Blurb:
Americana is a groundbreaking anthology curated by Italian writer and intellectual Elio Vittorini. First published in 1941, it introduced Italian readers to a rich selection of American literature, much of which was virtually unknown in Italy at the time. The two volumes contain short stories and excerpts from the works of major U.S. authors including Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Jack London, Sherwood Anderson, Willa Cather, and John Steinbeck, among others.
Vittorini carefully selected and translated many of the pieces himself, and worked alongside prominent Italian figures like Cesare Pavese, Eugenio Montale, and Alberto Moravia. The collection spans American literature from the 19th century to the early 20th, offering a vibrant portrait of a literary culture that was both foreign and fascinating to wartime Italy.