Spaghetti Sissies Queering Italian American Media

In: Italian and Italian American Studies

Abstract

Preface, "Split Tomato Sauce" by Tommi Avicolli Mecca, writer, singer/songwriter, activist, and editor of Smash the Church, Smash the State: The Early Years of Gay Liberation -- Introduction by Sole Anatrone and Julia Heim -- "Coming Out and Leaving Home: Cultural Friction in the Italian American Kitchen" by Eilis Kierans, PhD candidate in Italian Studies at Rutgers University, USA -- "Passion and Pulp: Impossible Families" by Clarissa Clò, PhD, Professor and Chair, and Director of the Italian Studies Program, in the Department of European Studies at San Diego State University, USA -- "Queer Categorical Miscegenation: Sexuality, Race, Gender, Class, and Ethnicity in Victor Bumbalo's Niagara Falls and Questa" by John Champagne, PhD, Professor of English at Penn State Erie, the Behrend College, USA -- "I would like to be a spoiled rich white girl" by Nick Boston, PhD, associate professor of media sociology at Lehman College, USA -- "Lifestyles of the Gay and Mobster" by Julia Heim, PhD, Lecturer in Italian at University of Pennsylvania, USA -- "Queering the Guido or Guidoing the Queer? Performing Gender and Identity on Comedy Television" by Carmelo Galati, PhD, Associate Professor of Instruction and Co-Director of the Italian Studies Program at Temple University, USA -- "Time to come out, girl!": Queering Italian American Sexuality on TV Land's Younger by Aria Cabot, PhD, Director of the World Languages and Literatures Teaching and Technology Center at Southern Methodist University, USA -- Spotlights: These "spotlights" are short, autobiographical pieces that appear throughout the book, interspersed between the chapters, serving as both a break from the more scholarly work, and a look at what it means to live as a queer Italian American media-maker. The authors–who are all involved in media in a variety of ways–reflect on how their identities as Italian Americans, and as LGBTQIA+ identified peoples influence each other and their work. Contributors: -- Rita Houston & Laura Fedele (radio personality and producer) -- Annie Lanzilotto (author, playwright) -- Dana Piccoli (entertainment writer and pop culture critic) -- Katelynn Cusanelli (reality TV star) -- Norman Korpi (reality TV star) -- Mitch del Monico (director) -- Julio Gambuto (director and author).