgia pî tradizioni pirduti. U discursu dû scritturi porta ê litturi a capiri comu li eventi sfurtunati dû passatu hannu cunsiquenzi supra u prisenti mittennu a mustra u fattu ca i cosi non cancianu e ca canciunu pû peggiu nSicilia. Eppuru i litturi trovanu tisori liggennu i storii culinarii e archeologichi sempri accumpagnati dû stili sardonicu di Camilleri. “Discrivi u to paisi e discrivi u munnu,” dissi Tolstoi. Ci hannu statu tanti discrizioni dâ Sicilia ntâ littiratura, ntê film e ntê giurnali. Quacchiduna ha statu indiminticabili comu chidda dû Gattupardu, e na para ca unu sî vulissi scurdari, comu u reportage di l’assassiniu di Falcuni. Eliu Vitturini ncapsulau a Sicilia comu na terra di cuntrasti accussì:

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“Na Sicilia ca putissi essiri chidda dî Burbuni comu a chidda d’oggi, a Sicilia di sempri, fertili e disulata, isula filici e terra di fami.” Comu cunta a Sicilia Camilleri, comu â discrivi? Comu rinesci a catturari chiddu ca è lucali e univirsali? Distrutturannu i stiriotipi e capuvulgennu sia l’immagini rumantica dâ Sicilia ca chidda nigativa; circannu di fari vidiri d’unni veni a malatia di oggi; scuprennu di novu u valuri dâ lingua, u manciari e i tradizioni dâ genti lucali, e affirmannu di novu u significatu di l’identità lucali e reggionali pâ sucietà e pi l’individuu. U sguardu stiriotipicu fatalista dû sicilianu ntê storii polizieschi di Camilleri è bilanciatu di l’attaccamentu pragmaticu di Muntalbanu â vita e â giustizzia. A Sicilia è ô stissu tempu un paisi e u munnu unni tradizioni antichi e novi abbitudini, e tindenzi lucali e globali s’ammiscanu assemula. Li tradizioni antichi stannu forsi scumparennu eppuru sunu riscuperti cuntempuraniamenti pû fattu ca a Sicilia è china di tisori pi l’archiologi. U mari sicilianu forsi è cupertu chî Arba Sicula XXIX

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Sicilian Essays Juxtapositions of Old and New Sicily in Camilleri’s Detective Literature Piera Carroli ndrea Camilleri has become one of the most famous Italian nov elist, known worldwide especially for his Montalbano detective stories. A constant dialogue between different “Sicilies” emerges from Camilleri’s narrative as past and present are interwoven in descriptions of the Sicilian landscape and in Montalbano’s nostalgic reflections on lost traditions and fare. The writer’s discourse strategy leads readers to understand how Sicily’s past misfortunes have consequences on the present highlighting both a lack of change or change for the worse in Sicily. Yet, readers encounter many treasures when reading the stories: culinary and archeological, always accompanied by Camilleri’s sardonic style. “Describe your village well and you will describe the world,” said Tolstoi. There have been many depictions of Sicily, in literature, film, and the media. Some unforgettable in The Leopard, some one wishes to forget, such as the reportage of the murder of Falcone. Elio Vittorini has thus encapsulated Sicily as a land of contrasts:

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[A Sicily that could be that of the Borboni’s as that of today, the Sicily of always, fertile and desolate, at once happy island and land of hunger] (My translation) How does Camilleri describe and narrate Sicily? How does he succeed in capturing the local and the universal?: By deconstructing stereotypes and overturning both romantic and the demonized images of Sicily; by exposing the sources of today’s malaise; by rediscovering the value of local language, food and folk traditions and reaffirm the significance for individuals and society of local and regional identity. The stereotypical fatalist Sicilian glance in Camilleri’s detective literature is counterbalanced by Montalbano’s pragmatic attachment to life and justice. Sicily is at once a village and the world where ancient traditions and new habits, local and global tendencies intermix. Ancient traditions may be disappearing yet they are contemporaneously unearthed as Sicily is a treasure trove for ar45

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cadaviri di immigranti di disidderiu ma è ancora ddà beddu comu sempri, accussì comu sunnu ddà l’alivara e li cosi antichi. U filu conduttori dâ vecchia e nova Sicilia si esemplifica specialmenti attraversu discrizioni di paisaggi giugrafichi e suciali siciliani di l’auturi e attraversu i riflessioni di Muntalbanu supra u manciari e i tradizioni populari assuciati câ so carusanza, e puru attraversu l’usu di un linguaggiu vecchiu e novu. I rumanzi di Muntalbanu sunu situati ntôn paisi immaginariu chiamatu Vigata ca ha statu identificatu comu Portu Empedocli unni nasciu Camilleri. I testi sunu immersi ntê tradizioni (dû cibu, l’usanzi e i festi) ca s’incontranu faccia a faccia câ vita di ogni jornu e cû atti di dilinquenza. I discrizioni di Camilleri dû paisaggiu sicilianu spissu nun hannu nenti di rumanticu. Iddi dimustranu i segni dâ culonizzazioni e i sviluppi muderni comu l’apirtura dî frunteri, comu si vidi ntô branu ca segui scrittu ca ironia e cinismu: “Lumi d’arba nun filtrava ntô curtigghiu dâ Splendor, a cumpagnia c’avia pigghiatu in appaltu a pulizzia dâ munnizza di Vigata, na nuvulagghia bascia e densa cummugghiava cumpletamenti u celu comu si ci avissiru tiratu davanti un tiluni griggiu d’un curniciuni a l’autru, nun si cataminava na fogghia, u ventu dû sciroccu tardava a risbigghiarisi dû so sonnu di chiummu, già si faticava a scangiari palori. ... A Pinu Catalanu e Saro Monteapertu, giovani giometri giustamenti disoccupati comu giometri ma pigghiati comu “opiraturi eculogichi” timpuranii grazzi ô ginirusu intirventu di l’onurevuli Cusumanu... u capusquadra assignau u sitturi canusciutu comu la Mannara forsi picchì in tempi immimurabbili pari ca un pasturi avissi usatu purtaricci i so crapi. Era un largu trattu di macchia miditirrania â piriferia dû paisi ca si spincìa quasi finu a plaia. Darreri c’eranu i resti d’un granni stabilimentu chimicu inauguratu di l’onniprisenti onurevuli Cusumanu quannu pareva ca u ventu di li magnifichi e progressivi sorti sciusciassi, poi ddu vinticeddu s’avia cangiatu ntôn filu d’aria e finalmenti s’avia stutatu completamenti. Ma nta ddu pocu tempu avia fattu chiù dannu d’un tornadu lassannusi darreri i spaddi na scia di cassintegrati e disoccupati. Pi Arba Sicula XXIX

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chaeologists. The Sicilian Sea may be littered with the corpses of prospective immigrants but it is still there, as beautiful as ever, as are the olive trees and some ancient fare. The thematic thread of old and new Sicily is exemplified especially through description of the geographical and social Sicilian landscape by the implied author and in light of Montalbano’s reflections on foods and folk traditions associated with his childhood as well as by the use of new and old language. The Montalbano novels are set in the fictional town of Vigata in which many have recognized Porto Empedocle, birthplace of Camilleri. The texts are thus steeped in tradition (food; folk customs and festivals) which come face-to-face with day-to-day life and crime in Sicily and are intermingled with organized local, inter/national. Camilleri’s descriptions of the Sicilian landscape often are far from romantic. They show the signs of colonization as well as recent development as the opening up of borders, as exemplified in the following critical ‘spaccato’ (cross-sectional 360 degrees image) of Sicily written with cynical irony: No light of daybreak filtered yet into the courtyard of Splendor, the company under government contract to collect trash in the town of Vigàta. A low, dense mass of clouds completely covered the sky as though a great gray tarp had been drawn from one corner to another. Not a single leaf fluttered. The sirocco was late to rise from its leaden sleep, yet people already struggled to exchange a few words…To Pino Catalano and Saro Montaperto-young land surveyors naturally without employment as land surveyors, but hired by Splendor as temporary “ecological agents” thanks to the generous string-pulling of Chamber Deputy Cusumano …the sector that went by the name of the “Pasture”, because in a time now beyond memory a goat herd had let his goats roam there. It was a broad tract of Mediterranean brush on the outskirts of town that stretched almost as far as the shore. Behind it lay the ruins of a large chemical works inaugurated by the ubiquitous deputy Cusumano when it 47

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evitari ca a fudda di nivuri e menu nivuri senegalisi e algerini, tunisini, e libbici facissiru un nidu nta dda fabbrica ci avianu costruitu attornu attornu un muru autu supra lu quali i strutturi manciati dû malutempu, incuria e sali marinu si isavanu assumigghiannu sempri di cchiù a l’architittura di un Gaudì sutta l’influenza di allucinogini.” (La forma dell’acqua, p2-4, Sellerio Palermo) U principiu di La forma di l’acqua câ discrizioni dâ Mannara, i resti di mura auti attornu na fabbrica chimica abbannunata situata ntôn trattu di costa bedda è n’esempiu di comu l’auturi stabilisci un discursu di critica suciali comu sfunnu pâ scuperta d’un cadaviri di un omu politicu. L’usu di na mitafora climatica prolungata è efficaci particularmenti a 1) evucari sintimenti di pisantizza e suffucazioni; 2) discriviri i vani iniziativi dî puliticanti e amministraturi lucali e cuntinintali 3) mustrari l’effetti devastanti c’hannu avutu supra a terra e i so abitanti. U stili ironicu dâ discrizioni e dû cuntu di li eventi ca hannu purtatu a Mannara ô squalluri prisenti nun diminusci a carica dâ vuci ca giudica ca i litturi sentunu. Comu nta tanti storii polizieschi i storii di Muntalbanu sunu divirtenti, eppuru nun sunu senza pigghiata di cuscienza suciali, comu videmu ntô branu di supra. Anzi, parranu a tuttu u munnu cu un discursu di politica suciali di decolonizzazioni. Sunu testi ibridi, scritti cu na mistura ibrida di talianu, sicilianu, e na varietà di reggistri pi trasmettiri dialoghi rialistichi e ammiscari vari generi littirari, i testi di Camilleri sunu dialogichi sia internamenti ca esternamenti a vari liveddi di stili, narrativa, e discrizioni. I discrizioni di paisaggi e di trami sunu spissu ammiscati cu riflessioni supra a Sicilia e supra a criminalità lucali e globali, prisenti e passata. U risultatu è a rapprisintazioni dâ Sicilia comu un postu unni diffirenti civiltà s’hannu incuntratu lassannu un paisaggiu archiologicu, artisticu e linguisticu d’accussì comu lassaru puru na terra ruinata di l’ingiustizzia e oppressioni, perpetuamenti culonizzata. “Eppuru di 2500 anni semu culonia” Don Fabriziu Salina U Gattupardu. Di na manu i colonizzaturi hannu contribuitu p’arricchiri a cultura siciliana e a mitologia come dimustra nta Il cane di terracotta quannu Muntalbanu trova i resti di cadaviri ca si tenunu i mani, comu du amanti prutetti d’un cani di terracotta, darreri nu muru usatu di la mafia p’ammucciari merci di contrabbannu. Di l’autra a cuntinua colonizzazioni ha avutu n’effettu prufunnu

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seemed the magnificent winds of progress were blowing strong. Soon, however, the breeze changed into the flimsiest of puffs before dropping altogether, but in that brief time it had managed to do more damage than a tornado, leaving a shambles of compensation benefits and unemployment in its wake. To prevent the crowds of black and not-so-black Senegalese, Algerian, Tunisians, and Libyans wandering about the city from nesting in that factory, a high wall had been built all around it, above which the old structures still soared, corroded by weather, neglect, and sea salt, looking more and more like architectures designed by Gaudì under the influence of hallucinogens. (La forma dell’acqua [The Shape of Water, pp. 2-4] The beginning of Shape of water with the description of “La Mannara”, the “Pasture”, the ruins of high walls built around a disused chemical plant on a once beautiful stretch of coastline is a good example of how the implied author establishes a socio critical narrative discourse as a background to the discovery of the body of a politician. The use of the extended “climatic” metaphor is particularly effective in 1) Emanating a feeling of heaviness and suffocation; 2) Describing both the emptiness of initiatives by vain local and continental politicians and administrators; 3) The devastating effects they have on the land and its inhabitants. The ironic style of the description and narration of event that have lead to the present day squalor of the “Pasture” does not diminish the effect of the judging voice we hear as readers. As most detective fiction, the Montalbano’s stories are entertaining, yet, they are by no means escapist, as shown in the above quotation. On the contrary, they engage readers’ worldwide in a decolonizing social political discourse. As hybrid texts, written in a clever hybrid mixture of Italian, Sicilian dialect and a variety of registers to convey realistic dialogue, and blending different genres, Camilleri’s texts are deeply “dialogic” internally and externally at different levels, stylistic, narrative and descriptive. The landscape descriptions and plots are often intermingled with reflections about Sicily and local and global crimes, past and present. The result is a representation of Sicily as a location where different civilizations have met and left an interlaced archaeological, artistic and linguistic landscape as well as a land ravaged by injustice and oppression, perennially colonized: [Yet we have been a colony for 2500 years] Tomasi di Lampedusa, The Leopard. 49

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supra a Sicilia e i Siciliani e ogni vota ca a Sicilia tintau di libbirarisi dî colonizzaturi, nautra invasioni accadiu. Pi capuvolgiri sta immagini dâ Sicilia comu colonia o terra di mafia, Camilleri usa vari stratiggii ô liveddu di stili, narrativa e discursu. Comu minziunammu prima, iddu riafferma l’identità lucali e reggionali usannu u dialettu sicilianu ntê so testi. Parrannu dâ trama i crimini non sunu sulu atti di mafiusi lucali ma spissu prisentanu cunnutazioni nazziunali, globali o pirsunali. A cosa cchiù mpurtanti è ca u pirsunaggiu cintrali, Muntalbanu, un veru sicilianu, è fermu ntô so attaccamentu â giustizzia e d’accussì puru i poliziotti dâ so squatra. Nta Il giro di boa u cummissariu esprimi a so rabbia contru i cuntinentali

dû nord picchì hannu atttitudini di priggiudiziu contru a Sicilia quannu ncontra dui dû nord ca vonnu pigghiari a liggi ntê so mani picchì nun hannu fiducia ntâ polizia siciliana. U missaggiu ca emergi è ca si u restu di l’Italia cuntinua a difenniri a viduta stirotipata di na Sicilia comu terra di corruzioni e comu un problemi senza possibilità di soluzioni, iddi contribuisciunu a manteniri l’isula colonizzata, nun di invasori ma dâ criminalità organizzata. Stu missaggiu pari ca fu cugghiutu e accittatu di tanti litturi in Italia e i rumanzi di Muntalbanu hannu canciatu l’immagini stiriotipica dâ Sicilia e di Siciliani fora di l’isula, mentri centu anni di unità non hnnu pututu canciari u sensu di sfiducia tra i taliani cuntinentali e i taliani siciliani. Oltri i discrizioni di paisaggi i storii polizieschi di Camilleri cunteninu testi dettagliati di cibu, principalmenti attraversu a so relazioni câ cucina tipica siciliana rapprisintata di pietanzi manciati ntê tratturii o a so casa vicinu u beddu mari siculu. U cibu e a nutrizioni currispunninu a li cuncezioni mentali e culturali dâ Sicilia di Camilleri, na Sicilia ricca di tradizioni ca nun duvissi cunfurmarisi chî pressioni di divintari comu a l’autri, mantinennu boni abitudini e tradizioni. U manciari spissu è assuciatu cu usanzi lucali e identificatu cu termini siciliani. Arba Sicula XXIX

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On one hand, colonizers have contributed to enrich Sicilian culture and mythology as exemplified in Il cane di terracotta [The terracotta dog] when Montalbano finds the remains of two corpses holding hands, in appearance two lovers guarded by a terracotta dog, behind a wall in a cave used by Mafiosi criminals to hide their merchandise. On the other, the incessant colonization has deeply affected Sicily and Sicilians and every time Sicily began the process of decolonization, another invasion occurred. To overturn this permanent image of Sicily as either a colony or the land of the Mafia, Camilleri uses various strategies, at the stylistic, narrative and discourse level. As already mentioned, he reaffirms local and regional identity by using Sicilian dialect in his writings. At the plot level, the crimes are not just local or Mafia crimes but often acquire state, global or personal connotations. Most importantly, the central character, Montalbano, a Sicilian through and through, is unshakable in his ethical and moral commitment to justice, and so is the whole police squad. In Il giro di boa [Turning point], the “commissario” expresses his anger at Northerners’ biased attitudes towards Sicily when he is confronted by two travelers who want to take the law into their own hands because they do not trust Sicilian police. The emerging message is that, if the rest of Italy continues to uphold the stereotyped view of Sicily as a pervasively corrupt land and an unsolvable problem, they also contribute to keep Sicily colonized, not by invaders, but by organized crime. This message seems to have got though to many readers, in Italy and beyond and the Montalbano’s novels have succeeded in changing the stereotypical image of Sicily and Sicilians abroad and Italy, where more than a century of Unification had not changed reciprocal mistrust between “continental” Italians and Sicilian Italians. Besides landscape descriptions, Camilleri’s detective stories abound in detailed accounts of food, mainly though Montalbano’s relationship with traditional Sicilian fare eaten, or devoured, at authentic Trattorias or at his home by the beautiful Sicilian sea. Food and nourishment (Palumbo) corresponds to Camilleri’s mental and cultural conception of Sicily – a Sicily with its rich traditions that should not conform or give in to external homologizing pressures and retain good habits and traditions. Food is often associated with local customs and referred to often with Sicilian terms. Through the inspector’s relationship with nourishment - what and how he eats - the reader experiences the links between certain foods and folk traditions. When food is associated with Montalbano’s nostalgia for his childhood and for disappeared folk traditions the tone and narrative style are elegiac and somber: ‘Want a little corn bread? I took it out of the oven less than an hour ago. Shall I prepare you some? Without waiting for an answer, she [Franca – his colleague 51

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Attraversu chiddu ca mancia l’ispitturi u litturi capisci i liami tra certi piatti chî tradizioni dâ genti. Quannu u cibu è assuciatu câ nustalgia di l’infanzia e pi tradizioni scumparsi u tonu e u stili narrativu diventanu elegiachi e serii: “Voi nanticchia di pani di frummentu? U niscìu dû furnu mancu n’ura fa. Ti lu priparu iu? Senza aspittari pâ risposta idda tagghiau du feddi di nu pani, li cunzau cu l’ogghiu, sali e spezzi niuru, iuncennucci na fedda di furmaggiu picurinu, i misi assemi pi furmari un sandwich e ci lu pruìu. Mantalbanu nisciu fora, s’assittau supra nu bancu a latu dâ porta e ô primu muzzicuni si sintiu ringiuvaniri di quarant’anni. Avia turnatu a siri picciriddu di novu. Chistu era u pani ca so nanna ci priparava. Era fattu pi manciari ô suli, senza pinsari a nenti, in armunia cû so corpu a terra e u ciauru di l’erba.” (La voce del violino, pp121-2) E’ comu si Camilleri, attraversu u so protagonista, lamintassi a morti dâ Sicilia di la so infanzia e la facissi viviri di novu attraversu u munnu dâ littiratura. Accussì comu u cibu e l’oceanu circunnanu a so cuntintizza di picciriddu, a so fuga ntô stadiu di pre adultu nta na Sicilia ca scumpari, un paradisu pirdutu, u mari e u cibu ci dannu nutricamentu e viguri mentri ci pirmettunu na valvula di sicurezza e na funtana di nova energia. Manciari è spissu na forma di piaciri sulitariu chi lu porta ê tempi dâ so infanzia. L’armunia pari possibili ntô munnu naturali sulu quannu i profumi e i sapuri risbigghianu sintimenti di benessiri ca parianu pirduti pi sempri, quannu antichi usanzi e riti si rinnovanu attraversu a mimoria: Ntô friguriferu Muntalbanu truvau un piattu di pasta fridda chî pumadoru, balilicò e alivi niuri passaluna ca facevanu nu ciauru c’avissi pututu risbigghiari i morti e un secunnu piattu di anciovi frischi câ cipudda e acitu. Muntalbanu si fidava completamenti di l’immaginazioni culinaria di Adelina, a signura ca vineva na vota ô jornu pi daricci versu. Era matri di du figghi dilinquenti unu dî quali era in galera, misu dda dintra di Muntalbanu. E puru oggi non fu dilusu. Ogni vota ca era prontu ad apriri u friguriferu o u furnu sinteva dda stissa trepidazioni ca sinteva quannu era picciriddu quannu ô dui di nuvemmiri circava u cannistru unni so patri avia lassatu i rigali duranti a notti—na celebrazioni ormai pirduta, scancillata di dda banalità di mentiri i riali sutta l’alburu di Natali, scancillata comu a mimoria di li stissi morti [...] Pigghiau i du piatta, na buttigghia di vinu e nanticchia di pani e s’assittau ô tavulu, addumau a televisioni e cuminciau a manciari. Ci piaceva assai manciari sulu assapurannu ogni mmuccuni in silenziu. (Il cane di terracotta, p44) Arba Sicula XXIX

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Mimi’s sister] cut two slices from a loaf, dressed them in olive oil, salt and black pepper, adding a slice of pecorino cheese, put this all together to form a sandwich, and handed it to him. Montalbano went outside, sat down on a bench next to the door, and, at the first bite, felt forty years younger. He was a little kid again. This was bread the way his grandmother used to make it for him. It was meant to be eaten in the sun, while thinking of nothing being in harmony with one’s body, the earth, and the smell of grass (The Voice of the Violin, pp. 12122). It is as if Camilleri him self was mourning through his protagonist the disappearance of the Sicily of his childhood and makes it comes alive again through the literary word and world. As food and ocean enclose his “picciriddu” [child] contentment, his escape into the preadult stage, in a disappearing Sicily, a paradise lost, both sea and food are nourishing and invigorating as they provide at once a safety valve and reenergizing force. Food is often experienced as an escape into a solitary pleasure which takes him back to his childhood although at times the inspector. Harmony seems only possible within the natural world, when smells and tastes awaken feelings of well-being that seemed lost forever as ancient customs and rites are revived through memory: In the refrigerator Montalbano found a plate of cold pasta with tomatoes, basil and black “pussuluna” olives that gave off an aroma to wake the dead, and as second course of fresh anchovies with onions and vinegar. Montalbano was in the habit of trusting entirely in the simple but zestful culinary imagination of Adelina, the housekeeper who came once a day to see to his needs, a mother of two irremediably delinquent sons, one of whom was in jai , put there by M. And this day, too, she did not disappoint him. Every time he was about to open the oven or fridge, he felt the same trepidation he used to feel as a little boy when, on the second of November, he would look for the wicker basket in which the dead had left their gifts during the night – a celebration now lost, obliterated by the banality of presents under the Christmas tree, obliterated like the memory of the dead themselves. […]. He took his two courses, a bottle of wine and some bread to the table, turned on the television and sat down to dinner. He loved to eat alone, relishing every bite in silence. (The Terracotta Dog, pp. 4344). In conclusion, old and new are present at different levels: plot; Montalbano’s attitudes towards old fare accompanied by his modern habit of eating alone in front of the television. Old, new, as shown in the landscape descriptions, and narrative context, are not always in contrast but coexisting 53

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Pi cuncludiri u vecchiu e u novu sunu prisenti a diversi liveddi: l’atteggiamentu versu antichi modi e pietanzi è accumpagnatu di l’abitudini muderna di manciari sulu davanti a televisioni. Vecchiu e novu, come hama vistu ntê discrizioni dû paisaggiu e ntô cuntestu narrativu, nun sunu sempri in cuntrastu l’unu ccû l’autru ma coesistunu l’unu a latu di l’autru. “Discrivi u to villaggiu e discrivi u munnu.” Camilleri cu li rumanzi di Muntalbanu, cû so stili sardonicu, e cû so sensu di umorismu rinesci a ritrarri na Sicilia di tanti facci comu u cori dû Miditiraniu e spinci i litturi a riflettiri di cchiù. Bibliografia • La forma dell’acqua (1994) ; Il cane di terracotta (1996) ; La voce del violino (1997); La mossa del cavallo (1999); L’odore della notte (2001) ; Il giro di boa (2003). • Carroli, P. (2006). Lunch with Montalbano: Intersections between food and crime in Camilleri’s detective stories. Manila: Fully Booked, Dante Alighieri Manila, Embassy of Italy. • Palumbo, O. (2005). Camilleri e il “rifocillo” ovvero Cibi e risate nella narrativa di Andrea Camilleri. In Cirillo, S. Cit. [quoted above]. • www.Andrea.Camilleri.htm • www.vigata.org

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side by side. “Describe your village and you will describe the world”: with the Montalbano’s novels, Camilleri, in his sardonic tone and sense of humour, definitely succeeds in depicting the multifaceted Sicily as the heart of the Mediterranean, and to spur the reader onto further reflection. REFERENCES • La forma dell’acqua (1994) [The shape of water]; Il cane di terracotta (1996) [The terracotta dog]; La voce del violino (1997) [The voice of the violin]; La mossa del cavallo (1999); L’odore della notte (2001) [The scent of the night]; Il giro di boa (2003) [Rounding the Mark]. • Carroli, P. (2006). Lunch with Montalbano: Intersections between food and crime in Camilleri’s detective stories. Manila: Fully Booked, Dante Alighieri Manila, Embassy of Italy. • Palumbo, O. (2005). Camilleri e il “rifocillo” ovvero Cibi e risate nella narrativa di Andrea Camilleri. In Cirillo, S. Cit. [quoted above]. • www.Andrea.Camilleri.htm • www.vigata.org

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A Storia ca fa tic tac (Pubblicamu n’articulu mannatuni di Vita Alaimo supra a storia di membri dâ famigghia Brucia, tutti vecchi soci di Arba Sicula.) (Pubblicatu pi curtisia di Watch Time)

traduzioni in sicilianu di Gaetano Cipolla Quann Jim Brucia avia deci anni, ntô 1960, so ziu Ben ci mustrau un riroggiu.Era unu di ddi cristiani ca quannu î canuscivi facia subbitu simpatia,” dici Jim Brucia oggi. “Purtava nu riroggiu ca subbitu mi piaciu quannu û visti. Era quacchi cosa di spittaculari: un cronografu d’oru e comu a tutti i carusi l’ammiraiu cu l’occhi aperti.” Dopu che Ben Ben Brucia Brucia cci spiegau comu funzionava iu ntôn casciolu di na cridenza e nisciu un riroggiu diffirenti. “Chi ti nni pari di chistu?” So niputi ricorda ca era u chiù granni riroggiu c’avia mai vistu. A cassa era di 47 mm. So ziu cci dissi cha era un riroggiu pi iri sutt’acqua ch’iddu avia ricivutu duranti a guerra e si misi d’accordu cu so niputi ca quannu iddu vineva a visitari sû puteva mettiri. Jim sû misi tanti voti duranti a so carusanza. Dopu che Ben Brucia muriu ntô 1972, i so figghi si ricurdaru di Jim ca purtava u riroggiu ogni vota ca vineva e ci lu rigalaru pi ricordu di so ziu. “Non puteva certamenti rifiutarlu, era na cosa magnifica,” dici Jim Brucia. “Non sapeva chi nni fari però e u riroggiu iu d’un casciolu a nautru e ristau dda dintra nautri 30 anni.” U riroggiu probabilmenti avissi ristatu nta ddu casciolu ancora assai tempu si nun fussi intirvinutu u distinu—ca appi la forma insolita di Sylvester Stallone. Mentri girava u film Daywatch in Italia ntô 1995 Stallone visti u riroggiu Panerai Luminor ntôn nigozziu di giuielli di Roma. Iddu si l’accattau pi purtarlu ntô film e cci piaciu tantu ca cummissiunau a cumpagnia ca l’avia fattu, Officine Panerai di Arba Sicula XXIX

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Ticking History (We reprint a story sent by Vita Alaimo about the exploit of member of the Brucia family, who have been longstanding members of Arba Sicula) (Courtesy of Watch Time)

In the early 1960, when Jim Brucia was 10 years old, his Uncle Ben showed him a watch. “He was one of those guys you meet who everybody likes,” says Brucia today. “He was wearing a watch that caught my eye-something flashy. It was a gold chronograph and I admired it like a typical kid would.” After showing the boy the chronograph’s functions, Ben Brucia went to his dresser and pulled out a different watch, asking, “What do you think of this?” His nephew recalls, “I was pretty stunned, if nothing else, at the size of the thing.” With a 47-mm case, it was easily the largest wristwatch he had ever seen. His uncle said it was a divers’ watch he’d gotten in the war and struck a deal with the youngster: whenever Jim came to visit, be could wear it, which he did many times throughout his childhood. After Ben Brucia died in 1972, his children remembered little Jim wearing the big watch around their house and offered it to him as a memento. “I certainly didn’t turn it down; it was really kind of great,” says Jim Brucia. But he didn’t know quite what to do with it. “It went from his dresser drawer to my dresser drawer and sat there for another 30 years.” The big watch might have continued to languish in Brucia’s drawer had not fate - in the unlikely form of actor Sylvester Stallone - intervened. While shooting the film Daylight in Italy in 1995, Stallone spotted a Panerai Luminor watch in a Rome jewelry store. He bought it to wear in the film and liked it so much that he commissioned its maker, Officine Panerai of Florence, to create 57

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Firenzi, a farinni na quantità limitata câ so firma ntagghiata darreri dâ cassa. U mudellu fu chiamatu Slytech e Stallone ci lu rigalau ê so amici e atturi famusi comu a Arnold Schwarzenegger (ora guvirnaturi dâ California). “Quannu û visti capiu subbitu ca era nu riroggiu fora di l’ordinariu,” dissi Stallone ntô 2002. U so aprezzamentu pi stu riroggiu fici nasciri intiressi pî riroggia grossi in generali e pi l’Officine Panerai in modu particulari. A cumpagnia avia cuminciatu a so campagna Brucia’s Family photos pi attirari i consumaturi ntô 1993. Purtata all’avanguardia di la moda, li Officini Panerai foru accattati dû Gruppu Vendome (ora Richemont) ntô 1997 e cuminciaru a aumintari a produzioni dî riroggia pi veniri ncontru ô bisognu in aumentu. Mentri taliava u giurnali unni c’era un supplementu pî riroggia, Jim Brucia visti na pagina sana di pubblicità pû riroggiu di so ziu. “Nun era esattamenti comu u me riroggiu, ma era na edizioni cummemorativa dû me riroggiu,” ricorda Jim Brucia. “M’incuriusiu e vistu ca c’era un numeru di telefunu virdi, chiamaiu. U so intiressi era di vinniri riroggia e mi desiru u nnomu di un nigozianti di Fort Lee. (New Jersey). Iddu circau di vinnirimi nu riroggiu e ci appi a diri di salvarisi u ciatu picchì io cridiva di aviri unu di l’originali. Sapia ca era origginali picchì sapia unni avia statu pi l’ultimi 60 anni.” U nigozianti cci desi u numiru da cumpagnia Panerai dû Nord America a New York. L’ufficiu di New York era na rappresentanza dû gruppu Richemont e nun pottiru autentificari u riroggiu. Anzi ci avianu dittu ca u riroggiu era farsu. A stu puntu, Brucia cuminciau a studiari pi vidiri di capiri sta storia mistiriusa dû riroggiu. Cuminciau a studiari a parti ca so ziu avia fattu duranti a guerra, parrannu chî parenti e taliannu i so Arba Sicula XXIX

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a limited run with his signature engraved on the back of the case. This model was called the Slytech, and Stallone gave them as gifts co celebrity friends like fellow screen star (now California governor) Arnold Schwarzenegger. I immediately felt when I saw the watch that it had star power,” Stallone said in 2002. His appreciation of the timepiece sparked interest in large watches in general and in Officine Panerai in particular. The brand had only begun targeting the consumer market The watch with its original band. in 1993. Suddenly thrust to the forefront of fashion, Officine Panerai was purchased by the Vendome (now Richemont) Group in 1997 and began to expand its production to meet the increased demand. In 2003 Jim Brucia was paging through a watch supplement in the newspaper when he saw a full-page advertisement for his uncle’s watch. “Not like my watch, but a commemorative edition of exactly my watch,” he recalls. “I was intrigued. There was a tollfree number to call, and of course the crux of the ad was to sell watches, so they hooked me up with a local retailer in Fort Lee [New Jersey]. He was doing his best to sell me a watch and I had to throttle him back a bit. I basically told him, ‘I think I have one of the originals because I know where it’s been for the last 60 years.’” The retailer gave him the number of Panerai North America in New York. Primarily a marketing arm of Richemont, the New York office was unable to authenticate the watch-in fact, Brucia says, they thought it was a fake. Becoming ever more interested in the mysterious history of the watch, Brucia began to do some homework. He started researching his uncle’s role in the war effort by talking to family members and poring over old military records. That search would take him deep into the annals of World War II and eventually to the offices of Officine Panerai in Florence, Italy. By 1941 Ben Brucia had graduated from Law school and was working in a civilian capacity for U.s. Navy intelligence. After Pearl Harbor he and his younger brother - Jim Brucia’ father- decided to join the Navy. While his

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vecchi documenti millitari. Sta ricerca û purtau a analizzari l’annali dâ Secunna Guerra Munniali e finalmenti a Firenzi nta l’ufficiu dâ cumpagnia Panerai. Ben Brucia ntô 1941 avia finutu i studi di leggi e travagghiava comu civili pî ser vizi sigreti dâ marina amiricana. Dopu Pearl Harbor, iddu e u so frati chiù picciriddu,—u patri di Jim Brucia—dicisiru di arrolarisi ntâ Marina. Mentri so frati iu a frequentari a scola di aviazioni e dopu finiu pi pilutari apparecchi Catalina ntô Pacificu, a Ben cci tuccau n’occupazioni Jim Burica wearing his Panerai Radiomir chiù vicinu a casa, ma chiù sigreta. Nta l’anni 1940 u portu di Nova York era ntê mani dâ mafia siciliana e u so capu Charles “Lucky” Luciano. Cu li Stati Uniti in guerra contru l’Italia fascista, li Italu-miricani eranu cuntrullati dû dipartimentu di guerra pi vidiri unni eranu i so simpatii. Ben Brucia, un nativu di Brooklyn ca parrava bonu l’italianu avia i requisiti ideali pi infiltrari u portu cuntrullatu dâ mafia. “Iddu dissi a so famigghia ca si pi casu lu vidissiru ntâ strata non duvevanu salutarlu a menu ca iddu non si fussi avvicinatu,” dici Jim Brucia. “Iddi non seppiru mai picchì e iddu nun ci û dissi mai.” I Miricani seppiru ca i mafiusi eranu antifascista picchì u dittaturi Benitu Mussolini avia trattatu i mafiosi in manera dura ntâ Sicilia. Lucky Luciano si truvava nta na prigiuni ntô nord dû Statu di New York ma avia fattu n’accordu sigretu cu lu guvernu di li S.U.: in cangiu dû so aiutu contru u sabotaggiu dû portu di Nova York pi parti dî fascisti e pi truvaricci cuntatti favurevuli pi iddi ntâ Sicilia, Lucianu puteva opirari i so ntrallazzi mafiusi di dintra la prigiuni. “I sirvizi sigreti si misiru d’accordu câ mafia pi mutivi di sicurezza e pi vidiri chi putevanu guadagnari ntô futuru,” Brucia dici. “Chiddu ca ci purtaru ntô futuru fu mpurtantissimu. Un annu dopu pripararunu l’invasioni dâ Sicilia. Tutti i cuntatti ca avia fattu me ziu ntô portu cu i mafiusi e i so famigghi siciliani foru utili quannu i sirvizi sigreti si assittaru pi priparari

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brother went to flight school and ended up flying PBY Catalinas in the Pacific, Ben found a more secretive assignment closer to home. The New York docks in the 1940s were essentialy run by the Sicilian mob and its capo, Charles “Lucky” Luciano. With the United States at War with fascist Italy, the sympathies of Italian-Americans came under scrutiny by the war Department. Ben Brucia - a Brooklyn native who spoke fluent Italian - had the ideal background to infiltrate the mafia-controlled New York docks. “He told the members of his family that if they bumped into him on the street they were not to talk to him unless he approached them first,” says Jim Brucia. “They never, quite frankly. knew why because he didn’t tell them why.” The Americans learned from undercover agents like Ben Brucia that the Mafiosi were actually quite anti-fascist, as Italian dictator Benito Mussolini had come down hard on the mob in Sicily. Lucky Luciano himself was in an upstate New York prison. but was reportedly offered a secret deal by the U.S. government: in return for his help in preventing Axis sabotage of American ports and for providing sympathetic contacts in Sicily, Luciano would be permitted to run his criminal organization from Jail. “Intelligence decided to get into bed with Luciano’s mob for security reasons and to see what it could possibly bring in the future,” Brucia says. “What it brought in the future was quire a bit. A year later the Sicily invasion was concocted. All these contacts that my uncle made on the docks and with his families back in the old country came in handy when the Navy intelligence group had to lay the groundwork for the invasion of Sicily. So his next posting was to North Africa.” IN NORTH AFRICA Ben Brucia joined a commando unit that was sent to Sicily to ease the path of the upcoming invasion, codename “Operation: Husky.” On the night of July 9, 1943, the US Seventh Army under General George Patton landed on the southwest coast of Sicily while General Bernard Montgomery’s British Eighth Army landed further to the east. With the ground prepared in part by commando units like Brucia’s, Patton met little resistance in his two-week sweep to Palermo, and by .July 24 the Seventh Army controlled the entire western half of the island. Mussolini’s domestic opponents, dispirited by the fall of Palermo, ousted him from power on July 25 and in his stead installed Marshal Pietro Badoglio, who declared, “the war continues at the side of our Germanic ally.” In fact, Badoglio was already secretly negotiating with the Allies and signed an armistice on September 3,1943. Under the terms of the armistice, which was announced by the Allies on September 8, the ships of the Royal Italian Navy (Regia Marina) were to sail to Allied ports, effectively changing sides against the Germans. With the Italian government giving up the fight, the Germans took control of the defense of the Italian mainland. The American Fifth Army landed 61

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l’invasioni dâ Sicilia. Picchissu u so novu postu di travagghiu fu ntô Nord Africa.” Ntô Nord Africa Ben Brucia fici parti di nu gruppu di surdati ca fu mannatu ntâ Sicilia pi renniri chiù facili l’invasioni imminenti chiamata “Operazioni Husky.” U 9 lugliu dû 1943, di notti, a Settima Armata cumannata dû Generali Patton sbarcau ntâ costa sud-occidintali dâ Sicilia, mentri l’Ottava Armata Nglisi sutta u Maresciallu Bernard Montgomery sbarcau chiù a est. Patton truvau poca risistenza grazzii ê gruppi commando comu a chiddu di Brucia e ntâ du simani ntrasiu a Palermu. Entru u 24 di lugliu a Settima Armata cuntrullava tutta la parti occidintali di l’isula. I sustinituri di Mussolini, scuraggiati dâ perdita di Palermu, u cacciarunu dû putiri u 25 di lugliu e misiru ô so postu u maresciallu Petru Badogliu ca dichiarau: “A guerra continua a latu dî nostri alliati tedeschi.” Ma in verità, Badogliu stava nigoziannu cu l’Alliati e firmau l’armistiziu u 3 di sittembri 1943. Secunnu i reguli di l’armistiziu annunziatu l’8 sittembri, i navi dâ Marina Militari taliana avianu a partiri versu porti cuntrullati di l’Alliati, schierannusi d’accussì contru i tedeschi. Quannu i taliani smisiru di cummattiri, i tedeschi pigghiaru u cuntrollu pâ difisa dâ penisula taliana. A quinta Armata miricana sbarcau a Salernu a 30 chilomitri a sud di Napuli, u 9 sittembri, ma truvau forti risistenza. Vistu ca nun putevanu movirisi di unni eranu, i Miricani circarunu di oltripassari i Tedeschi facennu nu sbarcu anfibbiu a Anziu, a 33 chilometri a sud di Roma, u 22 gennaiu, 1944. Dopu aviri stabilutu a so pusizioni a Anziu, Ben Brucia e na cumpagnia di italu-miricani foru mannati darreri i linii dî nimici pi fari cuntatti cu l’omini dâ risistenza sigreta a Roma.U jornu dopu ca l’alliati occuparunu Roma, u 4 giugnu 1944, u tinenti di primu gradu Benedict brucia riciviu na midagghia di bronzu ô valuri militari dî manu du cumannanti militari e civili di Roma, generali Roberto encivenga. A citazioni dici: “Duranti l’assaltu di Anziu, u tinenti Benedict Brucia sutta un continuu bummardamentu tedescu di terra e di l’aria diriggiu e participau a missioni diretti a fari cuntatti chî patriotti taliani pi otteniri nfurmazioni supra a situazioni interna di Roma. Dannu prova di eccezziunali curaggiu e noncuranza pi li piriculi, annannu oltri a misura comuni mposta di l’bbligu, u tinenti Brucia ntrasiu a Roma chî primi truppi, facennu tuttu u possibili pi limitari u sabotaggiu, ordinannu e mittennu guardii militari a posti e pirsuni mpurtanti e truvannu e salvannu documenti d’impurtanza strategica.” Passau u restu dâ guerra a Roma travagghiannu chî militari taliani. Brucia riciviu ddu riroggiu ca ora è ntê mani di so niputi dî so cumpagni taliani. Ntô 1936, a Regia Marina taliana avia cummissiunatu a l’officini Panerai di criari na linia di riroggia luminusi subacquei ca i so marinara putevanu usari intâ situazioni estremi. U risultatu fu u riroggiu Panerai Radiomir, accussì chiamatu pi l’usu di virnici luminusa ca cunsisteva di solfatu di zincu, bromidu di radiu e Arba Sicula XXIX

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at Salerno, 30 miles southeast of Naples, on September 9 and met stiff resistance. Ultimately becoming bogged down in Southern Italy, the Allies tried to outflank German defenses with an amphibian landing on January 22,1944 at Anzio, 33 miles south of Rome. After the Americans established a beachhead at Anzio, Ben Brucia and a joint Italian-American commando group were sent behind enemy lines to establish contact with the underground resistance in Rome. A day after the Allies finally occupied Rome on June 4, 1944, Lieutenant (junior Grade) Benedict Brucia was officially awarded the Bronze Medal for Military Valor in the field by the Civil and Military Commander of the Rome War Zone. Gen. Roberto Bencivenga. The citation read: “During the siege of Anzio. Lt. Benedict Brucia. under conrinuous bombardment and German air attack, directed and participated in missions of naval reconnaissance. making contact with Italian patriots to obtain information about the internal situation of Rome. Giving proof of exceptional courage and disregard of danger, much beyond the common measure imposed by obligation, Lt. Brucia entered into Rome with the first troops, doing his utmost to block sabotage, ordering and posting military guards to safeguard important people ... and recovering and saving strategic documents.” He spent the remainder of the war in Rome working with the Italian military. Ben Brucia with members of an Italian -American commando in 1944aiding the underground resistance behind enemy lines.

It was from his Italian commando comrades that Brucia received the watch now in his nephew’s possession. In 936 the Regia Marina-the Iralian Royal Navy-had commissioned Officine Panerai to create a line of luminous 63

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mesothorium. A produzioni cuminciau ntô 1938. U riroggiu avia na cassa di 47 mm. a forma di cuscinu. Avia na curuna ca s’invitava e u meccanismu a corda manuali fattu di Rolex. Avia a cinghia di cuoiu chiù longa dû normali pi putirilu purtari supra u vistitu di gomma pi ghiri sutt’acqua. Nni ficiru non chiù di 300 esemplari. Jim Brucia ora era cunvintu ca iddu avia ntê so mani unu di sti riroggia sempri chiù rari e circau di aviri l’autentificazioni ca l’ufficiu di Panerai di Nova York non avia potutu fari. Brucia avia sicutatu a fari u pilota comu a so patri e pilutava apparecchi supra a rotta transatlantica. Iu a Milanu unni Panerai avia a sedi principali e si prisintau assemi ô so primu ufficiali ô centru di servizi Panerai. “L’impiegati dû centru di servizi foru fantastichi. Foru assai sirvizievuli e entusiasti,” dici Brucia. Mentri aspittava darreri a vitrina “comu un patri c’aspetta a nascita d’un figghiu,” i tecnici di Panerai apreru a cassa dû rirogghiu e vittiru u meccanismu di Rolex. U capu tecnicu ci fici un signali a Jim ca significava vittoria. U riroggiu di so ziu era veramenti un Panerai Radiomir origginali. Dirimpettu ntô nigoziu di vinnita u diritturi dumannau a Brucia cu cci l’avia datu. Dopu c’avia sintutu tutta a storia —senza minziunari a midagghia di bronzu pû valuri militari e u fattu ca Benedict Brucia avia ricivitu u cavaleratu dû re Umbertu II e avia puru ricivutu l’Ordini e a Curuna d’Italia e l’Ordini dî Santi Mauriziu e Lazzaru—ci uffriu di mannari u riroggiu a Ginevra pi rimettirlu a novu completamenti. I tecnici di Ginevra truvaru ca u riroggiu ammatula avissi statu ntôn casciolu pi 60 anni, funziunava pirfettamenti. Li officini Panerai vinnunu riproduzioni dî so riroggia storichi pi migghiara di dollari. Quantu vali u riroggiu di Brucia? Na indicazioni nni veni di na asta di cosi antichi tinuta ntô sittembri dû 2006. Nu riroggiu Radiomir circa 1940 fu vinnutu pi $59.000. Brucia dici ca doppu ca u so Panerai fu ristauratu si l’ha misu sulu na para di voti. “Quannu seppi quantu valia mi dissi: Nun lu portu chiù ora.” Pi Jim Brucia l’origini dû riroggiu avi un valuri inestimabili. “Me ziu nun parrau mai di sti cosi,” iddu dici. “Sti omini (ntâ guerra) ficiru cosi straordinari, ma non ni parraru mai.” Putiri mettiri assemi a storia di so ziu ha statu a so soddisfazioni. “Una dî raggiuni è ca accussì potti documintari a storia pi mmia e pâ me famigghia,” dici. Chiù chi n’anticu riroggiu ca diventa sempri chiù raru, u riroggiu Panerai Radiomir di Jim Brucia parra dû valuri di so ziu.

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underwater watches that its divers could rely on in extreme conditions. The result was the Panerai Radiomir, named for its use of a special luminous paint consisting of zinc sulphide, radium bromide and mesothorium. Production began in 1938. The watch featured a 47-mmm cushion-shaped case With a screw-down crown and a hand-wound mechanical movement supplied by Rolex. It came with an extra-long oiled-leather strap that could be worn over a diving suit. No more than 300 were ever made. Jim Brucia was now convinced that he was in possession of one of these exceedingly rare watches, and sought the authentication that Panerai’s New York office had been unable to offer. Brucia had followed in his father’s footsteps and was working as a long-haul commercial airline pilot on transatlantic routes. He arranged to fly t0 Milan, where Panerai was now headquartered, and along with his first officer dropped in at The Panerai service center. “It was our own little ‘Antiques Roadshow going on there,” recalls Brucia. “The people in the service center were wonderful. They were very, very accommodating and pretty excited.” As he waited outside the glass “like an expectant father,” the Panerai technicians opened the watch’s case to reveal its Rolex movement. The lead technician gave Brucia the thumbs up. His uncle’s watch was indeed an original Panerai Radiomir. Across the streer at the watchmakers’ offices, Panerai’s marketing director asked Brucia where he had gotten it. After hearing the whole story - apart from his Bronze Medal of Valor, Benedict Brucia was also twice knighted by King Umberto II and was conferred both the Order of the Crown of Italy and the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus - he offered to send the watch to Geneva to be thoroughly refurbished. The technicians in Geneva discovered that the watch kept perfect time despite its having never been serviced in 60 years. Officine Panerai sells reproductions of its historic watches for thousands of dollars. Just what his watch is worth. Brucia is not sure. A clue comes from a September 2006 Antiquorum auction, where an original Radiomir circa 1940 sold for $59,000. Brucia says After Panerai restored the watch I.I’ve only worn it once or twice. When I got an idea of its value. I said, ‘I’m not going to wear this anymore. ‘“ To Jim Brucia, the watch’s origins make its value incalculable. “My uncle didn’t talk about this stuff,” he says. “These guvs (in the war) ... did amazing things, but they didn’t talk about it.” Piecing together his uncle’s history has been a treat for him. “One of the reasons I [got into this] is so that I would have a record of it and my family would have a record of it,” he says. More than just a vanishingly rare antique watch, .Jim Brucia’s Panerai Radiomir carries the history of his uncle’s valor.

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Santa Eustochia Smiralda Na Clarissa Missinisa Traduzioni di Rosa Gazzarra Siciliano Nta la cità di Missina,intra l’antica Chiesa munumintali dû Munasteru di Muntivirgini, nta via 24 Maggiu, si trova espostu ‘u Corpu di Santa Eustochia Smiralda. Pi nu veru miraculu dû Signuri, iddu ristau perfettu, pi nenti putrafattu ancora doppu cincu seculi dâ morti: s’apprisenta scuru scuru a causa dû tempu chi passau; ‘a so manu destra havi u jitu anulari e u mignulu ghicati, accussì

dugna l’impressioni che binidici sempri e di sta manera vigghia supra dâ cità e supr’o gloriusu Munasteru ch’idda stissa criò. Santa Eustochia Calafatu, di ricca e nobili famigghia missinisa, nasciu ntô villaggiu ‘i l’Annunziata, u 25 marzu 1434, nta na misira manciatura, a rassumigghianza di nostru Signuri e di San Franciscu d’Assisi. Tutt’a so vita, accuminciata ‘nta na cugnintura tantu strana e speciali, è nu straurdinariu ‘ntricciu di cummuventi e rari casi, signatu e illuminatu di miraculi e manifestazioni purtintusi ansin’a lu So gluriusu trapassu. Arba Sicula XXIX

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Saint Eustochia Smeralda A Poor Clare from Messina The Body of Saint Eustochia is exposed to public veneration in the ancient monumental church of the Monastery of Montevergine in Messina, in via 24 Maggio. After 5 centuries, it has turned brown but by a miracle remains incorrupt, with the fingers of the right hand contracted in a peq1etual blessing, as if

she were watching over the city and the flourishing Monastery which she founded. Saint Eustochia Calafato, whose secular name was,Esmeralda, of a rich and noble family, was born in the Village Annunziata, Messina, on March 25th 1434, in a poor manger like our Lord and Saint Francis of Assisi. Her life was unusual from the beginning and was full of marvelous events, miracles and prodigious mani-festations up to the moment of her glorious death. As a child, she showed clear signs of the graces the Lord 67

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Ancora picciridda, mustrò cu chiari signi di quali grazii u Signuri l’avissi acculmatu e quali avria statu la vita ch’aviria scigghiutu. Criscennu in età e pirfizioni di vita, passava in prijera puru parti dâ notti e s’addidicava a l’opiri di carità versu i poveri, in cui ricanuscia la figura dû nostru Signuri. Doppu chi supirò scruntrannusi cu duri e longhi sciarri e cuntrasti, ogni resistenza dû patri e dî frati, scunzannu tutt’i so prugetti, chi la vulivanu sistimata cu sfrazzu ‘ntô munnu brillanti di tannu, e a cui la chiamavanu la rara biddizza, la ricchizza e la nobiltà, rinisciu a vistirisi di l’abitu di S. Chiara ntô Munasteru di S. Maria di Basico, unni si osservava la regula di S. Chiara, già mudirata dû Papa Urbanu IV ntô 1264. A Santa, ispirata dû muvimentu di riforma arrusbigghiatu in Sicilia dû Biatu Matteu d’Agrigentu, bramava accurdari la so vita riligiusa ô spiritu di perfetta osservanza dâ prima regula di S. Chiara e, supirannu ostacoli di ogni sorta, potti finalmente otteniri dû Papa Callistu III, ’u 20 Ottobri 1457, nu Documentu c’â cuncissioni di costruiri ‘nu Munasteru di primitiva osservanza, l’unicu ‘nta tutta la Sicilia - e l’autorizzazioni dû stissu Papa di putirisi traslucari cu tri o quattro monachi di prifirenza so. Truvò nu vecchiu spitali, chiamatu di S. Maria Accumannata e, ricivuta l’autorizzazioni dû stissu Papa Callistu III, cu Documentu dû 15 aprili 1458, pi l’adattamentu dû fabbricatu a Munasteru, ci si trasfiriu cu na cumpagna non cchiù tardu dû misi di novembri 1460. In un secunnu tempu, a causa dû tracoddu dû tettu dâ chiesa e di ‘na parti dû fabbricatu, a Santa, assemi c’â so comunità di 12 monachi, s’app’a trasfiriri, tra ‘u maggiu e l’austu dû 1464, nta na casa chi cci rialò Bartolomeu Ansaluni, ntâ località unni si trova l’attuali Munasteru, e chi, cu l’accattitu di autri abitazioni vicini, desi corpu c’u tempu a un unicu cumplessu, chiamatu Munti dî Virgini, e dicchiù propriamente, a onuri dâ Madonna, Munti dâ Virgini. U 20 di jinnaru 1485 a menzujomu, ’u gluriusu trapassu dâ Santa cci chiudiu la vita tirrena tutta quanta consacrata a sirvimentu e gloria dû Signori. Luminusu esempiu di pirfizioni riligiusa, gilusa guardiana di l’osservanza dâ regula e specialmente dâ santa Puvirtà, specchiu d’ogni virtù praticata in manera eroica, spiccava pû brucenti amuri a Gesu Eucaristia, arristannu pirduta ‘nta l’adurazioni dû Corpu di Cristu pi tanti e tanti uri dû jornu e dâ notti. U Munasteru di Muntivirgini, unni ‘a rigurusa osservanza dâ regula di S. Chiara havi statu sempri un privilegiu, e l’unicu Munasteru di clausura ristatu ntâ Diocesi di Missina. Ntâ so Chiesa e in modu cuntinuu espostu, di jornu, a l’adurazioni dî fidili, u SS. Sacramentu, mentri di notti l’adurazioni è senza sosta cuntinuata dî Clarissi. U Corpu incorruttu dâ Santa Funnatrici è viniratu di massi di fideli, chi s’affidanu a la so raccumannazioni p’otteniri i grazii di cui hannu bisognu, Arba Sicula XXIX

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lavished on her and of the future state of life she would embrace. As she grew in age and in perfection, she even spent part of the night in prayer and dedicated herself to works of charity towards the poor, in whom she saw Our Lord’s image. Against the wishes of her father and brothers to assure her status and pomp in the brilliant world of those days, to which nobility of birth, wealth and rare beauty seemed to be calling her, she struggled long and hard to upset their plans, and succeeded in receiving the habit of St. Clare in the Monastery of Santa Maria di Basicò, which observed the Rule of St. Clare, in a mitigated form approved by Pope Urban IV in 1264. Inspired by the reformist movement begun in Sicily by Blessed Matteo da Agrigento, Eustochia ardently desired to conform her religious life to the spirit of perfect observance of of the First Rule of St. Clare and after overcoming various obstacles, she received from Callistus III, on Oct. 20, 1457, a Papal Bull permitting her to erect a Monastery of the primitive observance the only one on the whole island - and authorizing her to transfer there with three or four nuns of her choice. After acquiring the old hospital of Santa Maria Accomandata, and authorized by Callistus III by the Papal Bull of April 15, 1458 to convert it into a Monaste-ry, she transferred there with another nun no later than November, 1460. After the church roof and part of the Monastery caved in, Eustochia and the 12 nuns of her community transferred between May and August of 1464 to a house donated by Bartolomeo Ansalone on the present Monastery site. With the acquisition of other nearby buildings, the present Monastery complex was formed and was called Mountain of the Virgins, or more properly, in honor of the Madonna, Mountain of the Virgin. On Jan. 20, 1485, at noon, Eustochia concluded her earthly life spent completely in the service of God’s glory. A shining example of religious perfection, a jealous custodian of the observance of the Rule, especially of holy Poverty, a mirror of every virtue exercised in a heroic degree, she distinguished herself for ardent love of the Eucharistic Jesus, remaining lost in adoration of the Body of Christ for many hours of the day and night. The Monastery of Montevergine, where the rigid observance of the First Rule of Saint Clare has always been considered a privilege, is the only cloistered Monastery remaining in the Diocese of Messina. The Blessed Sacrament is permanently exposed in the church during the day for adoration by the faithful, and during the night for uninterrupted adoration by the Poor Cares.

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mentri la putenti prutizioni dâ Santa supra dâ cità, specialmente duranti li pubblichi svinturi, è ricanusciuta a la luci di lu suli. Li massimi autoritari citadini, ancora oggi, difatti, cunvenunu ‘ntâ Chiesa di Muntivirgini nta l’occasioni dî festi sullenni dû 22 d’austu d’ogni annu, pi sudisfari un votu anticu dû Sinatu Missinisi, p’assistiri ô Divinu Sacrificiu, pi renniri omaggiu a l’illustri Clarissa e offriri 38 libbri di cira priparata cu attenzioni e cu arti. A tali particolari prutizioni si rifa unu dî miraculi dâ storia dâ Santa. Era l’annu 1615 e la cità era saccuddiata di spavintusi scossi di terremotu, tantu chi Autoritati e populazioni supplicaru a Muntivirgini la raccumannazioni dâ Santa, nvitannu i Soru a prijari pi tali scopu. I Clarissi livaru ‘u Corpu di l’oratoriu, unni ‘u tinianu vigilatu, e ‘u sistimaru ‘ntô coru,’ntô so vecchiu scannu. Mentri stavanu p’accuminzari l’orazioni dâ sira, ’u Corpu incorruttu di quasi du’ seculi grapiu a la mpruvisa i labbra, ’ntunannu ‘u primu versu d’un salmu di l’Ufficiu, ch’i soru, ‘ttirruti e commossi” cuntinuaru chiancennu, mentri vidianu com’a vinirata testa s’accalava o «Gloria Patri» . Di dd’istanti i scossi di terremotu fineru. A la custanti prutizioni supra dâ cità si junci la So prisenza cuntinua fra li So Figghi spirituali, chi ricivunu signi chiari e certissirni , cu cui ‘a Santa manifesta a so vuluntà , l’avvisa supr’a chiddu ch’hav’a succediri, l’ammonisci. Pri cui si po’ diri chi, puru doppu dâ morti, Idda cuntinua a essiri la Matri Batissa dû Munasteru. Idda fu cunsacrata a la fama di Santa a Missina l’11 giugnu 1988, dû Papa Giuvanni Paulu II, a prisenza di tutt’i Viscuvi dâ Sicilia e di ‘na fudda di genti filici,’mbriaca di gioia. Si vuliti na copia du libru ca pubblicammu supra a Sant’Eustachia Smeralda Calafato, scriviti Monastero Clarisse Montevergine, Via 24 Maggio, 98122 Messina, Italy. U libru ha statu pubblcatu in cincu lingui: talianu, nglisi, spagnolu, francisi, tedescu e portughisi.

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The incorrupt Body of the holy Foundress is venerated by crowds of devotees who entrust themselves to her intercession to obtain the graces they need, while the Saint’s effective protection over the city, especially in times of public calamity, has been given official recognition. To this very day, the. highest civic authorities annually come to the Church of Montervergine on the Saint’s feast day, Aug. 22, to assist in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and to render homage to the illustrious Poor Clare, by offering a 38 pound artistic wax candle in her honor. For, in fact, the Saint protected the city by a special miracle. In 1615, when the city shook by terrible earthquake tremors night and day, the authorities and people hastened to Montevergine to implore the Saint’s intercession, asking the nuns to do so likewise. Taking her Body from its place in the oratory, the nuns placed it in the choir stall where she used to sit. As they were about to begin Evening Prayer, the Body of the Saint, incorrupt for almost two centuries, suddenly opened its lips and intoned the first psalm of the Divine Office. The nuns, terrified and weeping continuously, noticed that the head of the Saint bowed at the “Glory be”. From that moment the earthquake ceased. Besides her constant protection over the city, mention must also be made of the Saint’s uninterrupted presence among her spiritual daughters. Often by clear signs che manifests her will, warns them of something about to happen, or admonishes them. Thus it can be said that, even after death, she continues to be Abbess of this Monastery of Poor Clares. Saint Eustochia Smeralda was canonized by Pope John Paul II, at Messina, June 11, 1988, in the presence of the Bishops of Sicily and of an exultant crowd of the faithful. We have published a book on Saint Eustochia Smeralda Calafato with pictures and short captions in 6 languages: Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese. Those who want to receive a copy or more copies of the book, write to: Monastero Clarisse Montevergine - Via 24 Maggio - 98122 Messina (Italia).

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Sicilianità e cantu di pueti Di Raffaele Urzì Traduzioni in sicilianu di Gaetano Cipolla sicilianità è u me “chiovu fissu” di quannu eru carusittu. Puteva aviri deci anni quannu a Catania appi a vintura di leggiri na frasi scrivuta câ cauci ianca supra i macerii dâ chesa di San Tropu, bummardata e distrutta na para di jorna prima duranti i bummardamenti dâ secunna guerra munniali. Sta frasi mi ristau impressa ntâ menti: “U Sicilianu avi cori e sapi pavari.” “U sicilianu avi cori”, u sicilianu havi curaggiu, è forti e ginirusu, “e sapi pavari”, sapi ripagari, sapi suppurtari, sapi pavari e nun sulu chî sordi, ma comu

A

voli u so curaggiu, secunnu i circostanzi. “Sapi pavari” è na frasi ca si presta a tanti intirpritazioni. Secunnu mia voli diri principalmenti “ sapiri suppurtari”. E’ na frasi ca putissi pariri d’origini dâ boria spagnulesca. Nta so essenza havi un significatu prufunnu ca mustra senza possibilità di sbagghiari unu di l’aspetti genuini dû carattiri sicilianu. A so dignità. E’ a dignità mantinuta dâ vuluntà di ferru dispirata di risistiri davanti a tutti l’avvirsità chiù nsustinibbili. Spissu a pacienza e a capacità di suppurtari nun sunu autru ca na silinziusa tistarda “risistenza”, temperamentu a sungu dû carattiri ca non si cala, taci e supporta. Dignità ntâ Sicilia voli diri non cediri ammatula si sapi di duviri perdiri e a prima dignità dû sicilianu è chiantarisi davanti ô distinu: iddu sapi ca nenti cancia o pò canciari ma iddu cummatti câ forza dâ dispirazioni, si opponi puru Arba Sicula XXIX

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Sicilianity and Poets’ Songs By Raffaele Urzi Translated by Gaetano Cipolla icilianity has been my fixation since childhood. I was about tn years old when I had the chance to read a sentence written with white lime on the ruins of the Church of Saint Euplio in Catania, which had been destroyed a few days before by the bombing during the Second World War. That sentence was written indelibly in my mind: “Sicilians have heart and they know how to pay.” “Sicilians have heart” means Sicilians are generous, strong and courageous; “and he knows how to pay” means that he knows how to pay back, how to endure, how to pay but not only in coin but as his heart demands according to the circumstances. “He knows how to pay is a sentence that lends itself to many interpretations. In my opinion, it means mostly “he knows how to endure. The sentence can appear to be a demonstration of Spanish haughtiness. On the contrary, in its essence it has a profound meaning that points incontrovertibly to one of the typical aspects of the Sicilian’s character: his dignity. It Luigi Pirandello, Nobel Prize 1934. is the dignity held high by the iron and desperate will to resist against adversities even in the most unbearable situations. Often the so-called “patience” and “the capacity for enduring” are only a silent, stubborn will to resist, which tempers in blood the character that will not bend, keeps silent and endures. Dignity in Sicily means not giving up while knowing that failure is inevitable. The first quality of the Sicilian is to stand in front of his destiny. He knows that nothing changes and that nothing will, yet he fights with the strength of desperation, he fights against it even when his standing up manifests itself as proud and tragic resignation to the inexorable destiny. It is an attitude inher-

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quannu u so mettirisi contru si manifesta sutta forma di tragica e firuci rassignazioni davanti u distinu inesorabbili. E’ eredità greca e araba ô stissu tempu. “E’ scrivutu”, si dici, “stava scrivutu”. E’ u distinu di Eschilu, è a forza frrigna di na fatalità senza spiranza o rimediu.A dimustrazioni dâ so dignità –ca è puru a spiritualità siciliana—sta ntô cumpurtamentu di Padron Ntoni ntê Malavoglia di Verga. Iddu è ddà contru u distinu, acchiappatu a so barca –A Pruvvidenza—già vutata a timpesta chiù forti dû mari e dâ terra, chiantatu ddà mentri tuttu crolla attornu a iddu. Pò cadiri e cadi, ma iddu non cedi, non dumanna. Chista è chiù chi dignità, è u segnu di nu funnu tragicu di l’esistenza ca esigi rispettu e duna timuri. E’ sicilianità. Si dicifrari u cori d’un omu è difficili ancora chiù difficili è analizzari u cori d’un populu. E specialmenti si stu populu si porta dappressu na storia ibrida, cu crisciti e caduti, glorii e miserii ca rennunu difficili ogni analisi e sfuiunu di ogni catalugamentu. Niautri Siciliani, misi dâ sorti a fari di cirnera ntê seculi ntra continenti e culturi discordi, mpastati di calculu e istintu, razionalismu europeu e magismu africanu, cunnannati di sempri a sentiri suGiosuè Carducci, Nobel Prize. pra a nostra facci comu l’eroi pirandellianu, u sorprusu di tanti maschiri, tutti attendibili e tutti farsi, veramenti, niautri Siciliani scuraggiamu a cu è è di vuliri cunteniri cu na singola formula a nostra ricca e cuntraddittoria pluralità. Capiri a Sicilia significa p’un sicilianu capiri a iddu stissu Pirandellu dissi ca ogni sicilianu è na isula. Voli diri definiri u dissidiu funnamentali ca nni travagghia, l’oscillazioni ntra a claustrofobia e claustrofilia, ntra odiu e amuri di clausura, ntra a tintazioni di spatriari e a lusinga di l’intimità di na casa. L’insularità, vogghiu diri, nun è sulu na sigrigazioni giografica, ma si nni tira dappressu autri, chidda dâ pruvincia, dâ famigghia, dû propriiu cori. U pessimismu isulanu di ccà nesci, u pessimismu dâ ragiuni ca si accumpagna cû pessimismu dâ vuluntà. A nostra ragiuni, evidentementi, nun è a ragiuni di Cartesiu. A nostra è chidda di Gorgia, di Empeducli, di Pirandellu, nta l’artalena tra mitu e sofisma, Arba Sicula XXIX

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ited from the Greeks and from the Arabs too: “It’s written,” they say, “It was written”. It’s the fate of Aeschylus, it is the iron force of a fatality without remedy and hope. The demonstration of his dignity—a Sicilian spirituality— lies with the behavior of Padron Ntoni in the Malavoglia by Verga: he stands there against his destiny and without hope holding on to his boat “La Provvidenza” in the throes of the fiercest storm stronger than sea and earth and everything around him is crumbling, he can fall and he does, but he does not give up, and he does not ask anything. This is more than dignity: it is the mark of a tragic foundation of existence that demands reSalvatore Quasimodo, Nobel Prize 1959. spect and creates fear. It’s sicilianity. If deciphering the heart of a man is difficult, imagine how much more difficult it is to analyze a people. Especially if that people carry inside a hybrid history made of growths and failures, glories and miseries that make every analysis difficult and refuse all forms of classifications. Placed by fate to be for centuries a point of contact between different continents and different cultures, kneaded with calculation and instinct, between European rationalism and African magic, condemned since always to feel on our faces the insult of many Pirandellian masks, all of which are false and dependable at the same time, we Sicilians truly discourage anyone who wants to enclose in a single formula our rich and contradictory plurality. For a Sicilian, understanding Sicily means understanding himself. Pirandello stated that every Sicilian is an island. It means to define the fundamental contrast that kneads us, the oscillation between claustrophobia and claustrophilia, between the temptation to expatriate and the gratifying intimacy of a home. I mean that insularity is not only a geographic segregation but it carries other forms with it: the one of the province, of the home and of

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sempri in bilicu ntra calculu e pazzia, sempri pronta a cunfruntarisi cû so cuntrariu, a ribaltarisi supra a se stissa, comu accadi cu na immagini ca si rovescia nta l’ironia di nu specchiu. E chistu pò valiri pâ Sicilia di ajeri e di oggi, ma mi dumannu ô stissu tempu, e chidda di dumani? Un dumani darreri la porta ca già viu surridiri supra i faci dî giuvini, e vibrari ntê so gesti. ô latu di na Sicilia immobili o almenu ca pari immobili, ci nn’è nautra summersa ca si movi e si alluntana ogni jornu di chiù dî mudelli culturali dî nostri patri. Pi sentiri e capiri a sicilianità bisogna seguiri pi forza u cantu dî Mario Gori pueti picchì è â sensibilità dî pueti ca ci la trasmetti e ca ci porta dintra d’idda. Giovanni Pascoli, u granni e dilicatu pueta ca soggiornau n Sicilia pir aviri nsignatu pi diversi anni a l’università di Missina e ca canusceva beni a nostra isula, la chiamau, “L’isula dî pueti”. Pindaru, Lucreziu, Virgiliu, Ovidiu cantarunu u fascinu e i biddizzi dâ nostra isula. Danti Alighieri parrau varii voti dâ biddizza dâ Sicilia. Giosuè Carducci ntâ secunna dî so Primaveri Ellenichi innalzau un innu â Sicilia. E u granni grecista rumanu, Etturi Romagnnoli, estasiatu dî biddizzi dâ Sicilia, lanciau u so gridu entusiastu ntô dramma “U carru di Diònisu.” Tutti i posti da Sicilia hannu ispiratu i pueti e naturalmenti i pueti siciliani. L’illustri pueta mudicanu Salvatore Quasimodu, premiu Nobel pâ littiratura ntô 1959, cantau a so isula nta tanti mirabbili lirichi: “Strada ad Agrigentu,” Al Padre”,’ “lamento per il Sud”, e dda bedda odi “Vento a Tindari.” Giovanni Verga, capuscola dû Verismu è u scritturi chiù rapprisentativu di l’anima siciliana. Ntê so romanzi e novelli si trovanu puru pagini di veru lirismu. C’è un branu pocu canusciutu pubblicatu in “Arcadia di Carità”, un numiru unicu scrivutu pi benificiari i vittimi di na china ntô venetu ntô 1883. Nta stu branu ntitulatu “Passato” u scritturi catanisi ca si truvava ntô Nord fa riviviri u paisaggiu ca si agita ntô so cori ricurdannusi di la so terra unni passau a so carusanza serena, facennu vibrari magistralmenti i cordi dî sintimenti ammucciati.

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the heart. The islanders’ pessimism derives from this. It is a form of pessimism of reason accompanied by pessimism of the will. Ours, apparently, is not a form of Descartian reason. Ours belongs to Gorgia, to Empedocles and Pirandello. Ever on the seesaw between myth and sophism, between calculation and madness, ever ready to confront its contrary and overturn itself, in the same way in which an image that is reflected overturned through the irony of a mirror. Let that Giovanni Verga suffice for the Sicily of yesterday and today, but what about tomorrow’s? The tomorrow that is lying outside the door that I see already in the smiling faces and in the gestures of young people. Next to an unmoving Sicily or one that seems so, there is another more or less submerged that is moving slowly away from the cultural models of our fathers. To hear and understand sicilianity we must follows the song of the poets because their sensibility transmits it, carrying us inside of it. Giovanni Pascoli, the great and delicate poet who lived in Sicily because he taught at the University of Messina for many years and who knew our island well, called Sicily “the Island of Poets” in one of his poems. Pindar, Lucretius, Virgil and Ovid sang of the fascination and the beauties of the island. Dante Alighieri spoke several times of the beauty of Sicily. Giosuè Carducci in the second of his Primavere Elleniche, raised a hymn to our island. And the great Greek scholar from Rome, Ettore Romagnoli, wrote an enthusiastic accolade in his play Il Carro di Diòniso. All the localities of Sicily have inspired poets and naturally also Sicilian poets. The illustrious poet from Modica, Salvatore Quasimodo, Nobel Prize winner for literature in 1959, sang about his island in many impressive poems: “Strada ad Agrigento,” Al Padre,”’ “Lamento per il Sud,” and that wondrous ode “Vento a Tindari.” Giovanni Verga, the leading Verismo writer, was the most important representative of the Sicilian soul. In his novels and short stories you can find 77

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Giuseppe Villaroel, u Bellini dâ lirica siciliana. D’iddu ammiru “terra del sole”, ma amu ricurdari chiossai “Aria della mia terra”, na lirica veramenti ispirata unni u pueta catanisi cogghi i mumenti chiù genuini dâ vita di nu paiseddu etneu. C’è poi nautru pueta ca mi è assai caru ca havi u cori chinu d’amuri struggenti, un cori ca si firmau troppu prestu sfortunatamenti: Mario Gori, (pseudonimu di Mario De Pasquale) na granni vuci dû nostru seculu. Mi piaci di ricurdari dî so numirusi lirichi chidda ntitulata “Sicilia” ca è n’omaggiu splendidu a so terra. Infini non pozzu finiri sta brevi rassegna senza ricurdari “Siciliana” di Giovanni Alfredo Cesareo, “Ricordo di Sicilia” di Adriano Ceri, “Canto d’amore per la Sicilia” di Rolando Certa e “A la Sicilia mia” di Francesco Guglielmino. Tanti e tanti autri hannu circatu ntê so versi di definiri chiddu ca è u spiritu dî Siciliani. Ognunu d’iddi scopri quacchi cosa di novu, illumina n’aspettu dû carattiri sicilianu e tutti hannu ragiuni e tutti hannu tortu picchì i Siciliani hannu u cori a cipudda ca cu ogni fogghia rivela nautru aspettu e finora a dda cipudda nuddu ha pututu livaricci tutti i so fogghi.

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moments of high lyricism. There is an excerpt that is little known, published in Arcadia di Carità, a single issue of a publication for the benefit of the victims of a flood in the Veneto region in 1883. In this excerpt entitled “Passato” (Past) the writer from Catania who was living in the North at the time, brings to life the Sicilian countryside where he spent his serene childhood that resides in his memory, making the secret chords of the heart vibrate with hidden feelings. Of Giuseppe Villaroel, the Bellini of Sicilian poetry, I admire “Terra del sole,” but I love to recall “Aria della mia terra,” a truly inspired poem in which the Catanese poet captures the most genuine aspects of the life in a little town around Mt. Etna. I want to recall also a poet so dear to me, whose heart was full of love which ceased to beat too soon: Mario Gori, a pseudonym of Mario De Pasquale from Niscemi. His was truly one of the great poetic voices of our century. I’d like to recall one of his many poems, “Sicilia” which is a splendid homage to his land. Let me not forget the poems “Siciliana” by Giovanni Alfred Cesareo, “Ricordo di Sicilia” by Adriano Ceri, “Canto d’amore per la Sicilia” by Rolando Certa and “A la Sicilia mia” by Francesco Guglielmino. Many poets have attempted to define what is the spirit of the Sicilians. Each one of them has discovered something new, he has illumined an aspect of the Sicilian character and everyone is right and wrong at the same time because Sicilians have a heart that’s like an onion and every peel reveals a different aspect. Until now nobody has been able to peel off all the leaves of the onion.

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A Granni Flotta Bianca sarva i vittimi du tirrimotu di Missina Salvatore J. LaGumina Nto 1907 u Prisidenti Theodore Roosevelt mannau 16 navi di guerra a cirumnavigari u munnu pi na missioni di paci. Quannu un tirrimotu divastanti sicutatu di nu marimotu culperunu a Sicilia e l’Italia miridiunali versu a fini du 1908, a missioni da flotta cangiau drammaticamenti. I navi da Granni Flotta Bianca curreru nto Miditirraniu pi succorriri cu aiuti umanitari essenziali e pi aiutari l’Italia unni si stima ca 200,000 pirsuni avianu persu a vita.

A domu di Missina completamenti distruttu.

La mostra fu organizzata di la Columbus Foundation e faceva parti di celebrazioni annuali ca rapprisenta a chiu’ granni celebrazioni da cultura Italiana e Italu-Miricana nto munnu, ca culmina ca parata du jornu di Colombo supra a Quinta Avenue u 13 di ottobri. Organizzata pu centenariu du disastru naturali ca causau tanti danni, A “Granni Flotta Bianca” documenta i sforzi fatti di l’Italiani e di surdati miricani pi aiutari li vittimi du tirrimotu facennu parti di unu di li chiu’ mpunenti sforzi di aiutari l’umanita’ suffirenti. Nte matinati du 28 dicembri du 1908, precisamente e 5:21 u Strittu di Missina fu attravirsatu d’un tirrimotu ntra Scilla e Cariddi ca pruvucau unu di chiu’ granni disastri da storia du nostru paisi. Nta na para di secunni un tirrimotu Arba Sicula XXIX

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Great White Fleet rescuing Italian earthquake victims. Salvatore J. LaGumina In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt sent 16 battleships to circumnavigate the globe on a goodwill mission. When a devastating earthquake followed by a tidal wave hit Sicily and southern Italy in late 1908, the fleet’s mission changed dramatically. Ships from America’s Great White Fleet rushed to Sperry’s Great White Battleship Fleet, consisting of sixteen battleships and additional auxiliary and support vessels manned by over 14,000 sailors, then in the Mediterranean and nearing the end of its round-the-world cruise, was an active participant in the relief effort

the Mediterranean to provide essential humanitarian aid and services to Italy, where an estimated 200,000 people had perished. The exhibition was part of the annual Columbus Celebration, the largest celebration of Italian and Italian-American culture in the world, which culminated with the Columbus Day Parade on Fifth Avenue on October 13 and was organized by the Columbus Citizens Foundation. Held in the centenary year of the natural disasters that wrought untold damage, “The Great White Fleet” documented the heroic efforts of Italians and American servicemen who came together in one of the greatest humanitarian efforts in European history. 81

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e un marimotu daccussi viulenti ca nun s’avianu mai riggistratu prima s’abbatteru supra i costi di li du regioni, a Calabria e Sicilia, e supra i du citta’ opposti, Reggiu Calabria e Missina. Centu anni dopu, Gens Italica, ca organizzau sta mostra in collaborazioni ca Columbus Foundation, voli ricurdari stu mumentu drammaticu da nostra storia circannu di investigari i differenti aspetti di l’eventu, l’assistenza intirnazionali e li currenti di emigrazioni ca nascerunu a causa di sta nova e chiu’ prufunna miseria. Oltri a la mostra a New York foru organizzati autri eventi comu na missa sulenni celebrata nta Cattidrali di San Patriziu e a prisintazioni di un novu libru di Salvatore J. Lagumina supra u tirrimotu, intitulatu: THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE: AMERICA COMES TO MESSINA’S RESCUE, Teneo Press, October, 2008. Ncludemu na para di fotografii da tragedia.

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On the morning of December 28, 1908, at 5:21, Messina Strait, a tremor passed between Scylla and Charybdis, thus provoking one of the biggest natural calamities in our country’s history. In a few seconds, an earthquake and a seaquake of unprecedented violence destroyed the Strait’s shores of two regions, Calabria and Sicily, and the two opposite cities, Reggio Calabria and Messina. 100 years later, Gens Italica wants to remember this dramatic moment of Italian history by investigating the different aspects connected to the event, the international assistance and the migratory streams due to a new and deeper poverty. In addition to the exhibition which was held in the Grand Central Terminal from October 13 to the 19th, a solemn mass was celebrated at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral on Monday, October 13, 2008. and a new book on the subject was presented by Salvatore J. LaGumina, THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE: AMERICA COMES TO MESSINA’S RESCUE, Teneo Press, October, 2008. We include a few rare photos of the tragedy:

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Mario Gori, na vuci mpurtanti dâ puisia siciliana Gaetano Cipolla Sicilia è daveru “l’sula dâ puisia” comu dissi Giovanni Pascoli. Nautra frasi pupulari ca suttulinia stu cuncettu è n’antica tiritera ca dici “cu voli puisia vegna n Sicilia ca teni la bannera dâ vittoria”. Chiaramenti c’è tanta genti ntâ Sicilia ca joca câ puisia, comu testimonia u fattu ca quasi in ogni paisi c’è n’associazioni di pueti ca si riunisciunu pi recitari puisii e ca si cunsiddiranu “pueti” Mancu a dirlu non tutti putisssiru passari l’esami dû tempu o di quacchi criticu esigenti. Avennu dittu chistu, non pozzu non essiri d’accordu cu Pascoli ca a Sicilia ha prodottu assai pueti ntô passatu e continua a produciri granni pueti puru oggi. Quacchi vota mi sbalurdisci vidiri quanti pueti di gran valuri a Sicilia ha prodottu nta l’urtimi centu anni. E Arba Sicula ca ricivi ogni annu assai libbra di puisia havi difficurtà a tinirisi nfurmata di chiddu ca veni pubblicatu nta scena puetica di l’isula. I vuci puetichi ca dumannanu di essiri ascutati sunu assai e Arba Sicula dicidiu di seleziunari na vuci pi ogni numiru ca merita di essiri canusciuta di stu latu di l’Atlanticu. Ovviamenti sarà difficili inchiri i lacuni ma almenu i cchiù granni pueti dû nostru tempu e dû passatu truvirannu spaziu ntâ nostra rivista. Nta stu numiru uffremu na brevi antologia puetica di Mario Gori, un pueta ca nasciu a Niscemi u 16 di sittembri dû 1926 e muriu ntô 1970. Si chiamava veramenti Mario De Pasquale e fu pueta rinumatu, giurnalista, diritturi e funnaturi di rivisti littirarii ntra autri misteri. Io canuscia na para dî so puisii senza sapiri ca eranu i so. Nta nu CD dî Canterini di Ortigia, u me amicu Salvu Bottari, recita du ottavi pi introduciri i canzuni dû gruppu. I puisii mi parevanu beddi e lapidari e mi dumannava di unni l’avia pigghiatu e cu l’avia scrittu. Û scupriu ricentementi ntôn libru ca riciviu duranti u viaggiu di Arba Sicula n Sicilia. Una di l’ottavi cuminciava accussì “”Lu me sangu, signuri, è pupulanu/ e lu me cori nun ci nn’ha patruni...” ca includiu nta st’antologia. L’autra è “Cummà, chi ssiti bedda stamatina...”. Mentri liggia sti puisia ntô libru ntitulatu Ogni jornu ca passa ogni jornu ca veni, mi vinni di ricanusciri ca canusceva na para di autri puisia senza avirli mai assuciati cu l’auturi. Si chiamava Mario Gori e chiaramenti a so puisia havi dda stissa qualità di chidda di Antoniu Venezianu, na qualità ca da â puisia na certa indipinnenza quasi fussi na criazioni naturali. Fici na selezioni di puisia di Gori cu l’idea di introducirlu ê nostri litturi. Ntê numira futuri prisintamu a autri pueti ca brillanu ntô vastu panurama dâ puisia siciliana.

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Mario Gori, an Important Voice of Sicilian Poetry Gaetano Cipolla icily is indeed the “island of poetry” as Giovanni Pascoli called her. Another popular phrase that underlines this concept is an older ditty that goes like “cu voli puisia vegna in Sicilia ca teni la bannera dâ vittoria.” Clearly many people in Sicily dabble in poetry, as can be testified by the fact that almost every town has its own gathering of poets who recite their creation to each other and claim the title of “pueta”. Needless to say not all of them would stand the test of time or of a demanding critic. This said, I have to agree with Pascoli that Sicily has produced and continues to produce great poets. I am amazed sometime by how many good poets Sicily has produced in the last one hundred years and Arba Sicula which receives a great number of books of poetry a year has difficulty in keeping up with the production and keeping abreast of the poetry scene on the island. Many excellent new voices and many old voices clamor to be heard and Arba Sicula has decided to select one voice that deserves to be heard on this side of the Atlantic per issue. We obviously will not keep pace with the stream of poetry that is sent to us, but we will at least identify the major lacunae that have not been published in our magazine. In this issue we are featuring a small anthology of the poet Mario Gori who was born on September 16, 1926 in Niscemi and died there in 1970. His real name was Mario De Pasquale and he was a very highly regarded poet, journalist, editor of a literary journal and a writer among other things. I knew some of his poems without knowing that they were his poems. In a CD by I Canterini di Ortigia, my friend Salvo Bottari, recites two of his short poems as a way of introducing the next song. I found the poems striking and lapidary and I was always puzzled as to their authorship. I discovered it recently from a book that was given to me during the last tour of Arba Sicula. One of the octaves is the one that begins with “Lu me sangu, signuri, è pupulanu / e lu me curi non ci nn’ha patruni…” that is included in this anthology. The other is “cummà, chi ssiti bedda stamatina”. As I read the poems in the book, entitled Ogni jornu ca passa ogni jornu ca veni, I realized that I had heard a number of other poems without ever making the connection with the author. His name was Mario Gori and clearly his poetry has that same quality that AntonioVeneziano had, that is, a quality that lets the poem stand on its own, almost as a natural thing, a creation without a creator. I have selected a few of Gori’s poems as a way of introducing him to our readers. In future issues we will select other poets who shine in the vast panorama of Sicilian poetry.

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Carusi Un tempu nni li siri di la stati ccu li carusi ppi li cantuneri Si iucava a presu e a li carrabbineri o a diri cunta a rocculu ssittati. E li caliddi ppi li casi casi manciavanu ncugnati a li buffetti, me nannu si faciva lu trissetti e nautri erimu comu li bastasi. Davanti la putia di Cardallanu banniavumu e currevumu filici, facevamu cantari po’ a Luvici e tiravamu petri nni lu chianu. “Passa passa taddarita ccu na coppula di sita e la sita è fatta d’oru passa passa lu ghialoru” Oh tutti la cantavamu la sira sta vecchia canzunedda di carusi Taliavamu li stiddi luminusi ccu li facciuzzi bianchi comu cira. E facivamu tanti pinsamenti: “lu celi è di biscottu,- nti dda stidda ca pari tunna comu na rusidda cci sunu li ncantisimi viventi”. Oh, cchi discursa, eppuri ni pariva tanta tristi la vita di sett’anni e vulevumu crisciri cchiù granni ppi aviri na cavadda ca fuiva ... Ora la sira scinni e ppi lu chianu li riavuli d’un tempu nun ci sunu, sulu di tutti vuatri ci nn’è unu, Arba Sicula XXIX

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Children Once upon a time in summer evenings together with the boys we used to play games of delinquents caught and of police Or to tell stories sitting in a circle. And the wheat harvesters inside the house would eat all huddling near the dinner table. My grandfather played his game of cards and we as children acted as young rascals. In front of Cardallanu’s shop we used to scream and run around with glee and then we’d ask Luvici for a song as we hurled rocks inside the little square. “Come, now come, you little bat with your lovely silken hat but the silk is made of gold come, now come you jug of old.” Oh, how we used to sing there every night this sweet, old children nursery rhyme We gazed then at the luminescent stars and with our faces white as wax many a thought we would then entertain: “The sky is made of biscuits,—in a star that seems to be round like a little rose there are enchantments living there. Oh what discussions but it seemed to us that life at seven years of age was sad and we just could not wait to grow up fast so as to have a horse that ran with speed… Now when night falls there are no devils lurking inside the square as they did long ago. Children, of all of you just one remains 87

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carusi, ca fa ancora lu baccanu. lu, ca tornu ccu la fantasia ccu Cicciu, ccu Vicenzu Mpilicanu davanti la putia di Cardallanu versu li tocchi di l’ Avimaria. E dda ssittatu supra lu scaluni iu cantu sulu ppi li taddariti e vi riviu currennu ca vi nn’iti a mucciarivi dintra un purtuni. (12.4.1945)

Chiddu ca mi piaci Mi piaciunu li strati di campagna versu l’autunnu ccu li fogghi morti, la negghia fitta supra la muntagna la vuci di lu ventu quannu è forti. Mi piaci l’ura ca lu cori è mpena lu suli ca tramunta a la marina, la notti quannu e tacita e sirena e quannu chiovi, l’acqua di la china. Mi piaciunu li veli na lu mari e li canzuni di li carritteri li pagghialori di li quartarari, l’alivi ca fanu umbra a li trazzeri. E li cicali na la vispirata li rinnineddi di la primavera li vacchi versu sira a la muntata e la lucerna di la cantunera. Mi piaciunu li pecuri a la chiana e la nivi ca mbianca li pinnini, na priera di vecchi e na campana Arba Sicula XXIX

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who still makes quite a racket in the square. I who return in my imagination with Cicciu and Vicenzu Mpilicanu in front of Cardallanu’s shop when I hear the bells of the Ave Maria. And sitting there upon one of the steps I sing alone the rhyme for bats and I see you as you begin to run away to hide behind somebody’s doorway. (4/12/1945)

The Things I like I like the country roads toward the autumn when the leaves are dead, the dense fogs hovering on the mountain, the voice of the wind when it is strong. I like the hour when the soul is suffering the sun when it sets down above the sea, the Night when it is tranquil and serene, and when it rains, the water of the floods. I like the sails that fly out on the sea I like the sing song of the carters, the hay huts of the terracotta workers, the olive trees that shade the country paths. And the cicadas at the ebbing of the day, the little swallows that come in the spring, the cows as night falls on the mountains, and the oil lamp that sits there in the corner. I like the sheep roaming in the plain and the snow whitening the mountain slopes, a prayer of old people and a bell, 89

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e li nuvula russi e cinnirini. Na rosa ca s’ammacia e si spampana comu na giuvinazza strasciuruta un ricordu ca veni e s’alluntana e na carusa ca mi varda muta Comu si avissi nu disiu d’amuri Dintra li vavareddi risulenti Supra li labbra russi comu un ciuri Ca vasassuru sempri eternamente. E tu mi piaci, tu ca m’ami tantu e mi conforti sta malincunia e mi veni ridennu ad ogni cantu ccu lu to sguardu chinu di malia.

Amarizza “Iamu ch’è notti e llongu e lu caminu” mi dissi ugn iornu un vecchiu marinaiu, “Iamu, lu celi nun è tantu chiaru e nni duvemu dari a lu distinu”. La vita mia accussi! Passannu l’uri e vaiu circannu ccu li me pinseri tutti li strati e tutti li trazzeri e viu ca tuttu nfacci mi si chiuri. Dumani ... ed ora? ... E sempri na canzuna, sempri un pirchì ca cercu di sfatari, ma sentu lu me sonnu rruvinari e portu ccu li spini la me cruna. (1944)

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and the red and ash-blue clouds in the sky. A rose that’s fading, losing all its petals, like a young woman who has lost her bloom, a memory that comes and goes away and a young girl who looks at me in silence as though she had a wistful need of love inside her laughing twinkling eyes, and on her lips red like a flower that keep on kissing me for all eternity. And I like you who love me so and give relief to this my melancholy and come toward me laughing at every song with that seductive, charming glance of yours.

Bitterness “Let’s go, for it’s night and our journey’s long” an aged sailor said to me one day. “Let’s go, the sky is not too clear this morning and we must give ourselves to destiny.” My life has been like this! Passing the hours and I go seeking with my every thought all of the roads and all the pathways and I see how all things close in my face. Tomorrow… and now? It’s always the same song, the same old whys I try to reconcile but I feel how my sleep’s about to end and so I bear my crown of thorns.

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Ogni iornu ca veni Ogni iornu ca veni è na spiranza, na fudda di pinseri a brigghia sciota, na sdunata d’amuri, na spittanza di miraculu granni e ccu na nota cantata a pettu chinu si llarìa lu celu dintra l’anima allazzata ccu li nninnagghi di la magaria c’a li sensi ni duna la fuchiata . E’ la festa d’un sonnu, un suspirari ccu lu cori a li labbra e ccu li vini unchi di meli, un foddi disiari la cota di na rosa senza spini. E mentri l’occhiu cca lampia d’amuri Si va tissennu ccu la fantasia mparadisu di beni, lu duluri mutu n’amara lacrima cuvia. (1956)

Ottave Lu me sangu, signuri, è pupulanu e lu me cori nun ci n’ha patruni, me nannu ppi sapillu era viddanu ma nun si scappillò ccu certarcuni, la fami la cugghieva ccu li manu ma nun ci tuppuliò na li purtuni, di la me razza iu nun sugnu stranu e ccu nuddu mi mettu a nginucchiuni. * Sugnu lu mastraiocu di l’amuri iu ccu li donni ci la sacciu fari ca di li donni fui la ntantaturi ca ccu li ntanti li vinni a ntantari. Iu di li donni sacciu lu valuri, Arba Sicula XXIX

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Each Day that Comes Each day that comes brings hope with it a crowd of thoughts running without a bridle a love denied, and an awaiting for an awesome miracle and with a note that’s sung with a full chest the sky widens inside the soul entwined with the liens spun through some magic spell that set on fire that set on fire all our senses. It’s the feast of a dream, a sigh with your poor heart on your lips and with your veins replete with honey a mad desire for a rose that has no thorns and while the eye is beaming full of love a paradise of happiness is spun with our imagination and the silent woe is nurturing a bitter tear.

Octaves People, the blood that flows inside my veins is of peasant stock and my heart has no masters. And so you know, my grandpa was a farmer, but he did not remove his cap for anyone. He went collecting hunger with his hands but he did not go knocking door to door. I am not different from my kind at all and I will never kneel before a man I am the master in the game of love, with women I know how to get my way for I was the first tempter of all women who came to tempt them with my wily ways. I know the mettle and the worth of women 93

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ma sacciu puru quantu sunu amari, la donna è petra ed iu lu pirriaturi, la donna è barca ed iu sugnu lu mari. Fimmini beddi cci ni sunu assai ma beddi cchiù di vui nun ci ni su’, labbra chini di meli ni vasai ma na li vostri ni truvai di cchiù, occhi ncantati nun ni visti mai comu st’ucchiuzzi ca ci aviti vu’, amuri forti cci ni sunu assai comu lu miu però nun ci ni su’. Stamatina li groi a filarera vitti vulari ncelu di bon’ura, la vecchia ch’è dda sutta a la pitrera ch’è bona ppi nsirtari la vintura, mi dissi: “Figghiu, malu signu mpera si li vidisti tu spetta svintura”. Si chiddu ca mi dissi è cosa vera vol diri ca si tu la traditura.

Favuli E menzanotti. La cunsinna sona. Lampia dda nfunnu supra San Miceli e pari ca si spaccanu li celi ccu la riutura ngurda di li trona. Tutti li porti sunu nfirrittati lu ventu rufulia, na lu catusu di la Pititta un cani lammicusu abbaia ad ogni scrusciu di pidati. Lu stissu abbaiu di tanti anni arreri quannu attornu a lu vecchiu fuculari me nannu si minteva a raccuntari li cunta di li fati e li guirreri.

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But I know too how bitter they can be. Woman’s a stone and I am the stonecutter A woman is a boat and I’am the sea. Many a woman live upon this earth but there’s no one more beautiful than you. I have kissed many lips replete with honey but on your lips I found much more. I have not ever seen eyes so enchanting as those sweet and bright eyes of yours. Strong loves are not too hard to find but love as strong as mine does not exist. Early this morning I saw a long line of cranes that were flying in the sky, the old woman who lives below the quarry who is quite good at telling fortune said to me “Son, an evil omen reigns. If you saw it, you can expect misfortune.” If what she said to me is really true it means that you are going to betray me.

Fables It is midnight. The hour for changing sounds. Down there above Saint Miceli lightning strikes And looks as though the sky is bursting up with the insistent and loud thunderclap. All doors are under lock and bolt the wind is whistling, in the courtyard of Pititta a pitiable old dog is barking at every little sound of steps he hears. The same barking of many years ago when sitting round the ancient fireplace my grandpa started to relate old tales of fairies and of knights in shining armor.

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Lu stissu ventu tristi rufulia derra li porti e pari vogghia diri li favuli scurdati di ddi siri quannu ccu l’occhi di la fantasia curreva appressu a un principi c’avia un ermu ccu lu giummu svulazzanti e na spata ncantata di domanti ca puru na la notti stralucia. Quannu lu sonnu mi facia vulari a brigghia sciota ppi mari e ppi munti supra ncavaddu ccu na stidda nfrunti ca ntra un casteddu mi vinia a lassari, ncasteddu d’oru spersu na li celi unna lu suli nun cuddava mai picchi dda dintra ccu l’ucchiuzzi gai ridia la bedda di li setti veli. E dduci mi paria la vita tannu ca pussidiva un munnu nta lu cori, un munnu di ncantisimi e trisori na la vecchia casuzza di me nannu. Na casuzza scurusa, na lumera ca fumuliava supra la tannura, ugn iattu ca runfava e mura mura li panara appinnuti a filarera, na cona ccu na lampa vigilanti e li cruci di parma strasiccati, li figureddi vecchi appiccicati sutta la bulla di li lochi santi, na rivulata china di gistuni, un barcuneddu na la trammuntana ccu li grasti di menta e maiurana. di basilicu e di vucchi di liuni,

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The same sad wind is whistling out the doors and it seems that it’s trying to relate the fables of those nights that we forgot when with the eyes of my imagination I used to run to follow behind a prince who had a shield with a flying pennant and an enchanted sword of diamonds that shone most brightly even in the dark. When dreams allowed me to fly high and without a bridle over the sea and over mountains too, riding a horse that had a star upon its forehead who flew me to a golden castle in the sky in which the sun would never set because inside its walls there smiled the happy eyes of the fair lady of the seven veils. And life seemed sweet to me then for I possessed a whole world in my heart a world of treasures and enchantments inside the little house of my grandfather. It was a dark house with a lamp that smoked above the fireplace, a cat that purred and baskets hanging all along the walls. A little statue with an ever present lamp and crosses of palm leaves dried up, with little images stuck to the wall under the mark of the sacred places. . The storage above the door of baskets full, a little balcony that faced the north with pots of mint and marjoram and basel plants and with soome Lions’ mouths

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un ferru di cavaddu na la porta ppi lu scungiuru di la magaria, li cuddureddi di Santa Lucia è un San Libratu ccu la facci storta. La nanna ccu lu sciallu nta na gnuni li posti di rusariu si dicia e prigannu prigannu cci cadia a testa na lu pettu a pinnuluni. Fora luntanu ppi li cantuneri nzulu u cucchiu cantava e a lu stratuni sunannu si pirdia ncannalarruni ca ntesta mi mintia tanti pinseri. Po’ la campana di la men zanotti ccu la cunsinna mi facia cantari, me nannu mi dicia: “Senza parrari, zittu ca fora cc’è Cantalanotti”. E po’ tuttu finiva e s’astutava la lumera di l’angulu e lu ventu fora si trascinava lu lamentu di quarchi spirdu ca si crucifiava. Ma la vita c’acchiana li scaluna di lu tempu facennuni accucchiari na lu libru di l’arma l’uri amari signati di na cruci di nguttuna, la vita ca ni fa l’occhi scuntenti e ni cancia li sceni luminusi strazzannuni li sonna di carusi ppi nun farini cridiri cchiù a nenti, ddu paradisu mi lu cancillò e la favula prestu si finiu, la fata nchiusi l’occhi e si durmiu, lu principi si persi e non turnò.

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A horse shoe at the door to guard against the evil eye and magi spells the little sweets made for Saint Lucy’s day and Saint Libratu with a crooked face. My grandmother with a shawl upon her back saying her rosary in the corner and as she prayed her head would droop upon her chest from time to time Outside and far away along the corners only the owl sang and in the road the sound of the Jew’s harp was fading putting inside my head many a thought. The midnight bell then would begin to peel marking the passing time and made me sing, my grandpa then would say: “Don’t make a sound. Be quiet for the Boogey man’s outside.” Then everything would end and the oil lamp faded away, while the wind outside carried the woes of some poor soul who crucified himself. But life that’s climbing up the steps of time that made us gather in the book of the soul the most embittered hours, marked by a cross made of sorrows life that paints sadness in our eyes, changing the luminescent scenes to darker hues, tearing apart our children’s dreams, so we do not believe in anything any more, finally erased that paradise for me and the good fable quickly ended then, the fairy closed her eyes and fell asleep the prince got lost and never did return.

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L’ultima littra Cchi fai, cchi pensi, unna ti trovi, amuri? Ni persimu accussi comu ddu strani e avemu ancora tanti cosi nsemi, tu li me sonna ed iu li sonna toi, tu lu me cori ed iu lu cori to. Oh ddu tempu filici ca faceva dduci li sonna e forti lu disiu, comu prestu passo ddu tempu anticu spartennuni li mani e lu distinu! M’amasti ed iu t’amai comu nissunu ti po cchiù amari ccu li sensi foddi di li vint’anni mei squeti e amurusi, m’amasti ed iu t’amai sulu pinseru di li me notti, vampa di stu cori c’addumava ppi ttia, palumma ianca di li me celi ed ora ca la vita luntana ti purto ppi n’autra via comu disertu e ormai lu me caminu chinu d’umbri , di ielu e di scunforti. Bona fortuna ppi li iorna toi E tutta biniditta unn’è ca vai, c’almenu di li ddui pozza tu sula siri filici, la me vita e ormai na tomba ccu la lampa d’un ricordu.

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The Last Letter What are you doing , where are you, Love? We lost each other like two strangers and we still have so much to share: you share my dreams and I share yours you have my heart and I have yours. That happy time that made our sleep so sweet and gave such strength to our desire is gone. How quickly did that ancient time fade out! separating both our hand and our destiny. You loved me and I loved you like no one else could love you, with the madness of the senses of my restless and loving twenty years. You loved me and I loved you as the only thought of my nights, a flame of this my heart that burned for you, white dove of my heaven, and now that life has taken you away on another road, my journey’s like a desert full of shadows, ice, and disappointments. May you have luck in all your days to come and may you be blessed wherever you may go, so that at least just one of us may live in happiness, for my life now is just a tomb with a lamp lit for memory.

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Lu primu focu Disiu ca percia l’anima, un pinseru ca fa dduci li sonna, nu battuliuni di cori a na guardata nsutta nsutta, na frevi di sdilliniu ca cuvia na lu sangu a rivugghiu e ni fa fari la notti iornu e lu iornu a llammicu. Ccussi ti ntisi veniri na sira na li me sensi e un miniculu mi parsi ca mi purtavi mbrazza la spiranza.

Dda notti ... Na notti sula e nun la scordu mai na notti ca fu tutta na fuddia, cchi meli na ssa vucca ca truvai, cchi focu na ssi vini ti vugghia! Dducizza tali nun n’assapurai ccu nudda donna comu fu ccu ttia, mi parsi ca fu un sonnu ca sunnai, un sonnu ca fu forsi magaria. Na notti sula e dopu a lu matinu, all’arba, vinni un trenu e ni spartiu ppi sempri, ognunu ppi lu so caminu. Eritu tristi e tristi era puru iu e tutti ddui pinsannu a lu distinu muti muti ni desimu l’addiu.

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The First Fire Desire that pierces the soul, a thought that makes sleep sweet, a shudder in the heart at a persistent hidden glance, a fever of delusions smoldering inside the hot blood that makes us turn night into day and day into a dripping time. That’s how I heard you coming one night inside my senses and for a moment there I thought you carried hope upon your arms.

That night... Only one night, and I cannot forget it, a night that was with madness wrought, what honey found I in that mouth of yours and oh what fire seethed inside your veins! I never tasted such delight again with any other woman as I did with you. It seemed that me that I was dreaming a dream that maybe was a magic spell. Only one night and after in the morning, at dawn, the train arrived and separated us forever, each one bound to his own journey . You were so sad and sad was I as well and both of us were thinking of our fate and said goodbye without a single word.

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A Simana Santa Di Joe Ruggeri paraguni di lu piriudu nataliziu, u piriudu di Pasqua havi menu prigheri, pricisamenti quattru narrativi e du prigheri curti. Nondimenu, nni fannu capiri com’era a fidi di li nostri avi. C’è na indicazioni nta la narrativa ntitulata “A Madunnuzza quannu nutricava” ca iddu sapia di la so crucifissioni già di la so carusanza. Si cunta ca Gesù ieva nta foresta purtannu supra i spaddi nu truncu di arburu comu eserciziu pi l’arburu ca avia a purtari o Calvariu. D’accussì nta sti narrativi di Natali e Pasqua avemu l’immagini di Cristu suffirenti di la so cuncezioni: u viaggiu difficili di Giuseppi e Maria finu a Betlemmi, u rifiutu pi parti di li parenti di Giuseppi, u friddu suffertu nta la caverna unni nasciu e a fami quacchi vota, i so priparativi nta so carusanza, e alla fini a morti dulurusa supra a cruci. Videmu puru nta sti narrativi na divirgenza di lu Vancelu pi quantu riguarda u rolu di Maria. Nta sti narrativi idda si trova sempri allatu di so fighiu di l’iniziu inveci di appariri tuttu nta na vota a li pedi di la cruci. Idda cerca a so figghiu, comu quannu carusittu iddu avia ristatu nta lu tempiu e dumanna pirdunu pi iddu di li so turmentaturi crudeli, mittennu a so stissa vita a rischiu. A rapprisintazioni di Maria è chiù in linia cu li esperienzi di li matri ca ricitavanu sti prigheri, picchì nissuna matri siciliana avissi ristatu nta so casa a sbrigari i faccenni di casa sapennu ca so figghiu era n piriculu. Nta sti narrativi putemu ossirvari chiaramenti a natura sangunusa di la Passioni di Cristu, ca non fu diffirenti di chidda discritta nto film di Mel Gibson The Passion of Christ. I scritturi di sti narrativi sapevanu ca a Passioni non fu na causa pulita e senza duluri nton tribunali sicutatu di na supra a cruci. Gesù nun sulu muriu supra a cruci pi niautri, iddu suffriu a tortura e tremendu duluri. C’è puru nanticchia di antisemitismu nta sti narrativi in linia cu li viduti ca la Chiesa avia fina a tempi ricenti. Nta sti prigheri chiddi ca fannu suffriri a Gesù nun sunu sulu surdati rumani ma gruppi di giudei. Infini, sti narrativi fannu risartari a putenza di la prighera, specificamenti a putenza di insignari e ricitari a Passioni di Gesù. Tramiti la putenza di sti prigheri, a Passioni non è un eventu passatu ca ricurdamu ogni annu, ma na rialtà di oggi picchì u sangu iccatu di Gesù dumila anni fa esercita ancora a so funzioni di redenzioni. Nta sti narrativi, a putenza di curari non deriva di lu Cristu ca risuscitau ma di lu Cristu crucifissu.

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II.THE HOLY WEEK - A SIMANA SANTA by Joe Ruggeri ompared to the Christmas season, the Easter season contains a small number of prayers, namely, four narratives on the passion and two short pieces. Nonetheless they provide important insights into the faith of our forefathers. There is a hint in the narrative entitled When Mary Was Nursing that Jesus knew from his childhood about his crucifixion. He is depicted as going to the woods and carrying a log on his shoulders as practice for the tree that he was to carry to Calvary. Thus, in these narratives for the Christmas and Easter seasons we have a picture of a suffering Lord from his conception: the hardships of the trip to Bethlehem for Joseph and Mary and their rejection by Joseph’s relatives, the freezing conditions in the cave where he was born, and sometimes hunger, his preparations in his youth, and finally his painful death on the cross. We also notice a departure from the Gospel accounts regarding the role of Mary. In these narratives she is at her son’s side right from the beginning instead of just appearing all of a sudden at the foot of the cross. She searches for her son, as she did when as a child he remained behind in the temple, and pleads for his release with the cruel tormentors even at the risk of putting her own life on the line. This depiction of Mary’s role is more in line with the experiences of the mothers who would be reciting these narratives, for none of those mothers would have stayed at home attending her daily chores, when she knew that her son was in danger. In these narratives we are also treated to a view of the gruesome nature of Jesus’s Passion, not unlike the one depicted in Mel Gibson’s film The Passion of the Christ. The writers of these narratives realized that the Passion did not involve a clean and painless trial and a quick death on the cross, but visualized a long process of cruel torture that culminated in the death on the cross. Jesus did not just die on the cross for us, he suffered torture and excruciating pain. There is also a hint of anti-Semitism in these narratives, in line with the view of the Church which was held until recent times. In these narratives, those who are inflicting the torture are not just Roman soldiers, but mostly bands of Jewish people. Finally, these narratives emphasize the power of prayer, specifically the power of teaching and reciting the passion of Jesus. Through the powers of these prayers, the Passion is not a past event which the faithful recollect annually, but becomes a current reality as the blood spilled by the Lord two thousand years ago exercises its redeeming function. In these narratives, healing power does not come from the Resurrected Christ but from the Crucified Jesus.

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The Word 1.I know the Word and the Word I will recite Of our dear Lord the Word I will proclaim On the cross he died for us, but not in vain For all transgressors to liberate he came. 2. Oh Cross how tall you are and to us good Heaven you reach but earth you penetrate You are made of flesh and not of lowly wood It’s really true that the Word was incarnate. 3. At the fair valley of Geosaphat Old and young came here to congregate When in that large plain they will arrive Like laurel fronds they shiver and they quake. 4. From heaven our Lord will then descend On a small golden chair he will be seated A small book he will be holding in his hand Which he will read and give his own command. 5. Women and men, sinners unrequited The Word, if you know it, you must recite The Word you must learn if you do not know And from a painful death you are spared the blow. 6. The one who calls when the bells are ringing I now take leave so I can go and find him If I don’t find him my wandering I’ll close I stop the search and with my God repose. 7. Word incarnate from heaven you descended In Mary’s womb you landed and had abode You stayed nine months, then had your birth Unblemished Mary virgin had remained. 8. For 33 years in the world you abided To all mothers your full pardon you provided Now pardon me who has become so sad Arba Sicula XXIX

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Lu Verbu 1. Lu verbu sacciu e lu verbu ogghiu diri chistu è lu verbu du nostru Signuri supra ‘na cruci vinistu a muriri pi sabbari li piccaturi. 2. Cruci, quantu si ranni e si binigna ‘un brazzu teni ‘nterra e n’autru in celu cridu chi si fatta di carni e non di lignu si “A verbum caro factum est”. 3. Già a la valle, valle di Giosafat ranni e picciddi iamu a essiri dda quannu arruamu ‘nta dda gran chianura tutti trimaru comu tri fogghi di lavura. 4. Poi dda cala lu nostru Signuri si ssetta supra na siggitta d’oru e tinennu lu libireddu a manu iddu leggi e dici: 5. O piccaturi o Piccatrici tu sai lu verbu picchì non lu dici si non lu sai ti lu fai ‘mparari di mala morti non poi muriri. 6. Cu dici a campanedda sunoi ora mi pattu e vaiu e lu trovu, si non lu trovu, dda mi ‘ttaccu e m’illiu femma la liti e cu Diu mi staiu. 7. Verbu ‘ncarnatu di lu celu scinnistu ‘nata lu ventri di Maria istu e riusastu Stastu novi misi e poi nascistu La Virgini Maria com’era la lassastu. 8. Trentatri anni pi lu munnu istu tutti li matri santi piddunastu ora piddunati a mia chi sugnu tristu 107

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As to all sinners pardon you have given. 9. What can I do, no longer I have respite Wherever I go he spies and then he probes If you know the word why don’t you recite? 10. Who the Word recites three times a day The wages of sin in hell won’t have to pay Who recites it three times every night From a painful death will obtain respite. 11. Who recites it three times in a day Is freed from every evil and woeful way When to the saints three times it is recited Protection from thunder and lightening is provided. 12. Who says it every day at crack of dawn From earthquakes and tremors is condoned Who recounts it three times every night In heaven with Virgin Mary will reside. 13. Who knows the Word and to recite it fails Seven slashes will receive with tar and fire And those who don’t teach it though they could Seven slashes will receive with fire and wood.

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comu l’autri erruri piddunastu. 9. Comu fazzu? Abbentu non aiu! unni vaiu mi spia e mi dici: si sai lu Verbu picchì non lu dici? 10. Cu lu dici tri voti o jornu libiratu iè di peni d’infernu, cu lu dici tri voti a la notti libiratu iè da mala motti. 11. Cu lu dici tri voti a la dia libbiratu iè di ogni mala via, cu lu dici tri voti a li Santi libbiratu iè di trona e di lampi. 12. Cu lu dici in ogni capizzu libbiratu iè di ogni trimizzu cu lu dici tri voti a la sira ‘mparadisu sinni ‘nchiana cu la Vergini Maria. 13. Cu lu sapi e non lu dici setti virgati di focu e di pici, e cu lu senti e non lu ‘nsigna setti virgati di focu e di ligna.

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Holy Prizzita 1. On the floor the holy Prizzita was prostrated For the crucified Lord she was so weeping In one hand she held a torch illuminated And with the other a book she was reading. 2. This mystery, oh Christ, please clarify To me reveal your holy and painful passion The crucified Lord said in reply On Saturday I’ill give the explanation. 3. The pains that he suffered he disclosed The holy passion to Prizzita he narrated When Judas his betrayal had revealed With a slap in the face he was stricken. 4. Prizzita, semiconscious then collapsed Her chest with painful tears was fully drenched Prizzita of the man you are enamored My promises your help now require. 5. Seven punches on his lip he did receive To the garden tied he was conducted One hundred soldiers vigilant remained One hundred times to the ground collapsed. 6. Seven soldiers made their approach With a chain one of them hit the Lord And when his grieving mother did reproach They gave him 65 slaps on his cheek. 7. The night that the Lord was flagellated Three bones from his shoulders separated Then Judas did impart a mortal blow His veins became dry of their blood flow. 8. To Pilate and then to Caifa he was sent A scarlet mantle of fine cloth he wore Then Pilate walked on the terrace floor Arba Sicula XXIX

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Prizzita Santa 1. Prizzita Santa ‘nginucchiuni stava mentri lu Crucifissu chi ciancia e cu na manu la torcia ddumava cu l’otra manu u liburu liggia. 2. Strogghimi, Cristu la ma ‘ntinzioni rivelimi la Santa Passioni, allura u Crucificcu arrispunniu: sabutu, Santa Prizzita parramu. 3. Ci cuntò li peni chi patiu la Santa Passioni rivilau, quannu lu Giuda Marcu lu tradiu un grossu mmuffittuni ci vutau. 4. Prizzita cascò ‘nterra e stramurtiu di lacrimi lu pettu si bagnau, Prizzita si dill’omu ‘nnamurata m’aia iutari a cu beni prumisi. 5. Setti pugna a lu labbru ci hannu datu e finu all’ortu fu ligatu e offisu, centu surdati s’affacciaru a iddu centu voti cascau pi la via. 6. Poi s’avvicinaru sei surdati unu chi lu battia cu na catina, e pi parrari la Matri, mischina iappi secentu e vinti muffuluni. 7. Dda stissa notti chi lu fracillaru tri ossa di li spaddi ci nisceru, Giuda ci tesi ‘na spinta murtali ci hannu assiccatu li verni e li vini. 8. Unni Pilatu e Caifa fu mannatu iavia un mantellu di scarlatu finu, Pilatu s’affacciò di lu barcuni: 111

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Your vengeance has not yet made you content? 9. He is half dead, you now can let him free, Is flagellated and dead he soon will be, A bowl of water was brought to his balcony And Pilate washed his hands thoroughly. 10. The Jewish crowd did no dare retort Still pondering about his condemnation When Jesus into their power did return They quickly resumed his flagellation. 11.To his neck a heavy chain they did attach By hand they pulled out all his hair To mount Calvary he then was cruelly led They followed with loud cries: we want him dead. 12. As he walked in the middle of the road Down he fell under the heavy load One thing to my heart brings great sadness That Mary his sweet mother was a witness. 13. who a sinful life befriended Who knows the holy Prizzita must recite By whom it is not known it must be learned So from the fires of hell may have respite; Those who recite it three times in life In heaven with mother Mary will reside.

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ancora ci nn’aviti a saziari? 9. È menzu mortu, lassatuli iri è fragillatu e non pò cchiù campari un vasu d’acqua si fici viniri e li so mani si vosi lavari. 10. La turba di giudei non usaru diri pinsannu comu u putiunu cunnannari, ma quannu di novu l’ebburu ‘mputiri di novu si minteru a fracillari. 11. ’Na catina a lu coddu ci attaccaru e tutti li capiddi ci spinnaru, poi a munti Calvariu lu ‘nchianaru gridannu a vuci forti: mori, mori. 12. E quannu fu a mmenzu di la strada cascò ‘nterra cu tutta la cruci, ‘na cosa assai mi nni dispiaci chi appressu c’era la so Matri duci. 13. O piccaturi, o piccatrici cu la Prizzita Santa sapi mi la dici, cu non la sapi si la fa ‘nsignari e peni d’inferno non ni patiravi, cu la dici tri voti a la via è ‘mparadisu cu madri Maria. 14. Cu la dici tri voti a la notti è libiratu d’ogni mala morti cu pi quaranta jorna la diravi e cu la dici cu divozioni ci dici un credu a la so morti e passioni.

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Holy Thursday’s Lament 1. As Friday morning was already dawning Our holy mother started on her search On her way with Saint John she had a meeting: Mother of God whomever are you seeking? 2. My beloved son I seek in great despair With him a white lily can’t compare, To the house of Pilate you must go That’s where they hold him as a foe. 3. Knock, knock, who is knocking at the door? Your mother, for you I’m searching in deep pain O mother , your request can’t be fulfilled By Jewish leaders in chains I am detained. 4. Oh son, who have this hair so golden gleaming, Mother, with the pulling there is none remaining Go to the store where nails they can fashion Tell them I need a couple for my Passion. 5. Not too large or heavy they should be For they must go through this holy flesh Not so large or thin they must be made This gentle flesh will have to penetrate. 6. The evil doers responded swiftly Large and pointed the nails have to be, For Mary when these word she heard in fright The sky, earth and the sea gave up their light. 7. Mary heard the words the tramps had spoken Don’t hit so hard, his flesh is soft and gentle Be quiet Mary and stop you lamentation Or we leave Jesus and you will get his ration. 8. My son, from the cross you must descend On earth your life your mother will defend Mother please depart, your blessing give Arba Sicula XXIX

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U Lamentu du Gioviddì Santu 1. Ora briscennu vennardì matina la Matri Santa si misi ‘ncamminu pi strada cìncuntroi San Giuvanni ci dissi: Aunni annati Matri di Diu? 2. Vaiu circannu a lu me caru figghiu chiddu ch’era chiù ghiancu di lu gigghiu, ‘nn’ati unni la casa di Pilatu dda vui u truvati ‘ncatinatu. 3. Tuppi...tuppi, cu è ddocu? sugnu a povira affritta di to Matri o matri, matri, non vi pozzu apriri chi li giudei mi tenunu ‘ncatinatu. 4. O figghiu, figghiu, capidduzzu d’oru mamma, non ’naiu chiù, mi li sciupparu ‘nnati unni lu mastru di li chiova faciticcinni fari un paru pi mia. 5. Non tanti ‘rossi e non tanti pisanti ch’enna passari ‘nta ‘sti carni Santi, non tanti ‘rossi e non tanti sottili ch’enna passari ‘nta sti carni gintili. 6. E rispunneru li malifatturi ‘rossi e spuntati faciticcilli fari, e Maria sintennu stu tirruri scurò lu celu, la terra e lu mari. 7. E Maria sintia li spacciddati non li dati tantu forti chi su carni delicati. zitta, zitta tu Maria lassu a Gesù e pigghiu a tia, 8. O figghiu, scinnitinni di ‘ssa cruci ch’anterra c’è to mamma chi ti difenni, o matri, matri binidicitimi e itibbinni 115

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The cross for my body has been intended. 9. Look at Christ and all his wounds observe By the hands of Jewish people were produced By Judas most of them had been inflicted Who Pharisees and rioters commanded. Tanina Cuccia, Analisi di un deicidio, tempera and egg on wooden plank da

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chi lu me corpu la cruci pritenni. 9. Vardati a Cristu e vardati ddi piaghi chiddi ci l’ennu fattu li giudei, Giuda tirannu ci nni fici assai cumannava la turba e i farisei. Tanina Cuccia, “Acheropita” Ricerca dei confini del sacro,

The illustrations in this section are from I Confini del Sacro, dall’icona all’icona. a show held in the Tabularium of San Bartolomeo, Palermo. The three artists represented were Tanina Cuccia, Josif Droboniku and Nicola Figlia. We thank the authors for sending us the book.

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Mary When She Was Nursing 1. Our Virgin Lady when she was a nursing Our true Messiah she was breast-feeding, On her knees with love he was being dressed He was given milk and by her was blest. 2. When our Lord went out for a hike Over a rocky trail he kept his stride He carried on his shoulders a heavy log The sign of the cross he had to bear. 3. And his sweet mother kept demanding With this piece of wood what are you doing? And Jesus with a heavy sigh retorted On such a wood my soul will be departed. 4. And Mary cried with a painful tone Judas, what do you want from my own? I had a son who in my arms was raised And now on the cross I see him nailed. 5. Mary with a loud scream her grief expressed When her son’s death she had witnessed What am I going to do so broken-hearted When my white lily and rose has departed? 6. The evening all alone I stay at home Without the loved lily who is my son Celestial love, blessing of my soul Without you I remain without console For the love of all sinners everywhere You died on the cross and tortured were. 7. At dawn, at dawn, the bells will be tolling To heaven our Lord Jesus is all calling To your name we make this supplication A Hail Mary and Our Father we recite.

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A Madunnuzza Quannu Nutricava 1. A Madunnuzza quannu nutricava nutricava lu veru Missia, supri li ginuccheddi lu ‘nfasciava latti ci dava e lu binidicia. 2. U Signuruzzu quannu caminava e ‘nta li rocchi rocchi si nni ia un pezzu di lignu ‘coddu si mmuttava, lu segnu di la cruci si facia. 3. E la so dolci Matri ci spiava: ca fari cu ssu lignu rosa mia? iddu rispirannu ci parrava: cca supra spirirà l’anima mia. 4. Maria jittò ‘na vuci e poi dissi: Giuda supra la mia chi pritenni? iavia un figghiu ch’inbraccia lu tinni ora lu vidu alla cruci ch’inpenni. 5. Maria jittò na vuci supra lu scogghiu quannu vitti moriri a so figghiu, dissi: malu pi mia comu farogghiu? persi la rosa e lu biancu gigghiu. 6. A sira sula sula mi ricogghiu senza u gigghiu amatu di me figghiu, figghiu di l’arma mia, cilesti amuri figghiu senza di tia restu scuntenta, e pi l’amuri di li peccaturi muristi ‘ncruci cu tanti turmenti. 7. All’alba, all’alba la campana sona Gesuzzu ‘ncelu a tutti nni chiama, ‘sta orazioni è ditta a nomu vostru vi dicemu un’Ave Maria e un Patri Nostru.

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Dear Lord 1. When in the garden our Lord I came to see I was one of the most cruel Pharisee To nail you on the cross I went to aid In your death with my hands I did partake. 2. Dear Lord, a true effort I never made For my many sins to be redressed Now that to you my sins I have confessed I feel like the men who are now sinless.

Josif Droboniku, Madonna del Buonconsiglio, oil of wooden plank

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Signuruzzu 1. Signuruzzu, quannu all’ortu ti truvaiu iò fu lu primu di li farisei, iò mi mintii a la Cruci a vi ‘nchiuvaiu morti vi desi cu li mani mei. 2. Iò, Signuruzzu, cunfissuri mai circai pi cunfissari li piccati mei, ora Signuri chi mi cunfissai mi sentu comu l’omini chi non hannu offisu mai. Josif Droboniku, Cristo Pantocratore, Oil on wooden plank

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The Tomb 1.Holy tomb, which often has been visited With blood you have been made clean For two days you were washed So us sinners you could redeem.

Nicola Figlia, Via Crucis, oil on canvas

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U Sipurcu 1. O Sipurcu visitatu chi di sangu fustu lavatu fustu lavatu pi quarantottu uri pi nuiautri peccaturi.

Nicola Figlia, Madre della Misericordia, oil on wooden plank

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Arti Siciliana U pitturi di carretti siciliani Di Elisa Giacalone Capiddi ianchi, occhi surridenti e baffi assai simpatichi: è Filici Scirè pinsiunatu campubiddisi, pitturi di carretti siciliani. Havi quasi sittant’anni ma spriggiuna na energia invidiabili.

Cû pinseddu ntê mani e u faddari lordu di culura nni invita a ntrasiri ntâ so casa. E subitu si vidi n’esplosioni di culura! Ci sunu quatri pittati d’iddu supra tutti i mura, tubbetti di culura menzu aperti iccati supra u taulu unni travagghia, pinseddi di ogni misura, tavulozzi e poi ntô cantuni dâ stanza a so granni passioni: i carretti siciliani. Na para sunu pronti pi cunsignari ê ccattaturi, unu aspetta di essiri finutu e poi un mudellu Arba Sicula XXIX

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Sicilian Art The Painter of Sicilian Carts by Elisa Giacalone Translated by Suzy Erichsen White hair, smiling eyes and a very nice moustache: the painter of Sicilian handcarts is a happy, retired man from Campobello. He is almost 70 years old and very energetic!

With the brush between his hands and a messy apron, he invited us into his house. Here we find an explosion of colors! His paintings cover the walls, colors scattered on his work table, brushes of every measure, palettes ... and then in the corner of the room his biggest passion: the Sicilian handcarts. Some are ready to be delivered to there buyers, and others are waiting to be completed, and then a scaled model reserved for an emigrant, whose destiny has pushed him far from his country. At home he will be able to observe it, imagine what Sicily was like in this time, its views, its mysterious perfumes, and distance. In the banks, in the wheels, in every part we find the colors of the wonderful Sicilian sun. There is a personality, a story, tradition, mythology, and history, all depicted on this Sicilian cart. It is a true story, an illustrated book! Our friend is our guide through his house which resembles an art gallery. We follow him and he shares with us his dreams; to one it seems to be a collection of old newspapers. We are unable to read them from a distance ...

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nicu nicu in scala ca pari di essiri risirvatu pi quacchi emigranti, a unu ca u distinu spinciu di irisinni luntanu dâ so terra. Arrivatu a casa pò taliarlu megghiu e vardannulu pò sentiri tutta a so Sicilia, vidiri i so viduti duri, i so profumi mistiriusi e a so luntananza. Ntê cianchi, ntê roti e in ogni parti singula si trovanu i culura dû miravigghiusu suli sicilianu. Sunu pittati puru pirsunaggi c’appartenunu a tradizioni dî cavaleri, a mitologia, a storia. Pari un veru libru di storia figurata ambulanti. U nostru amicu nni fa di Ciciruni nta dda casa ca pari na gallaria d’arti. Niautri l’accumpagnamu e iddu nni mustra i so traguardi: nta nu muru ci sunu ritagghi di vecchi giurnali. Nun li putemu leggiri e nni avvicinamu. I titula sunu scritti in tedescu. Si avvicina e nni dici: “Haiu avutu successu nta me vita e haiu giratu lu munnu—nni dici cu orgogliu nta l’occhi. Haiu campatu ntâ Svizzira, nt’America ma appi i chiù granni soddisfazioni nta l’Australia. Ddà vinniu tutti i me quatri nta pochi jorna e divintaiu assai pupulari.” Turnamu ê so origini. Filici Scirè figghiu d’arti, a deci anni manifestau interessi pâ pittura, passannu tuttu u so tempu cu so patri. “Fu iddu ca mi rialau u libru dâ Gerusalemmi Libbirata senza immagini. Ogni jornu mi faceva leggiri na para di paggini e dopu du uri vineva e mi diceva di disignari nzoccu avia liggiutu. Circava di tracciari l’espressioni ntê facci, l’azioni...a fantasia avia a vulari pi forza, ma quacchi vota vulavanu puru certi lampiuni nta facci.”

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so we get closer. The titles are written in German! He approaches and tells us with pride in his eyes. “I have traveled the world and have had a lot of success” I have lived in Switzerland and America, but it is in Australia that I have had the greatest satisfactions. “It is there that I have sold all of my pictures in a few days, and have collected popularity.” Let’s discover his roots, his origin.

Felice Scire, the son of an artist, when only ten years old showed an interest in a painting; he was always with his father. “ He gave me a gift, the book of “Gerusalemme Liberata” without images” Everyday he made me read a few pages and after two hours, I was told to close the book and draw

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“A manu è cchiù rossa dâ testa, unni sunu i proporzioni—mi gridava me patri. Oggi a distanza di cinquant’anni û ringrazziu picchì è a iddu ca io devu u me successu.” L’aria di primavera nni fa nesciri di casa e nni lassamu arreri li spaddi un veru arcubalenu. Parchiggiata davanti a casa c’e’ ne vecchia Chevrolet longa tri metri e sissanta. Un capulavoru! “Accattaiu sta machina nta l’Australia, ntô 1964. Vuleva pittarla comu un carrettu e poi ntô 1992 ci rinisciu.” Filici viaggiau pi li strati di Zurigu e di Sidney guidannu a so machina e evucannu curiusità e meravigghia. “A machina funziona ancora pirfettamenti,” ci teni a pricisari. “Quanto tempu ci misi pi pittarla?” Ci dumannamu curiusi. “Tri msi chini.” A cura di particulari e dî dettagghi è surprinnenti. “Haiu campatu e campu ancora sempri cu pinseddu ntê mani. E’ comu na droga!” dici. “Di notti mi iazzu pi pittari. Macari mi veni l’ispirazioni e me muggheri mi vidi susiri ntô menzu dâ notti mi dici, ‘Ma chi ssi pazzu?’” Filici Scirè è nnamuratu dû so travagghiu, dâ so arti. “A pittura è a me amanti, è me matri, me muggheri. Si mi uffrissiru tuttu u munnu, si un diaulu mi dassi tuttu, cci dicissi ‘vattinni, mi tegnu a me pittura.’” I giurnali spicializzati hannu parratu d’iddu, i so opiri sunu prisenti ntê pinacotechi, enti pubblichi e privati. U so nnomi fiura ntê annuari e cataloghi d’arti muderna e cuntemporanea cchiù qualificati. “I so opiri nun pritennunu d’ aviri missaggi o di rivilari l’intimu di l’artista. E’ na pittura semplici, onesta, piacevuli ca dimustra na eccezzionali sinsibilità e patrunanza dâ tavulozza.” Accussì parra la critica. Si u numiru di opiri vinnuti rapprisenta un sinonimu di successu, Scirè ha avutu tuttu u successu ca miritava pirchì quasi tutti i so quattri hannu statu vinnuti.

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the story that I had read. I had to search for facial expressions, actions ... the strength, of the fantasy, “.and at certain times things were flying! My father would shout at me; “the hand is bigger than the head! Where are the proportions? Today, fifty years later, I owe my success to him. The spring breeze flows through the house and we leave behind an awesome rainbow of color. Outside there is a car parked, an old Chevrolet, three meters and sixty, a masterpiece! “I bought this car in ’64 in Australia. I wanted to paint it like a cart one day and finally I succeeded in doing so in 1992;” Felice Scire has driven his car in the streets of Zurich and Sidney evoking great curiosity and surprise. Does the car work perfectly? He’s obliged to specify. I pry. “How long did it take to paint it?” “A full three months.” It’s surprising, the minute care he takes to particulars. “I have lived and continue to live with a brush in my hands. It is like a drug for me. At night I get up to paint, when I have the inspiration. My wife who sees me get out of bed in the middle of the night asks me, “Are you crazy?”. Felice Scire is in love with his work. “ Painting is my mistress, my mother and bride. If an angel or demon said, give me your paintings and you can change the world in return. I would tell him to leave, I’ll keep my painting.” His work appears in collections, private and public corporations and is documented in the more qualified year books and catalogs of modern and contemporary art. “His works do not pretend to have messages or reveal the artist’s self. His paintings are honest, simple, pleasing and show exceptional sensitivity and mastery of the palette.” This is the voice of a critic. If the number of works sold can consider him a synonym of the success of a painter, Scire has had all the success he deserved because almost all of his paintings have been sold.

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A nostra Lingua/Our Language Sicilian Proverbs Compiled by Monsignor Richard S. Amico Proverbiu anticu, Vangelu nicu (The ancient proverb is a little Gospel) Cu pati pi l’amuri nun senti duluri Whoever suffers for love, feels no pain. Veni tempu e porta cunsigghiu With time comes a solution. Avanti focu a la casa ca giustizzia a la porta. Better fire in the house than justice (the police) at the door. Ci sunnu matri, matruzzi, e matrazzi. There are mothers, sweet mothers and terrible mothers. Cu pridica a li surdi apppizza lu sirmuni. Whoever tries to preach to the deaf, wastes his sermon. E’ veru surdu chiddu ca non voli sentiri. He is truly deaf who doesn’t want to hear. Di l’amicu fintu mi nni guardi Diu, ca di li nimici ci pensu iu. May Good protect me from a false friend, for I know how to guard against my enemies. Cu cu patri e u matri è ubbidienti, campa riccu, filici e cuntenti. Whoever heed both father and mother will be rich, happy and contented. L’apprinsioni è chiù tinta di la malatia. Fear of sickness is worse than the disease. Cu pratica e nun nsigna o è sceccu o è signa.

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He who does not learn from his experiences, is either a donkey or a monkey. Cu paga li grana avanti mancia pisci fitenti. Whoever pays in advance will eat stinking fish. Lu poviru e malatu non havi parintatu. The poor and the sick have no relatives. Mitti lu pani a li denti ca la fami s’arrisenti. Start putting some food in your mouth and soon you’ll begin to feel hungry. Cu taci accunsenti. Whoever remains silent gives consent. A lu cantari l’aceddu, a lu parrari lu ciriveddu. The bird reveals itself by singing and a person shows his intelligence by talking. Arrivatu a la quarantina veni un mali ogni matina Once you get top 40, every morning brings a different pain. A facci irata, teni la vucca sirrata. Keep your mouth shut when you encounter someone angry. A paisi unni chi vai, comu vidi fari fai. Respect the customs of the place you’re visiting. Petra tirata e palora ditta non ponnu turnari arreri. Once a stone has been hurled and a word spoken, they can never be withdrawn. Ogni mpidimentu è giuvamentu. Every hindrance has its advantages. Geniu fa biddizza e no biddizza amuri. It’s character that makes for real beauty and not beauty that bring on love.

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La prima si pirduna, la secunna si cunnanna, ma la terza si bastuna. One pardons the first time, chastises the second time but the third time calls for a beating. Ognunu sapi cunsigghiari dopu lu fattu. Everyone knows what advice to give after the fact. Jocu di manu, jocu di viddanu. Rough play is a boorish sport. Cu nasci bedda nasci maritata. Whoever is born beautiful is born already married. Lu beni si canusci quannu si perdi. You often appreciate a good person or thing when you’ve lost them. Avanti di canusciri l’amicu, s’avi a manciari na sarma di Sali. It takes a long time to know who you friends are. (Like eating 600 pounds of salt with him). L’addivari fa l’amuri. It’s the rearing that brings love. Ogni figghiu a so mamma pari beddu. Every child appears beautiful to his mother. Megghiu chianciri lu figghiu ca lu patri. Better to mourn for a son than for his father. Du cosi non si vinninu in chiazza: onuri e saluti. Two things cannot be bought in the market square: honor and health. Cu pratica cu lu zoppu, supra l’annu zuppichia. Whoever keeps company with the lame, after a year begins to limp himself. A cavaddu datu nun circari la sedda. If someone gives you a horse don’t ask for the saddle to boot. Megghiu na vota arrussicari ca centu voti aggiarniari. Better to get your anger out of yur system once and for all , than to keep it in and slowly suffer a hundred rages. Arba Sicula XXIX

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Ogni cosa è possibbili, eccettu l’omini preni. Everything is possible except pregnant men. Ogni jocu dura pocu e si dura è siccatura. A prank sould be short lived, otherwise it becomes a nuisance. Li jidita di la manu nun sunu pari. The fingers of a hand ar not all equal. (You can’t expect uniformity or equality in life.) Tintu ddu patri ca nun è timutu. Inept is the father who is not feared. Cu ssi guverna da se stissu, spissu sgarra. Who never seeks advice of others, will often err. A cursa longa, lu bon cavaddu pari. A good horse proves itself after a long race. (It takes time to judge someone.) Cu è arsu di l’acqua cauda, veni la fridda e lu scauda. If you’ve been burnt by hot water, even cold water frightens you. Nun è l’abitu ca fa lu monacu. It isn’t the robe that makes the monk. Una manu lava l’autra e tutti i ddui lavana la facci. It takes one hand to wash another and both to was one’s face.

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Cucina siciliana Joan Peterson e Marcella Croce, Eat Smart in Sicily, $13.95 plus $2 shipping. Ginkgo Press, P.O. Box 5346, Madison, Wisconsin 53705 Recensioni di Scott Clemens (Epicurean-Traveler) A Sicilia è na pignata unni tutti i culturi dû Miditerraniu si mmiscarunu duranti a so storia. Cu tutti li nfuenzi finici, grechi, rumani, arabi, nurmanni, tideschi e francisi, assittarisi pi manciari a Palermu voli diri assai cchiù di ntrasiri ntâ na tratturia qualunqui. Si unu canusci e apprenni dicchiù supra u manciari e a storia dâ Sicilia a so visita a l’isula po’ essiri assai cchiù piacevuli e ricca. E’ chiddu ca u nostru jurnali rapprisenta e chistu è puru chiddu ca rapprisentanu i guidi intitulati Eat Smart ca sunu fatti apposta pi chiddi ca vonnu manciari sapennu chi ssi mancia e comu veni priparatu u pranzu. U libru Eat Smart di Joan Peterson e di Marcella Croce è chiù di na traduzioni di nu menu tipicu sicilianu. I primi vinti paggini di sta guida di 145 paggini sunnu didicati â storia dâ Sicilia, cu Arba Sicula XXIX

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Sicilian Cuisine Joan Peterson e Marcella Croce, Eat Smart in Sicily, $13.95 plus $2 shipping. Ginkgo Press, P.O. Box 5346, Madison, Wisconsin 53705 Review by Scott Clemens (Epicurean-Traveler) Sicily is the melting-pot of the Mediterranean, having Phoenician, Greek, Roman, Arabic, Norman, Germanic and French influences, and sitting down to a meal in Palermo is much more than stopping in at the local fast food franchise. Learning more about the food and history of Sicily will make your visit so much richer. It’s Epicurean Traveler is all about, and it’s where the Eat Smart guides excel.

TOP LEFT Forming caciocavllo, a mild cow’s milk cheese that is stretched and shaped by hand into a pear shape with a knob on top. TOP RIGHT Mimma and Mercurio Carbone baking hand-made traditional round bread, (muffuletta), in their woodburning oven in Piana degli Albanesi. MIDDLE Sedanini ai frutti di mare, seafood with pasta named “little celery pieces” because of its resemblance to celery stalks, cooked at Ristorante Sicilia in Bocca alia Marina, Catania. BOTTOM Polpette in foglie di limone, veal meatballs wrapped in lemon leaves, served at Azienda Agricola Trinità, an agriturismo in Mascalucia.

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particulari enfasi supra i tanti cunquistaturi ca ebbiru n’effettu o menu supra a cucina. Forsi a culpa è di comu s’insigna a storia nta l’università, o forsi è pi lu modu intelligenti di scriviri pi parti di li auturi, ma io capiu chiossai supra a storia siciliana e i su vari occupaturi nta stu libru di quantu nun avia caputu liggennu guidi pi viaggiaturi o friquintannu un cursu di civiltati occidintali a l’università. Autri sezioni dû libru spieganu u manciari lucali, ntê pruvinci dâ Sicilia, comu si fannu li spisi ntê mircati siciliani, frasi utili pi usari ntê risturanti e na guida abbunnanti pî menu. Ci sunu infini 28 rizzetti siciliani nta stu libru ca priparanu u viaggiaturi pî sapuri di l’isula accussì unu ca ci voli iri già sapi cchî manciari. Parti libbru di frasi utili, parti libbru di cucina, di viaggi, ogni volumi dâ serii Eat Smart è a guida pirfetta pû viaggiaturi epicureu. Stu libru si po’ ccattari di l’edituri, Amazon.com e ntê libbrarii miricani.

Purpetti ntê fogghi di lumiuni Sta rizzetta nna desi Annamaria Simili, coca e maestra di cucina nta l’Azienda Agricola Trinità di Mascalucia. n’agriturismu o n’albergu situatu supra i faddi orientali di l’Etna ntâ pruvincia di Catania. L’agriturismu pussedi un granni giardinu di lumiuni in modu ca i lumiuni e i fogghi sunu sempri dispunibili. 12 UNZI DI CAPULIATU DI VITEDDU 2 UNZI DI PANI RATTATU, BAGNATU NANTICCHIA CU ACQUA E UN OVU. 1 UNZA DI FURMAGGIU PARMIGIANU RATTATU E NA SCOCCIA DI LUMIUNI 20 FOGGHI DI LUMIUNI FRISCHI, DI GRANNIZZA UGUALI A 12 CENTIMETRI, 2/3 DI BICCHIERI DI VINU IANCU SICCU 4 CUCCHIARATI DI SUCU DI LUMIUNI FRISCU, E 5 CUCCHIARATI DI DI OGGHIU D’ALIVA.

Ammiscati u viteddu cu pani rattatu, l’ovu, u furmaggiu e a cosccia di lumiuni nta nu ciotoula fnsina ca sunu beddi amalgamti. Furmati pallottuliddi granni quantu na nuci e daticci a forma di nu ovali chiattu. Ammugghiatilu cu i fogghi di lumiuni e mintiticci nu sticchinu pi tinirili fermi. Facitili rusulari nta l’ogghiu nzinu a quannu a carni esposta si coci canciannu culuri, circa 5 minuti. I fogghi diventanu scuri ntê lati. Iunciticci u vinu, u sucu di lumiuni e l’ogghiu e mintiticci supra u cuperchiu pi deci minuti. I fogghi non si mancianu. Nun sustituiticci fogghi di lumii Kafir o fogghi di salal l’arburu di fogghi di lumiuni. Arba Sicula XXIX

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Eat Smart in Sicily, by Joan Peterson and Marcella Croce, is much more than the translation of a typical Sicilian menu. The first 20 pages of this 145page guide are devoted to the history of Sicily, with the particular focus on how various conquerors affected (or didn’t affect) the cuisine. Whether its an indictment of the way history is taught in college, or a validation of the fine writing provided by the authors, Eat Smart in Sicily explained more about Sicilian history and its various occupiers, than I had gleaned from reading travel guidebooks, or taking History of Western Civilization in college. Other sections explain local foods, provinces within Sicily, shopping the food markets of Sicily, helpful phrases to use in a restaurant, and an extensive menu guide. You’ll also find 28 Sicilian recipes here, so you can get a flavor of the island before you go there. Part phrase book, part cookbook, part travel book, each Eat Smart guide is the perfect guide for the Epicurean Traveler. Books are available from the publisher, from amazon.com or bookstores around the country.

Veal meatballs wrapped in lemon leaves. This recipe was provided by Annamaria Simili, chef and cooking instructor at Azienda Agricola Trinità in Mascalucia, an agriturismo or rural B&B located on the eastern slope of Mt. Etna in the province of Catania. The agriturismo includes a large lemon orchard, so fresh lemons and lemon leaves are always close at hand. 12 OUNCES GROUND VEAL 2 OUNCES BREAD CRUMBS, MOISTENED WITH WATER 1 EGG 1 OUNCE GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE ZEST OF ONE LEMON 20 FRESH LEMON LEAVES, 5 INCHES LONG” 213 CUP DRY WHITE WINE 4 TABLESPOONS FRESH LEMON JUICE 5 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL

Mix veal, bread crumbs, egg, cheese and zest together in a bowl until well blended. Form walnut-size balls and flatten each into an oval. Wrap a lemon leaf around each oval and secure ends with a toothpick. Saute in olive oil until exposed meat is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. The leaves will brown at the edges. Add wine, lemon juice and oil, and cook, covered, for 10 minutes. The leaves should not be eaten. Do not substitute kafir lime leaves or leaves from salal, the lemon leaf plant.

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Sicily: Culinary Crossroads, By Giuseppe Coria, tradottu di Gaetano Cipolla. New York: Oronzo Editions, 208 Pages, $24.95 Recensioni di Anthony Pagano rba Sicula ricivi assai libbra di cucina e specialmenti di chiddi ca trattanu a cucina siciliana e mi pari giustu diri ca a maggior parti di chiddi ca niautri ham’â recensitu nta sti paggini hannu statu ottimi escursioni nta ddu vastu e variatu munnu ca è cucina siciliana. Forsi

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picchì a Sicilia ha statu invasa di tanti genti diffirenti ca s’hannu purtatu dappressu i so abitudini culinarii e i so prodotti non c’è un libru ca pò copriri tutti l’aspetti dâ cucina siciliana. Ognunu dî libbra ca ham’â recensitu ha contribbuitu nu pezzu dû musaicu e u libru ca vi stamu prisintannu nun pritenni di copriri tutta a cucina di l’isula. Anzi u titulu origginali di stu volumi era La cucina della Sicilia orientale ca era forse un modu di ammettiri ca e’ quasi mpossibili ca un libru sulu pozza discriviri tutta a Sicilia. Un secunnu libru didicatu a cucina dâ Sicilia Arba Sicula XXIX

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Sicily: Culinary Crossroads, By Giuseppe Coria, translated by Gaetano Cipolla. New York: Oronzo Editions, 208 Pages, $24.95 Recensioni di Anthony Pagano rba Sicula receives many Italian cookbooks and especially those that deal with Sicilian cuisine and it’s fair that say that many of the ones we have reviewed in these pages have been excellent excursions into that vast and varied world that constitutes Sicilian cooking. Perhaps because Sicily has had so many different people come to its shore who brought their eating habits and their products no one single book can expect to cover all aspects of Sicilian cuisine. Each of the books we have reviewed has contributed a piece of the mosaic, and the book we are about to introduce to you does not pretend to cover all of the island’s cuisine. In fact the title of the

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original work was La cucina della Sicilia orientale which was probably an acknowledgement by the author that a single book cannot possibly cover everything. A second book, dedicated to the cooking on the western part of Sicily, was planned but the author never completed it. We are very thankful however, that he finished the first book which is a masterful and authoritative 139

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occidintali avia statu pruggittatu ma non fu mai cumplitatu. Semu grati all’auturi pi aviri finutu stu volumi picchì è n’escursioni auturevuli e fatta cu maistria ntâ cucina dî pruvinci orientali, vali a diri di Missina, Catania, Siracusa e Ragusa. L’edizioni taliana di stu libru divintau un classicu dâ cucina siciliana e Polly Franchini dicidiu di pubblicarlu ntâ so serii chiamata Italy’s Food Culture, ntâ traduzioni eccellenti dû prufissuri Gaetano Cipolla. U risultatu è un volumi ca dumanna di essiri pigghiatu e purtatu a casa. Arba Sicula ca havi interessi di prisirvari a lingua siciliana si cumpiaci a vidiri ca tutti i rizzetti nta stu libru hannu u nomu sicilianu, cuntrariamenti a quantu fannu autri libbra di cucina ca usanu nomi taliani pî specialità siciliani. D’accussì nta ssi libbra ddu piattu sicilianu pi eccellenza “pasta chî sardi” diventa “pasta con le sarde.” Ma chista non fussi certamenti na ragiuni sufficienti pi vuliri stu libru nta vostra cullezioni. Ci sunu autri ragiuni assai chiù determinanti p’accattarivi stu libru. Prima di tuttu picchì non si tratta sulu di cullezioni di rizzetti, comu l’auturi ni avvisa a l’iniziu. Pi capiri a cucina siciliana, l’auturi manteni, unu ha bisognu di sapiri tanti cosi supra u sfunnu storicu, i tradizioni e a genti ca produciu u manciari. D’accussì stu libru è na esplorazioni dâ storia culinaria e culturali dâ Sicilia, cu ncursioni ntâ mitologia, antropologia, lingua e folklori. Giuseppe Coria didicau a so vita a esplorari u manciari dâ Sicilia. Iddu fu u primu a nbuttigghiari ddu vinu DOCG ca si chiama Cerasuolo di Vittoria ntâ so cantina di Villa Fontane a Ragusa. U libru segui nu schema pi tutti li quattru pruvinci. Dopu n’ampia introduzioni â cucina siciliana, Coria scrivi na introduzioni pi ogni città, facennu capiri i punti essenziali pi ognuna e i so carattiristichi generali. Pi ogni città i rizzetti sunu poi raggruppati secunnu sti dinominazioni: Primi piatti, Piatti di pisci, Piatti di carni, Frutta e virdura, Cosi duci e Vini i liquori. Pi cchistu, u libru è nu studiu cumparatu dâ cucina siciliana ca non escludi città comu Palermu o Trapani, puru ca chisti nun sunu prisintati formalmenti. A canuscenza di Coria è vasta e pò spaziari macari nta l’autri città. Coria offri puru annutazioni ca cuntenunu fatticeddi ntirissanti supra i rizzetti ca sta discrivennu iuncennu a so prisintazioni prufunnità e prospettiva. Chiaramenti chistu è un volumi ca tutti chiddi ca amanu u manciari sicilianu , e ovviamenti includi a maggior parti di cu leggi sta ricinsioni, avissiru aviri ntâ so casa. U libru è prisintatu elegantementi dû puntu di vista graficu a cuminciari dâ cupertina attraenti finu a ogni paggina di dintra. I fotografii dâ Sicilia e dî prodotti sunu apprupriati pi li suggetti e beni pusiziunati. Liggennu stu libru certamenti evuca in chiddi ca non hannu mai visitatu a Sicilia u disidderiu di iricci cu prossimu tour di Arba Sicula e in chiddi ca ci hannu statu, u disidderiu di riturnaricci u chiù prestu possibili secunnu i so mezzi finanziari e di travagghiu. P’accattari na copia scriviti a Oronzo Editions, 11 West 30th Street, Suite R, New York, NY 10001 or write to www.oronzoeditions.com Arba Sicula XXIX

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excursion into the cuisine of the eastern provinces of Sicily, namely Messina, Catania, Siracusa and Ragusa and the some of the towns in the same provinces. The Italian edition of the book became a classic of Sicilian cooking and Polly Franchini who recognized that this was a special book decided to publish it as one of her books in the Italy’s food culture series, in professor Gaetano Cipolla’s excellent translation. The result is a volume that beckons to be picked up and brought home. Arba Sicula whose interest in preserving the Sicilian language is part of its mission is pleased to see that all the recipes in this book have a Sicilian name, unlike some other books where Italian titles are used to name Sicilian specialties. Thus in such books that quintessential Sicilian dish “pasta chî sardi” becomes “pasta con le sarde”. But that of course would not be sufficient reason to want this book in your library. There are other more compelling reasons for wanting to buy this book. First of all because it is not just a collection of recipes, as the author himself declares at the outset. In order to understand Sicilian cuisine, the author maintains, you need to know a great deal about the historical background, the traditions, and the people who produced the food. Thus this books is an exploration of the culinary and cultural history of Sicily, with forays into mythology, anthropology, language, and folklore. Mr. Coria dedicated his life to exploring the island’s food. He was the first to bottle the Cerasuolo di Vittoria from his winery Villa Fontane in Ragusa. The book follows a pattern for each of the four provinces treated. After an ample introduction to Sicilian cuisine Mr. Coria writes an introduction to each city highlighting the primary points of interest for each and its essential character. For each city, the recipes are grouped around the theme of First dishes, Fish dishes, Meat dishes, Fruits and Vegetables, Desserts, and Wines and Liqueurs. The book is thus a comparative study of Sicilian cuisine that does not exclude cities such as Palermo, or Trapani, even though they are not treated formally. Mr. Coria’s knowledge encompasses the whole island’s fare. The book is also annotated with interesting facts about the recipe he is describing that add depth and perspective to the presentation. Clearly this is a must for all those who love Sicilian food and that obviously includes most of the readers of this review. The book is also presented very well from the graphic point of view, from the attractive cover to every page inside the book. The photographs of Sicily and of Sicilian products are well chosen and appropriate for the subject. Reading the book will surely evoke, in those who have never been to Sicily, the desire to take the next tour of Arba Sicula and in those who have been there, to return as quickly as your finances and work allow. To get your copy write to Oronzo Editions, 11 West 30th Street, Suite R, New York, NY 10001 or write to www.oronzoeditions.com 141

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Pasta ccû niuru dî sicci (e rìpiddu nivicatu) Si tratta di pasta ccu niuru di sicci. E non c’è ca è u niuru cuntinuti nto sacchittu du molluscu a daricci u tipicu sapuri a sta specialità. Pi capirlu chairamenti bastassi priparari i dui piatta un cu niuru e l’autru snza u niuru . Ingredienti 1/4 di cipudda rattata 1 libbra di spaghetti 1 chilu di sicci Sacchiceddi di niuru 2 spicchi d’agghiu Pitrusinu tritatu Strattu di pumadoru 1/2 chilu di pumadoru Spezzi Ogghiu Sali Faciti sfrigulari nta na padedda cu l’ogghiu du spichi d’agghiu e un pizzuddu di cipudda rattata; iunciticci a stu puntu un chilu di sicci già pulizziati e tagghiati a pizzudda, nsemmula cu pitrusinu tagghiuzzatu e u spezzi. Dopu quacchi minutu, iunciticci na cucchiaredda di strattu di pumadoru, 250 grammi di purpa di pumadoru fatti e u sali (non ci iunciti acqua picchì i sicci stissi ieccanu acqua). Continuati a cociri a cuntari circa 25 minuti di quannu cumincia a bugghiri, a stu puntu sulu si iuncinu i sacchiceddi dû niuru ca avianu ristatu di parti. Cuntrullati u sali, ammiscati tuttu pi beni e livatilu di supra u focu. I sicci accussì priparati insemmula cu tutti l’autri cosi si iunciunu poi pi cunzari i spaghetti ma ponnu essiri un secunnu piattu si i pezzi di siccia sunu tagghiati chiù ranni. Varianti Na specialità catanisa è u piattu chiamatu ripiddu nivicatu. Si tratta dû stissu condimentu ca inveci di spaghetti stavota fa divintari niuru u risu ca veni prisintatu comu un conu rovesciatu supra di lu quali si iunci na cucchiarata di ricotta, mintennuci supra a tuttu nanticchia di sarsa. A simbologia di stu piattu è chiara: autru non è ca l’Etna chi so ripiddi, a sciara niuroncia di supra, e u focu ca nesci di ogni banna.

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Pasta with Squid Ink Pasta ccû niuru dî sicci (e rìpiddu nivicatu) This dish features the black “ink” taken from squid. There is no doubt that the ink is what gives this dish its distinctive flavor. A comparison between sauces prepared with and without the contents of the ink sac will reveal all. Ingredients 1/4 medium onion, grated 2 cloves garlic, chopped A few tablespoons olive oil 2 1/4 pounds squid, cleaned and cut into small pieces Chopped parsley Tomato paste [suggest 1 tablespoon] 1/2 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped Ink sacs removed from the squid Pepper Salt 1 pound spaghetti [cooked and drained] In a large skillet or pot, gently fry a piece of grated onion and garlic in olive oil. Add the squid and parsley, and pepper to taste. After a few minutes add the tomato paste and tomatoes. Salt to taste. (Do not add water, as the squid will release liquid.) After coming to a boil, continue cooking for 25 minutes and only at this final stage add the contents of the ink sacs. Taste for seasoning, stir the ink through, and remove from the heat. Dress the spaghetti with the sauce. Serve as a main course with the squid sliced into larger pieces. Variations Rìpiddu nivicatu, snow-capped risotto, a specialty of Catania is prepared in a similar fashion. This is rice cooked in the same sauce and which is shaped into a cone, topped with a spoonful of ricotta and a dash of tomato sauce. The symbolism is clear, the dish represents Mt Etna, the black rice the lava stones the ricotta its snowy cap and the tomato the fiery lava erupting.

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Kathleen Citrolo Gwinnett Returning from

latest Sicilian travels October 2008 Visit her website of Sicilian watercolor paintings, travel tips and stories. www.gwinnett-art.com “I will paint images of your family’s Sicilian village, church, or homeplace. l1x15 inch watercolor $150. Enjoy hearing about your Sicilian connection” [email protected]

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Libbra ricivuti/ Books Received Ancora Lumie della Sicilia, (Antologia poetica in lingua siciliana e italiana), Hamilton, Ontario: Hamilton Trinacria Asssociation, 2008. Bagheria: Gente, Natura, Architettura, Turismo, Tradizioni popolari,Bagheria: Pro Loco Giovanni Lo Medico, 2006. Umberto Balistreri & Carlo Pollaci, I mercati del centro storico di Palermo, Palermo: Istituto Siciliani Studi Politici ed Economici, 2008. —— Puntali e dintorni: la riserva naturale integrale, Palermo: ISPE Archimede editrice, 2005. Pietro Barbera, Il tempo sospeso, Palermo: Thule, 2003. Tanino Bonifacio e Gori Sparacino, Parco Culturale Terre Sicane, Palermo: Krea, 2007. Tommaso Bordonaro, La Spartenza, Palermo: Edizioni Off, 207 Natalia Tricomi Calì, L’albero di Millicucco: Storia di un bambino siciliano. Palermo, 2007. Aurelio Caliri & Salvatore Camilleri, La Barunissa di Carini, Siracusa: Edizioni Arte e Musica, 2007. Licia Cardillo, Fiori di Aloe, Racconti, Palermo: LIS Publisher, 1996. ——-Il giacobino della sambuca, Roma: Editori Riuniti, 2000. Ezio Costanzo, The Mafia and the Allies, Sicily 1943 and the Return of the Mafia, New York: Enigma Books, 2007. Graziella d’Achille, et al, Archetipi dell’uni verso, Palermo: Nuova Ipsa Editore, 2006. Nicolò D’Alessandro, Francesco Carbone: Antologia di saggi critici ed altre occasioni, Palermo: L’altro Artecontemporanea, 2007. Rosetta D’Angelo & Barbara Zaczek, Resisting Bodies: Narratives of Italian Partisan Women, Chapel Hill, NC: Annali D’Italianistica, 2008. Nino Del Duca, “Io stongo ‘e casa ‘America, Napoli: Lettere italiane Guida, 2005. Emanuel di Pasquale, Na vota..., Ragusa: Editrice Barone e Bella, 2005. Nino Famà, La stanza segreta, Palermo: Salvatore Sciascia Editore, 2004. Luciano Garibaldi, Mussolini: The Secrets of his Death, New York: Enigma Books 2004. Mario Gori, Ogni jornu ca passa ogni jornu ca veni, Comune di Niscemi, 2006. Giuseppe Gulino & Donatella La Rocca, Il dialetto siciliano nei testi odeporici del Settecento, Lugano: Agorà Publishing, 2006. Salvatore J. Lagumina, The Humble and the Heroic, Wartime Italian Americans, Youngstown, NY: Cambria Press, 2006. Giovanna Bellia La Marca, Language and Travel Guide to Sicily, New York: Hippocrene Books 2008. Rocco Lombardo, La musica a Enna: dai tempi del mito ai primi decenni del Novecento, Enna: Inner Wheel Club of Enna, 2000. Le mani, monografia tematica, Messina: Unione Italiana fotoamatori, 2008. Giovanni Mannino, Guida alla preistoria del palermitano, Palermo: Istituto Studi Politici ed Economici2007. Mario B. Mignone, Italy Today, revised edition, New York, Peter Lang, 2008. ——— Altreitalie; Cittadinnza e dritto al voto, Stony Brook, NY: Forum Italicum Publishing, 2008. 145

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Eugene Mirabelli, The Goddess in Love with a Horse, (And What Happened Next), Delmar, NY: Spring Harbor Press, 2008. Corrado Mirto & Giuseppe Scianò, Riflessioni e pensieri indipendentisti...in libertà, Palermo: FNS, 2007 Monitoraggio dei popolamenti ittici presenti nei caulerpeti alloctoni siciliani, Palermo: ISSPE editrice2007. Mary Patterson, Franco and Anna Gennusa: Their Journey, Annapolis, MD , 2006. Joan Peterson & Marcella Croce, Eat Smart in Sicily: a Travel Guide for food lovers, Madison, WI: Ginkco Press, 2008. Luigi Pirandello e “la più bella città dei mortali”, Agrigento: Edizione il cerchio- La Catinella, 2006. Ennio I. Rao, Curmudgeons in High Dudgeon: 101 Years of Invectives (1352-1453), Messina: Edizioni Dr. Antonino Sfameni, 2007. Salvatore Riolo, I galloitalici messinesi, Milano: Montedit, 2007. Peppino Ruggeri, Sketches of life in Sicily, Canada, 2007. Antonino Russo, I fattielli di Bagheria, Palermo: ISSPE2008. Nat Scammacca, Unni vai cu sta cosa: racconti, Palermo: Edizione Antigruppo, 2007. Antonina Ales Scurti, Gabbiani e pensieri: Poesie, Bagheria, 2007. Catherine Tsounis, The Greek American Experience II, New York: Panmacedonian Center, 2008. Josephus Tusiani, In nobis Caelum, Carmina latina, Leuven: Leuven University Press, 2007. Giovanni Vecchio, Padre Bicicletta ed altri racconti, Fiumedfreddo, CT,:2006.

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Arba Sicula Recommends the Following Books Sicilian Women, by Giacomo Pilati. This is a series of interview of 12 Sicilian women who speak of their lives, their successes and failures, providing excellent insights into modern Sicilian society.$12.95. The Scent of Jasmine, by Florence Terranova Gatto.This book, containing vignettes from a Sicilian background told with conviction and heart by Florence Gatto, sold out almost immediately. and contiunes to delight those who read it. $14.95. Time Takes no Time, by Donna L. Gestri. Sicilian traditions, beliefs and customs are explored and brought to life in the day to day existence of the colorful characters. ISBN 1881901610, paperback, 150 pages, $14.95. Ninety Love Octaves, by Antonio Veneziano, edited introduced and translated by Gaetano Cipolla. This is the first anthology of Veneziano’s poems to appear in English translation. It gives ample justification to the name “Prince of Poets” given to Veneziano in his time. See the review of it in the previous issue of Arba Sicula. Bilingual (Sicilian/English) ISBN 1881901564 paperback $12.95 Sebastiano: A Sicilian Legacy, by Connie Mandracchia De Caro This is wonderful novel that weaves fiction and historical facts about Sicily in the 19th century by the author of Sicily: The Trampled Paradise Revisited. ISBN 1881901521 paperback $14.95 Il cuore oltre l’Oceano, by Salvatore Taormina This is a very poignant novel about Sicilian lovers that struggle with an intransigent Sicilian father. It casts an insightful glance at the life of Sicilian-Americans and at the hilarious language they use, as they become accustomed to the new land. It’s a very funny novel written with pathos and irony. The book is in Italian. ISBN 188190153X Paperback. $16.00 Sicily through Symbolism and Myth: Gate to Heaven and to the Underworld, by Paolo Fiorentino This is wonderful little book that everyone ought to have. It tells the stories of the symbols and myths that have emerged out of the Sicilian soil. See the review in this issue. ISBN 18881901572 Paperback $12.95. Siciliana: Studies on the Sicilian Ethos, by Gaetano Cipolla. This collection of essays by Prof. Cipolla includes his well known work on the Jews of Sicily, What Makes a Sicilian?, Sicily and Greece, the Arabs in Sicily, and many new articles not published in Arba Sicula. This is a must for all members of Arba Sicula. ISBN 188190145-9, 258 pp. $18.00 Sicilian: The Oldest Romance Language, by Joseph Privitera. In this study Dr. Privitera demonstrates that Sicilian is not a dialect nor a corruption of Italian. Dr. Privitera convincingly argues that Sicilian is the most ancient of the romance languages. In addition he compiles a list of word derived from other languages such as Latin, Greek, Arabic, Spanish, Catalan and provencal. 147

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ISBN 188190141-6, 2004, 96 pp. $12.00 The Woman Outlaw, by Maria Rosa Cutrufelli, translated by Angela M. Jeannet. This a novel based in the aftermath of the unification of Italy about a young woman of the Sicilian nobility who reviews her life from a prison cell to understand actions-murdering her husnband, joining brigands--thatled her there. A poignant tale of the search for self-identity as a person and as a woman. ISBN 188190140-8, 2004, 96 pp. $12.00 Introduction to Sicilian Grammar, By J. K. “Kirk” Bonner, Edited by Gaetano Cipolla. This is the first comprehensive grammar of the Sicilian language available for English speakers. It is also the first serious attempt at treating the various different forms of spoken Sicilian as expressions of the same underlying language. Dr. Bonner’s work ought to dispel the notion that Sicilian is not a language, but a dialect. Coming at a time when Sicilian is being threatened with extinction, this work is an invitation to Sicilians and Sicilian-Americans not to let the language of their ancestors fade away. Price $18.00 The Sounds of Sicilian, by Gaetano Cipolla This 32 page booklet is a description of Sicilian sounds accompanied by an interactive CD to teach you pronunciation. It should be bought in conjunction with Introduction to Sicilian Grammar. For $27.00 you can buy both, including shipping. ISBN 188190151-3, 32 pp. $6.00 A Thousand Years in Sicily,: from the Arabs to the Bourbons, by Giusreppe Quatriglio. This is the third edition of a classic. See the review of this book on in the book review section. If you’re interested in Sicilian history, this is one book you ought to have. ISBN 0921252-17-X, 228 pp. $16.00 The Last Cannoli, by Camille Cusumano. Writing in the New York Times Book Review in 1993, Gay Talese lamented the lack of “Italian-American Arthur Millers and Saul Bellows, James Baldwins and Toni Morrisons, Mary MCarthys and Mary Gordons, writing about their experiences.” Camille Cusumano’s first novel, The Last Cannoli, begins to fill that gap. The Last Cannoli is a lively, fast-paced read in a voice that is fresh and powerful. Price $19.00 A Sicilian Shakespeare:A Bilingual Edition of All His Sonnets, By Renzo Porcelli Why translate Shakespeare into Sicilian? Would anyone think it strange if someone translated Shakespeare into French, as indeed many people have, or Spanish, Russian or Japanese? So why not Sicilian? Sicilian was the first Italic language used by the Sicilian School of poetry under Frederick II. Sicily has produced many important literary figures writing in Sicilian and now thanks to Renzo Porcelli, Shakespeare has acquired a Sicilian voice. Price$ 8.00 Sicily The Trampled Paradise, Revisited, By Connie Mandracchia De Caro The success of the first edition of this book favored the preparation of this new volume, which includes enhanced historical insights into the complex history of Sicily. ISBN 1881901-15-7 138 pp, paperback. Price: $12.00 The Sicilians, By Joseph Privitera Arba Sicula XXIX

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Born in New York City of Sicilian parents, Dr. Privitera has always thought of himself as Sicilian and for many years now he has been wanting to tell his fellow-Americans what it has been like to have lived in his native America with the soul of a Sicilian. He has now done so. In The Sicilians, Part I, he describes his early life as a Sicilian in Italian Harlem. Part II is a throwback to Sicily. There he describes the island’s history and its way of life, which his parents brought with them to America. It is a colorful story told with humor, affection, and Sicilian panache. Price $14.00 History of Autonomous Sicily By Romolo Menighetti and Franco Nicastro, Translated into English by Gaetano Cipolla This is the most comprehensive history of Sicily from the signing of the Special Autonomy Statute for the Island in 1947 to the present. If you want to understand the political, economic and social situation of modern day Sicily, this is your book. Price $18.00 Sicily: Where Love Is, By Dominick Eannello This is the story of two generations of the Salerno family who hail from a small town in central Sicily. The author leads us on a journey through the early 1940s when Joseph Salerno was hired as a Professor at Columbia University. Forced to return to Italy by the break of the war, Joseph had some experiences that would eventually change the lives of his children. It’s a fascinating tales of love, respect for the family and heritage. A “treasure” of a novel. Price $14.00 Dante’s Divine Comedy as Told to Young People, by Joseph Tusiani. This is a retelling of the Divine Comedy written especially for young people by poet, novelist and translator Joseph Tusiani. The author combines summary, paraphrase and Dante’s own lines translated into English verse to tell a timeless story of salvation and sin. Price $12.00 The English-Italian Lexical Converter, An Easy Way of Learning Italian Vocabulary, by Antonio Russo This book represents a novel way to master Italian vocabulary by using Latin as the common root of Italian and English. Since a high percentage of English words are derived from Latin, English and Italian share many common roots, endings of adjectives, nouns adverbs and verbs. The author has compiled a list of over 30,000 words that have a common matrix and can be easily converted from English into Italian simply by learning a few rules. You can accomplish in minutes what normally would take you hours of memorization. This book is recommended for anyone who has an interest in Italian. This 242-page paperback costs only $18.00. Altavilla, Sicily: Memories of a Happy Childhood, By Calogero Lombardo “I wrote this book for the children of the family who ill never know what this place was,” said Calogero Lombardo. This is more than a recollection of childhood memories. It is an interesting and insightful look at the reality of Sicily and Sicilians written with wit anda sense of humor. ISBN 1881901-36-X. 168 pages, $14.00 Don Chisciotti and Sanciu Panza, By Giovanni Meli, Introduction, Notes and Translation by Gaetano Cipolla. Revised edition. This is not a translation of the Spanish novel, but an entirely original rethinking of the archetypal couple of Don Quijote and his squire Sancho, written in verse and from 149

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a Sicilian perspective. This is an essential book to understand the Sicilian psyche. Gaetano Cipolla’s translation is superb. ISBN 1881901-33-5. 320 pages- Bilingual volume (Sicilian/ English) Price $18.00 A Sicilian Martyr in Nagasaki, By Calogero Messina. This is the story of a Sicilian monk, Brother Giordano of Santo Stefano, a missionary who was martyred in Japan in the 17th century. He was canonized by the Christian Church as Saint Giordano. Professor Messina’s painstaking reconstruction of Saint Giordano’s life is a marvelous journey through history that shines a light on Sicilian religious feelings. It is an important contribution. ISBN 1881901-32-7. 106 pages, paperback. $12.00 The Dialect Poetry of Southern Italy, Edited by Luigi Bonaffini. Professor Bonaffini has edited an anthology of the most significant dialect poetry produced in Southern Italy. The selections from the languages of Latium, Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia are translated into English and into Italian by specialists. Each region and each poet are introduced by critical appraisals that highlight trends and movements within the wide horizon of dialect poetry. This volume reveals for the first time in English a world of unsuspected poetic power. This is Vol. l of series Italian Poetry in Translation. (Trilingual volume) ISBN 1881901-13-0. 512 pp. paperback. $32.00. Medieval Sicily: The First Absolute State, Revised Edition, By Henry Barbera. This is a revised edition of Dr. Barbera’s entertaining and well documented account of the eventful period that goes from the Norman conquest of Sicily to the death of Frederick II. Dr. Barbera’s well written book places Sicily at the center of European political development during the Middle Ages. This is required reading for all who are interested in Sicilian history. ISBN 1-881901-05-X. Paperback 160 pp, with illustrations. Price: $12.00

Mr. Vincent Ciaramitaro, former owner of Joe’s of Avenue U in Brooklyn, has developed a web site that contains many of the recipes used in the famous Focacceria Palermitana. Check out his site at: www.siciliancookingplus.com Plus the island’s traditions, history and legends.

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Visit Us on the Internet OUR ADDRESS IS :

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Check out our newly updated web page on the INTERNET. We have completely revised the look and the content of the Arba Sicula site. While some of the items have remained the same, the content of Arba Sicula has been changed to include a good number of articles from Arba Sicula XXVI The content of Sicilia Parra has also been updated to include an abundant sampling of issue no. XVIII-1. Our book offering has also been updated to include books published in 2006. So come visit us. I am sure you will enjoy our new look. Go to www.arbasicula.org and join the 45,000 people who have visited our site so far. By the way, you can also use arbasicula.com or arbasicula.net to get to our page.

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Send Us Your E-mail If you are connected to the Internet, please provide us with your email address. It would make it easier and less expensive for Arba Sicula to get in touch with you to notify you about upcoming events, to send you invitations to events at St. John’s University and to keep you abreast of things. The database will not be shared with anyone and will be used only for the purposes mentioned. I will ask our web master to prepare a form that you can fill out when you log into our web site. Alternatively you can send me your e-mail at [email protected] This is especially important for the members who live in the New York metropolitan area and in the tri-state area of NY, NJ & CT as they are more likely to come to events held at St. John’s University.

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Christmas Sicilian Book Sale A special 30% discount on all books for Arba Sicula Members . G. Pilato, Sicilian Women (interviews with 12 sicilian women) 90 pp. F. Gatto, The Scent of Jasmine, 150 pp. D. Gestri, Time Takes no Time, a novel 154 pp. G. Cipolla, Ninety Love Octaves, (Sicilian/English) P. Fiorentino, Sicily through Symbolism and Myth C De Caro, Sebastiano: A Sicilian Legacy S. Taormina, Il cuore oltre l’Oceano G. Cipolla, Siciliana: Studies on the Sicilian Ethos, 228 p. G. Cipolla, The Sounds of Sicilian, 32 pp. plus CD B. Tusiani, The Fig Cake Family, 32 pp. M.R. Cutrufelli, The Woman Outlaw, 102 pp. E. Lauretta, The Narrow Beach, 132 pp. J. Privitera. Sicilian: The Oldest Romance Language 96 pp G. Meli, Don Chisciotti and Sanciu Panza, 316 pp (Sicilian/English) A. Russo, The English-Italian Lexical Converter, 242 pp C. Lombardo, Altavilla Sicily: Memories a a Happy Childhood, C. Messina, A Sicilian Martyr in Nagasaki, 106 pp R. Menighetti & F. Nicastro, History of Autonomous Sicily, 330 pp J. K. Bonner, Introduction to Sicilian Grammar +G. Cipolla’s Sounds of Sicilian +CD F. Privitera, The Sicilians, 180 pp B. Morreale, Sicily, the Hallowed Land, A Memoir G. Quatriglio, A Thousand Years in Sicily, 228 pp.3rd edition J. Tusiani, Dante’s Divine Comedy as Told to Young People C. Cusumano, The Last Cannoli, 240 pp. A Novel. L. Bonaffini, Dialect Poetry of Southern Italy, trilingual anthology, 514 pp. G. Meli, Moral Fables and Other Poems (Sicilian/English), A. Provenzano, Vinissi...I’d Love to Come (Sicilian/English) 172p. Dante’s Lyric Poems, translated by J Tusiani (bilingual) D. Eannello, Sicily: Where Love Is, a Novel, 226 pp E. Carollo, America! America!, (Italian/English) H. Barbera, Medieval Sicily: the First Absolute State, 152 pp. J. Vitiello, Labyrinths and Volcanoes, 120 pp. G. Basile, Sicilian Cuisine through History and Legend, G. Cipolla, The Poetry of Nino Martoglio, (Sicilian/English), 304 pp. O. Claypole, Sicilian Erotica, (Bilingual Anthology) 196 pp. R. Porcelli, A Sicilian Shakespeare-All the Sonnets, (bilingual) 100 pages

$27.95 $14 $18 $16 $12 $19 $32 $16 $16 $16 $14 $12 $12 $12 $ 6 $10 $12 $ 8

G. Cipolla. What Italy Has Given to the World G. Cipolla, What Makes a Sicilian?

$ 3 $ 4

$12.95 $14.95 $14.95 $12.95 $12.95 $14.95 $16 $18 $6 $6 $12 $12 $12 $18 $18 $14 $12 $18

Send Orders to: Legas, PO Box 149, Mineola, NY 11501 Postage & handling is $3.00 for first book, .50 for each additional book. New York State residents please add 8.25% for sales taxes. 153

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ARBA SICULA A Non-Profit International Cultural Organization that Promotes a Positive Image of Sicily and of Sicilians and Their Contributions to Western Civilization.

INVITES YOU TO JOIN ITS WORLDWIDE MEMBERSHIP.

Celebrate our Twenty-ninth Anniversary! ARBA SICULA PROMOTES SICILIAN CULTURE IN MANY WAYS:

• By publishing two issues per year of Arba Sicula, a unique bilingual (SicilianEnglish) journal that focuses on the folklore and the literature of Sicily and her people all over the world; (included in membership); • by publishing two issues per year of Sicilia Parra, a 20-page newsletter of interest to Sicilians and Sicilian-Americans (included in membership); • by organizing cultural events, lectures, exhibitions and poetry recitals free of charge to our members and their guests; • by publishing supplements that deal with Sicilian culture. These supplements are normally sent as they are published as part of the subscription; • by disseminating information on Sicily and Sicilians that offers a more correct evaluation of their contributions to western civilization; • by supporting individual efforts and activities that portray Sicilians in a positive light; • by organizing an annual tour of Sicily • and by promoting books on Sicily. AS members get a 20% discount on all Legas books. TO SUBSCRIBE OR BUY A SUBSCRIPTION FOR YOUR SICILIAN FRIENDS, SEND A CHECK OR MONEY ORDER PAYABLE TO ARBA SICULA TO: PROF. GAETANO CIPOLLA Department of Languages and Literatures St. John’s University Jamaica, NY 11439 Senior Citizens and students $30.00 Individual $35.00 Foreign Membership: $40.00

Name __________________________________________ Address_________________________________________ City, State & Zip Code______________________________

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