Croton Elegies: 45

by Antonio Barolini

Recognized as one of Italy’s important poets, Antonio Barolini (1910-1971) was born in Vicenza, Italy and spent more than a decade in the United States as a journalist. Antonio Barolini was the author of nine other volumes of poetry, three novels, a collection of short stories, and a book of essays.

101 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1959

About the author

Antonio Barolini (Vicenza, May 29, 1910 – Rome, January 21, 1971) was an Italian novelist, poet and journalist.

He was born in a family of sailors, his father died in 1919 for the wounds suffered during the World War I. In 1929 he left school and began working in a bank. He self-published his first book of poetry in 1930 ("Cinque canti"); in 1938 his firiends help him published his second book of poems "La gaia gioventù", as he became "persona non grata" for the Fascist regime. These and his later books are all permeated by an existential, religious and social angst. He was condemned and wanted by the Republica Sociale Italian due his anti-fascist activism but escaped fascists till the end of the war.

He frequently visited the United States where he met and married his wife, the writer Helen Barolini (born Helen Mollica). They had three daughters: Teodolinda, Susanna and Nicoletta.

His novels, mostly set in very little towns of Veneto region are focused on ethics and philosophical themes. His first novel was "Le giornate di Stefano" (1930), but the novel was later expanded and newly edited in 1969 as "La memoria di Stefano". He also wrote sixteen short stories translated in english by his wife for The New Yorker and later published in the book "Our last family countess and related stories" (1960) (in italian "L'ultima contessa di famiglia", 1968).