IDEA Boston is an initiative of I AM Books (an abbreviation for Italian AMerican), Boston’s independent Italian bookstore founded in 2015 by Nicola Orichuia and Jim Pinzino. The Boston North End neighborhood bookstore serves as a cultural hub for locals and visitors interested in diving into the rich world of Italian and Italian American culture, literature, history, research, art and more. IDEA Boston will feature 24 panel talks, over 60 speakers, a theatrical performance, a musical performance, a photo exhibit, 11 actors, 12 musicians, and a grand finale party.

The IDEA Boston festival is an extension of the bookstore’s platform and mission. IDEA Boston is a two-day “Italian-inspired cultural festival, celebrating literature, history, art and many other aspects of Italian and Italian American culture. IDEA Boston kicks off on Friday, November 1, 2019 at the Dante Alighieri Society of Massachusetts in Cambridge beginning at 12:40 pm with the “Beyond DiMaggio: The Influence of Italian American Players in Baseball” panel featuring two filmmakers focusing on similar subjects.  Led by Roberto Angotti and Karen De Luca Stephens, this discussion will dive into the rich and sometimes obscure history of Italian American players in America’s favorite pastime. At a time when Italian immigrants were still seen with suspicion, Italian American players helped break barriers, forcing many to look beyond the stereotypes.

Roberto Angotti is a cultural historian, writer, film director, curator, and radio DJ who blends his love of baseball, Italian American arts and culture, and music into multi-media creations. His film, Italian American Baseball Family, tells the story of how Italian Americans assimilated into popular culture through America’s favorite pastime, baseball, and how Italian Americans have circled back to Italy to grow the game by playing for Team Italy in the Olympics and the World Baseball Classic.
At the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) 42nd Anniversary Gala in November 2017, the movie was screened and won the Russo Brothers Italian American Film Forum Award. Angotti is an official Team Italy media representative for Federazione Italiana Baseball Softball (FIBS), and he reports first-hand from international competitions such as the World Baseball Classic and the upcoming 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan: www.FIBS.it/en. He was first inspired to write about baseball in Italy and the USA, Italian American arts and culture, and music through his blog: http://www.MLBforLife.com.

Born into a Boston immigrant family, Karen De Luca Stephens lived in East Boston until her graduation from Northeastern University with a B.A. in philosophy. After receiving an M.A. in philosophy from the Johns Hopkins University she moved to Mexico City where she and her husband have recently founded the Tlacopac Artist Residency. From 2014-2017, De Luca Stephens was a Fellow in Fiction at the Writers’ Institute, CUNY Graduate Center. While a fellow she wrote a collection of short fiction and the screenplay for a feature film, Hitting Home. Based on the true story of a team of young boys from East Boston, Hitting Home is about the Italian immigrant experience during the Great Depression and the American dream that shaped a generation against the backdrop of our favorite pastime, baseball.

Since I AM Books and IDEA Boston‘s goals include helping individuals understand the Italian American experience, bookstore co-founder and festival organizer Nicola Orichuia provided recommendations for those who would like an introduction to Italian American literature:

• Ask the Dust: A Novel, by John Fante (the book that Orichuia fell in love with as a teenager)
• The Dream Book: An Anthology of Writings by Italian-American Women, edited by Helen Barolini
• “Really any book by Fred Gardaphé, who is at the Calandra Institute in New York. The Calandra Institute is solely dedicated to the study of Italian American culture and identity. So anything by Fred Gardaphé is definitely worth diving into to try to understand better the Italian American experience.”Whether navigating Boston’s North End neighborhood for the first time or tracing back American history along the Freedom Trail, I AM Books is a mandatory stop where visitors connect with each other and immerse themselves in Italian and Italian American culture through book signings, small concerts and other events. Located at 189 North Street, right across the street from the historic Paul Revere House and a few steps away from North Square, I AM Books sells primarily fiction and non-fiction by Italian and Italian American authors, books in Italian, as well as cookbooks and books on travel, history, sports, Italian American studies and titles by local authors. The store also features a children’s section, with books, learning material, games and toys. Hours: Mon-Sat 10-6; Sun 10-4 | Tel. 857-263-7665 I AM Books website

IDEA Boston takes place November 1 and 2, 2019 at Dante Alighieri Society of Massachusetts, 41 Hampshire Street, Cambridge. Tickets are available per session, or per day; more information and ticket purchases can be found on the IDEA Boston website.