Ada Negri’s The Book of Mara

This December Italica Press published two dual-language volumes by one of Italy’s most important twentieth-century poets, Ada Negri. Both are translated, with an introduction and bibliography, by Maria A. Costantini. The first, The Book of Mara, reflects Negri’s tormented love affair with a man whose life was cut short by premature death. It is, in essence, one long poem arising from a woman’s most intimate space  — a most passionate expression of love, loss and redemption. Written in 1919 with unusual frankness, especially in view of Italian society of the time, Il Libro di Mara is considered the high point of Negri’s poetic work.

Through metrical and formal execution, The Book of Mara demonstrates the originality of her verse, which opens up to a more personal dimension — almost prose-like. Her verse is impressionistic, almost mystical, spanned with bristling lyrics, sudden igniting bursts and visionary flashes.

Italica Press has published this edition in both hardcover and paperback editions, and will soon make it available for the Kindle and other handhelds.

Forthcoming Poetry Titles

We’re pleased to announce that three new titles will soon be joining our Poetry in Translation series. These include two by one of Italy’s greatest twentieth-century poets, Ada Negri: The Book of Mara and Songs of the Island, both translated and introduced by Maria A. Costantini. Both will be available in December 2010.

The third is the medieval epic romance, Elye of Saint-Gilles, edited and translated by A. Richard Hartman and Sandra C. Malicote, available in November 2010. All three will be presented as dual-language editions.

Hell on the Radio

On Sunday, September 26th, Eileen Gardiner will be interviewed on Tapestry, Canadian Broadcasting’s weekly show on faith. The show will be devoted to notions of the afterlife, and Gardiner’s segment will be discussing medieval and modern notions of hell. Mary Hynes hosts. Like NPR’s Speaking of Faith, this weekly program is an “engaging, provocative and unexpected hour of radio: an hour in which rabbis and poets get equal time on the topic of faith, science-fiction writers and physicist-priests ponder the great creation myths, athletes explore the hero’s journey as a spiritual metaphor, and architects examine the idea of space for the soul.”

Tapestry airs on CBC Radio One on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 Atlantic, Eastern and Central; 3:00 Pacific; and 4:00 Mountain. It is rebroadcast on Thursday at 3:00. After the first airing on September 26th, you can listen to the show or download a podcast at http://www.cbc.ca/tapestry .

Dr. Gardiner is the author of several books on Hell, including Visions of Heaven and Hell Before Dante, and is the curator of the website “Hell-on-Line.” She was recently one of the scholars featured on the History Channel special, “Gates of Hell,” which is now also available on DVD and iTunes.

Eileen Gardiner on History Channel

Eileen Gardiner will be appearing on the History Channel’s two-hour documentary, “Gates of Hell.” It premiers Tuesday, August 17, at 8:00 PM. Dr. Gardiner will be discussing St. Patrick’s Purgatory on Lough Derg, Ireland. Her related book, The Pilgrim’s Way to St. Patrick’s Purgatory, has just been published by Italica Press.

“Gates of Hell” explores six places across the globe believed to be actual entrances into Hell. They include a volcano in Iceland, a cave in the jungles of Central America, a lake of fire in Africa, Lago Averno outside Naples, a pagan sacred site in Greece, and St. Patrick’s Purgatory in Ireland. According to ancient myth and legend, each one is a passage to the infernal otherworld. Even today, some believe they are still portals. They share striking similarities. The History Channel visits these locations, and along the way, reveals how the concept of Hell emerged in history and why it still evokes such fascination today.

Please tune in!

Summer 2010 Catalog Now Online

Our Summer 2010 catalog is now available as a downloadable PDF document. It contains information on all Italica Press publications, including title, author, ISBN, description, pricing, publication date, shipping weight, cover image, and formats. The catalog also contains hyperlinks to title entries on our web site (with complete title information), as well as an order form. The catalog may be viewed on screen or downloaded, printed, e-mailed or mailed to your colleagues or bookbuyers.

Of special note this Summer are several new and forthcoming titles. Foremost among these is Eileen Gardiner’s The Pilgrim’s Way to St. Patrick’s Purgatory, which was published this July.

Forthcoming titles include the chanson de geste, Elye of Saint-Gilles, presented in a dual-language edition with facing French and English. It is edited and translated by A. Richard Hartman and Sandra C. Malicote. Also forthcoming is Bernard André’s The Life of Henry VII, translated with an introduction by Daniel Hobbins.

Worth noting again are three recent publications: Medieval Renaissance Baroque edited by David A. Levine and Jack Freiberg; Camillo Agrippa’s Fencing: A Renaissance Treatise, translated and edited by Ken Mondschein; and Fierabras and Floripas: A French Epic Allegory, translated and introduced by Michael A.H. Newth.

Our titles are available through our own website, through online bookstores like Amazon.com, through your local or campus bookstore, or through e-book vendors and on handhelds, including the Kindle and iPad. Formats include hardcover and paperback, PDF, EPub and Kindle versions. Our titles are also offered through most major distributors. We hope that you will take a look at our offerings, and we look forward to hearing from you.