Music Feature
Dances with Spiders: Italian Roots Music With Bite
Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino brings the pizzica tarantata to North America
Mambo Siciliano
Roy Paci and Aretuska bring their global sound to America
Book Review
Thoughts Without Cigarettes
Review of Oscar Hijuelos' memoir
The Potter's Field
The Inspector Montalbano detective stories are best-sellers in Italy and have a devoted international following.
The Pope is Not Gay!
Angelo Quattrocchi's critique of papal homophobia
Keef's 'Life'
Keith Richard's memoir "Life"
"A Finook in the Crew"
My essay from "The Essential Sopranos Reader," published by the University Presses of Kentucky
Pop Music Criticism
Rocking Chair Blues
Howlin' Wolf's "Rocking Chair" album, track by track, from PopMatters
Cultural Criticism
Whose Family Values? The Cinema of Ferzan Ozpetek
I presented this paper at the conference, "The Three 'Fs' in Italian Culture: Food, Film and Fashion," April 29-30, New York City
Film Criticism
Mafia Movies
This new collection of critical essays from University of Toronto covers the mafia/organized crime film genre like no previous book.
Interview
Bread, Wine, and Soul
An Interview with jazz master Joe Lovano
Review Essay
Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition
My review, from the New York Journal of Books
Music Criticism
Mara La Fatia ("Work is Hard")
From soundtrack composer, singer and percussionist Antonio Castrignanó
Very Cellular Songs
Remembering the Incredible String Band
Levon Helm's Electric Dirt
The Band's drummer makes an Americana classic
The Hugh Tracey Recordings:
Colonial Dance Bands and Bulawayo Jazz
Review essay of two African music compilations from the Hugh Tracey archives
Political Commentary
The Poetry of Politics
An evening with Italy's Nichi Vendola
The Massa Meltdown
Why a Congressman's fall isn't (just) a laughing matter
Profile
Music Profile
The 'Lion' of Salsa
An appeciation of Oscar D'Leon
Music Criticsm
New Italian Routes
In Berlusconi Time, some Italian musicians sing of and for another Italy
non-fiction
Nonfiction
An Offer We Can’t Refuse: The Mafia in the Mind of America
"Finally, a book that helps to explain America’s enduring fascination with the mythology of the Mafia."
--JOHN TURTURRO
Magazine Article
"It's All 'Too Much'"
Labor journalist Sam Pizzigati on American inequality, corporate malfeasance, and Obama's economics
History
