|
Among various Italian diasporic communities, print journalism has historically played a prominent role in propagating ideas concerning politics and culture, ultimately shaping emerging identities vis-à-vis Italy and host countries. Newspapers and magazines provided news and commentary from Italy, host countries, and the world at large geared toward the immigrant community. As such, they not only reflected the Italian diasporic viewpoints and attitudes of the time and place in which they were published but also actively shaped those viewpoints through the promotion of ideas and ideologies including Italian nationalism, assimilation, the modernization of the diasporic consumer, and the advancement of overtly political agendas ranging from left-wing radicalism to Italian Fascism.
Newspapers and magazines also served as significant vehicles for commercial advertisements and financial support. They were also major purveyors of cultural expression: Many featured serialized novels and endorsed musical and theatrical productions, while others focused on Italian food, fashion, and design. Historic as well as contemporary newspapers and magazines are documents of the Italian diaspora that offer opportunities to understand shifting concerns and aspirations around issues of politics, economics, language, and identities reflecting and reinforcing notions of race, ethnicity, class, and gender.
It is with this historical backdrop that the Italian American Review seeks essays for a special issue dedicated to the topic of Periodicals in the Italian Diaspora.
This proposed special issue of the Italian American Review builds on the growing scholarship on print media, ethnic press, image circulation, and emerging identities. We are looking for articles that address historical and contemporary print (not digital) newspapers and magazines from various points in the diaspora. We especially welcome articles about newspapers and magazines that have not previously received scholarly attention.
Some questions posed might include, but are not limited to:
● The role of editors, writers, and owners
● The finances of publishing
● Gendered readings of print media
● Crime stories: investigative journalism and its reception
● Issues of language (e.g., shifts in language use)
● Advertisements as commercial and visual culture
● Representations of Italy
● Literary works
● The press of the sovversivi and Fascists (e.g., Il carroccio)
● Lifestyle magazines (e.g., Attenzione, Panoram Italia Magazine)
At this juncture, the Italian American Review seeks abstracts of up to 500 words with an additional bibliography of no more than one page and a bio-note of no more than 200 words. The deadline for abstracts is July 1, 2023. The guest editors will then contact those authors whose abstracts are deemed relevant to the topic at hand.
All submissions go through a double-blind peer-review process. Authors are expected to follow the guidelines of the Italian American Review, which include both bibliographical formatting as well as stylistic requirements. Any accepted article that does not adhere to the journal’s guidelines risks not being included in the issue. Submissions should not exceed twenty-five double-spaced pages (notes and bibliography included).
For more information about the Italian American Review, please visit calandrainstitute.org and, under the publications menu, click on Italian American Review.
Please submit abstracts to editor David Aliano (david.aliano@mountsaintvincent.edu) and managing editor Rosangela Briscese (rosangela.briscese@qc.cuny.edu).
| 
