Anthony Buccino reads his 'Italian' verse
to Belleville Chapter of UNICO National
Anthony Buccino discussed commuting to work from Belleville to Jersey City each day as recounted in his poetry collection
Voices On The Bus, on Wednesday for members of the Belleville Chapter of UNICO National.
He read the title poem and other verse that painted a portrait of the state of transit and the ties it has to the town where he grew up.
Buccino used his little bit of Italan slang to read tales about his Italian American family from two collections of unpublished poems
Sometimes I Swear In Italian and
Sixteen Inches On Center.
"Spaghetti Trees" relates the idea that live in L'America would be perfect for the peasants who, had they stayed in Italy, would have eaten the dirt, and the vision of cooperation they hoped would await them in the new land where spaghetti grows on trees and when you are hungry you harvest the ravioli bushes.
"Most of the Italian I learned as a kid were the words you weren't supposed to use," he told the service club members. "When my parents spoke Italian, it was because they didn't want us kids to know what they were saying."
Buccino read poems about his Italian-speaking grandmother and his other grandmother who was born in America. He also read a poem about his father's bewildering first day of school when none of the teachers understood the little boy who only spoke his parent's dialect.
The poet reminded the audience of the long haul and sacrifices of their ancestors endured to bring Italian Americans to the point where they are as different from Italians in Italy as the egg is from the eggplant. But together, they make great food.
The local chapter purchased copies of Buccino's books for the high school and public library collections.
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Set List: Ninety-Three Hoover, Waiting For The Bus, Voices On The Bus, Spaghetti Trees, Needle, Money In Newspapers, American Boy, Sometimes I Swear In Italian, Butchie, Faccia Brute, Egg And Eggplant.
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SPS = Self Praise Stinks
