Picking a person of the year is a time-honored tradition in the magazine industry. Sometimes the man or woman who best represents the times we live in now, though important, is controversial. Other times their story suggests hope for the future. We opted for the latter.

Dear friend, my writing you is a means of diversion, and because you’re far away I’ll write you with more fervor. Since you’ve gone something new is going on. It’s over now, the old year, yet something doesn’t sit right here.

Thus sings Lucio Dalla [2] in “The Year to Come,” a popular song that has entered the collective imagination of multiple generations in Italy. I recommend looking it up on YouTube. In his letter to a friend, the great singer-songwriter from Bologna touches on an array of subjects, imparting most of all his sense of what “doesn’t sit right” and the importance of not losing hope in the possibility for change.

This year we placed our continued hope in a woman, opera singer Marianna Pizzolato [3]. Not only for the dream that, by persistence, she was able to realize, but for her self-mockery, her perceptiveness, her courage to be herself, her anti-diva diva ways in a world where everyone puts on (imagined more than not) airs. You’ll understand once you’ve read the cover story and watched the interview conducted in her dressing room at the Metropolitan Opera.

Other women featured here include the extraordinary photographer Lisetta Carmi, who has drawn comparison to Henri Cartier-Bresson, and the board members of the [4]Italian Welfare League [4] under the wonderful direction of Linda Carlozzi [5], who volunteer to help children affected by serious illnesses and their families.

This issue, which takes you into the new year, gathers together a number of subjects regarding current events in America as seen in “an Italian key.” On the eve of the President-Elect taking office, we assembled a few commentaries and, of particular note, an interview with noted Italian intellectual Sergio Romano [6], who provides a European view of American politics and considers future steps that Vladimir Putin [7] might take.

What else you ask? In 2017 we’ll be continuing our series “Grandparents and Grandchildren in Italian America.” Here you’ll find a conversation between John P. Calvelli and his brilliant grandson John D. The magic meeting of minds between seemingly distant generations is fascinating.

Our foodie section includes an interview with another well-known “grandfather” in Italy, Giovanni Rana, who has made a name for himself in the restaurant industry thanks to his creative genius—a matter of passion rather than business. Another uncanny story is that of young Roberto Scarcella Perino, a modern (and Sicilian) version of a Renaissance Man who has profitably yoked his two passions: music and cuisine. One of the leitmotifs of this issue (and i-Italy in general!) is how

the combination of passion and work can be an antidote to the cold logic of business. As Salvatore Ambrosino puts it in his article on maestros of Italian artisanship, the secret lies in detecting a “Heart Beyond Spreadsheets.”

As usual, there’s not enough room here to cover everything, but I cannot neglect to mention Anna Lawton’s interview with writer Domenico Starnone and Fred Gardaphe’s review of Joseph Sciorra’s acclaimed book “Builth with Faith.” Neither should you miss Goffredo Palmerini’s travels through Lago di Garda, accompanied by gastronomic recommendations by our food editors Michele and Charles Scicolone. 

I’ll leave off by saying that 2017 will be a special year for i-Italy. You’ll know what I mean when you see the next issue. For now I’ll keep you in a bit of suspense. The changes will be many and we’ll need your help to see them through.

i-Italy was founded in New York eight years ago with the stated mission of bringing together three similar yet historically isolated groups of Italophiles: Italians living in the United States, Americans of Italian heritage, and all Americans who love Italy. Our plan was ambitious; we wanted to tell the story of Italian life in America by producing quality content for television, print, and web media whose powerful message would spark lively discussions and debates—that were, most importantly, in English.

Since then, with few resources and lots of enthusiasm, we’ve achieved miraculous results. Our website now has over a million hits and, between Facebook and other social media, we have almost 200,000 followers. Moreover, our print magazine is in its fourth year of production, as is our television program, which airs weekly on NYCTV, the Public Broadcasting Station of the City of New York (Channel 25).

We’re pleased and proud of our work, but remember that i-Italy exists thanks to you and your donations. In other words, you are the ones who can help us keep the dream going! We accept any contribution. Every dollar counts!

On behalf of the entire staff of i-Italy, I wish you happiness and success for every year to come. 

Letizia Airos