Jerre Mangione
Encyclopedia
Jerre Mangione was an American writer and scholar of the Italian-American experience.
He was a graduate of Syracuse University
and of the Federal Writers' Project
.
He was a professor of literature at the University of Pennsylvania
from 1961 until his retirement in 1978.
Mangione was “widely recognized by students of acculturation as a sensitive chronicler of the problems of negotiation the difficult passages between two cultures.”
He became famous upon the publication of his first book, Mt. Allegro, a “classic autobiographical novel” about growing up in the Sicilian-American community of Rochester, New York
. Mangione wrote Mount Allegro as a nonfiction memoir; however, his publisher, Houghton Mifflin
, "insisted on publishing it as fiction because their sales department decided it would sell better with that label." Mangione consented only to changing the names of the people in the memoir, and he inserted a memorable tongue-in-cheek disclaimer: "The characters in this book are fictitious and have fictitious names. Anyone who thinks he recognizes himself in it is kindly asked to bear that in mind."
Two decades after the book appeared, the city of Rochester officially renamed Mangione’s old neighborhood Mt. Allegro, in tribute to his book.
After publication of his final book, La Storia: Five Centuries of the Italian-American Experience, Mangione was honored by the Library of Congress
with an exhibition of his works and papers.
Mangione's nephews are musicians Chuck Mangione
and Gap Mangione
.
He was a graduate of Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
and of the Federal Writers' Project
Federal Writers' Project
The Federal Writers' Project was a United States federal government project to fund written work and support writers during the Great Depression. It was part of the Works Progress Administration, a New Deal program...
.
He was a professor of literature at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
from 1961 until his retirement in 1978.
Mangione was “widely recognized by students of acculturation as a sensitive chronicler of the problems of negotiation the difficult passages between two cultures.”
He became famous upon the publication of his first book, Mt. Allegro, a “classic autobiographical novel” about growing up in the Sicilian-American community of Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
. Mangione wrote Mount Allegro as a nonfiction memoir; however, his publisher, Houghton Mifflin
Houghton Mifflin
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is an educational and trade publisher in the United States. Headquartered in Boston's Back Bay, it publishes textbooks, instructional technology materials, assessments, reference works, and fiction and non-fiction for both young readers and adults.-History:The company was...
, "insisted on publishing it as fiction because their sales department decided it would sell better with that label." Mangione consented only to changing the names of the people in the memoir, and he inserted a memorable tongue-in-cheek disclaimer: "The characters in this book are fictitious and have fictitious names. Anyone who thinks he recognizes himself in it is kindly asked to bear that in mind."
Two decades after the book appeared, the city of Rochester officially renamed Mangione’s old neighborhood Mt. Allegro, in tribute to his book.
After publication of his final book, La Storia: Five Centuries of the Italian-American Experience, Mangione was honored by the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
with an exhibition of his works and papers.
Mangione's nephews are musicians Chuck Mangione
Chuck Mangione
Charles Frank "Chuck" Mangione is an American flugelhorn player and composer who achieved international success in 1977 with his jazz-pop single, "Feels So Good." Mangione has released more than thirty albums since 1960.-Early life and career:...
and Gap Mangione
Gap Mangione
Gaspare "Gap" Mangione is a jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and bandleader from Rochester, New York, United States.Born and raised in Rochester, Mangione's younger brother is Grammy-winning flugelhornist Chuck Mangione. Members of a music-loving family, both Gap and Chuck took up instruments...
.
Books
- Mt Allegro (1943)
- The Dream and the Deal: The Federal Writers Project, 1935-43 (1972)
- Passion for Sicilians: The World Around Danilo Dolci (1968)
- An Ethnic at Large: Memoirs of America in the 30's and 40's (1978)
- La Storia: Five Centuries of the Italian American Experience, with Ben Morreale (1992)