Calendar

Thursday, February 4th • 7:00 pm
Trivia Night – A Carnevale Evening in Venice, with Carla Gambescia

Venice, the most enchanting and improbable of cities, has given us many “gifts” such as Mardi Gras, the delicious Bellini cocktail, delectable carpaccio served in fine restaurants – and so much more!

In an engaging question-and-answer virtual session led by award-winning author and cultural expert Carla Gambescia, we will discover little-known backstories of the canal city often called La Serenissima; its opulent, often decadent, and captivating history; and the inventiveness of its residents.

All participants will be entered to win a copy of Carla’s book “La Dolce Vita University: An Unconventional Guide to Italian Culture from A to Z,” a Silver Prize winner of Best Travel Book of the Year. The book is an eclectic compendium of all things Italian and a joyful celebration of why we love Italy and, of course, Venice!

Laboratorio Virtuale di Scrittura – Virtual Writing Workshop
“Writing the Italian in Your Memories”
 A creative way to get through these cold months!

As Italians and Italian-Americans (IA), when we look back on our pasts, whether a year or decades ago, our stories are often intertwined with our culture—all of its richness, expectations, challenges and humor. During these workshops, led by author and instructor Maria Giura, we’ll focus on how three aspects – food, music, and language – form the background (or foreground) of our memories.

We’ll read short, vibrant excerpts written by IA authors and explore how they tell their stories. Participants will then be given prompts to generate their own writing. By the end of each workshop, participants will have produced an original piece of writing. No experience necessary, just a notebook, pen, and a sense of curiosity and fun!

Register for one, two, or all three 90-minute workshops. Pour your coffee and join Maria on Saturday mornings from 10 to 11:30 am. The fee for each workshop is $27 ($81 for all three), or $30 for non-members ($90 for all three.) There is a member discount for family members.

About the Instructor:

Maria Giura is the author of Celibate: A Memoir (Apprentice House) and What My Father Taught Me (Bordighera Press). Her writing has appeared in Prime Number, Presence, (Voices in) Italian Americana, Lips, Tiferet, and Paterson Literary Review. She has won awards from the Academy of American Poets, the Independent Press, and the Center for Women Writers, and was a judge for the Lauria/ Frasca Poetry Award. She has taught at St. John’s University, Montclair State, and Binghamton University where she earned her PhD in English. https://www.mariagiura.com/