Helen Barolini Umbertina, Interview

by Helen Barolini

Helen Barolini talks about ethnic writing in America as being the literature of the outsiders. She also talks at length about her novel Umbertina and her Italian-American family's immigrant/assimilation experience.

56 pages, Audio Cassette

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Helen Barolini was born and raised in Syracuse, NY and attended local schools. She attended Wells College,graduated magna cum laude from Syracuse University and received a Master's degree from Columbia University. She was an exchange student at the University of London where she studied contemporary English literature, and then traveled in Europe writing "Letters from Abroad" for the Syracuse Herald Journal. Following studies in Italy, she married the late Italian author and journalist Antonio Barolini.

In their married life of several moves between Italy and the United States, Helen Barolini became the English translator of Antonio's writings that were published in The New Yorker, Reporter and other American publications.

Given the intercultural themes of her work linking her American birth and education with her ancestral Italy, Helen Barolini has participated in international conferences and her work has been the subject of many student theses both here and abroad.

She has been honored by MELUS, the Hudson Valley Writers Center and other organizations for her literary work.