The Dante Society of Westerly, RI

Professor Michael Siefert: Lecture on Enrico Fermi, Physicist
2022-10-20 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Westerly Library Auditorium, 44 Broad St, Westerly, 02891
Enrico Fermi was one of the most influential physicists of the 20th century. His contributions to the field of physics helped shape much of modern physics as it exists today; his work was instrumental in the development of statistical physics, quantum mechanics, nuclear physics, and particle physics. Almost uniquely among his colleagues, he was adept both in constructing models to understand the Universe and in conducting experiments to confirm or refute these models. One of his biographers called him “the last man who knew everything.”
In this talk, Prof. Seifert will trace Fermi’s life from his youth as a mathematical prodigy in Rome, through his influential research and receipt of the Nobel Prize in Physics, to his emigration to the United States and his pivotal work on the Manhattan Project. He will also discuss some of deep and fascinating ideas that Fermi discovered.
Michael Seifert was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He developed a love of deep physics in high school, going on to earn a bachelor’s degree in physics from Swarthmore College and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Chicago. He subsequently worked at Indiana University, Eckerd College, and Williams College before joining Connecticut College in 2014. His research involves gravitational physics and particle physics, particularly as to how the properties of space and time influence physical phenomena via the socalled “Lorentz symmetry”. He lives in Quaker Hill, CT with his wife.

Membership Meeting
2022-11-03 18:00 - 20:00 | Westerly Senior Center, 39 State St., Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
Dante Society of Westerly: Membership Meeting

Prof. Joseph Luzzi: "Botticelli's Secret: The Lost Drawings and the Rediscovery of the Renaissance"
2022-11-12 13:00 - 15:00 | Westerly Library Auditorium, 44 Broad St, Westerly, 02891
Some five hundred years ago, Sandro Botticelli, a painter of humble origin, created works of unearthly beauty. A star of Florence’s art world, he was commissioned by a member of the city’s powerful Medici family to execute a near-impossible project: to illustrate all one hundred cantos of The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, the ultimate visual homage to that “divine” poet.
A Westerly native, Joseph Luzzi (PhD Yale) is Professor of Comparative Literature and Faculty Member in Italian Studies at Bard College. He was recently a Wallace Fellow at Harvard’s Villa I Tatti, where he was writing a cultural history of Dante’s Divine Comedy that will appear with Princeton University Press.
Professor Luzzi is the author of Romantic Europe and the Ghost of Italy (Yale University Press, 2008), which received the MLA’s Scaglione Prize for Italian Studies; A Cinema of Poetry: Aesthetics of the Italian Art Film (Johns Hop-kins University Press, 2014), a finalist for the international prize “The Bridge Book” Award; My Two Italies (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2014), a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice; and In a Dark Wood: What Dante Taught Me About Grief, Healing, and the Mysteries of Love (HarperCollins, 2015). His essays and reviews have appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chronicle of Higher Education, TLS, Bookforum, and American Scholar, among others, and his scholarly writing has appeared in PMLA, Modern Language Notes, Modern Language Quarterly, Raritan, Italica, and Studies on Voltaire and the Eighteenth Century.
The first American-born child in his Italian immigrant family, Professor Luzzi was named Cittadino Onorario (Honorary Citizen) of Acri, Calabria, in 2017. Among his other honors are a Dante Society of America essay prize, Yale College teaching prize, and fellowships from the National Humanities Center and Yale’s Whitney Humanities Center.

Ashley Turney: "Rome"
2022-12-07 18:00 - 19:30 | Westerly Library Auditorium, 44 Broad St, Westerly, 02891
While it is virtually impossible to cover more than 2000 years of history in a single evening, even a small taste of the magnificence of Rome is better than nothing. Relying on her 25 years of experience living, working and studying in Italy, Ashley introduces guests to the beauty of the Italian lifestyle through art, history, food and wine. Her passion is planning trips to Italy with her guests in mind. She arranges experiences of a lifetime – hot air balloon rides over Tuscany, private shopping tours of Florence, celebratory dinners in a medieval monastery, horseback riding, after hours visits of Saint Mark’s Basilica or the Sistine Chapel. For those who cannot make it to Italy, Ashley loves nothing more than bringing la dolce vita to them here in the States.
Ashley publishes a blog twice a week, inviting her readers to be inspired and dream about that trip that they will take someday.
A copy of the flyer for this presentation can be downloaded by clicking here:
Dec.2022 Ashley Turney.

This is the fourth presentation by Ashley.
Earlier this year Ashley gave a talk on Sicily; the calendar entry for that can be seen by clicking here: March.2022 Ashley Turney.

Previously Umbria was discussed; the calendar entry for that can be seen by clicking here: 2021 Ashley Turney.

2023 Winter Gathering
2023-02-05 14:00 - 16:00 | RI
This is the annual winter gathering, open to members and their spouses.
Cost is $15/per person.
For details, please see either the Flyer or the Newsletter sent out by Cathy.

Prof. Alfred Crudale: The Voices of Italy: Italian Language Newspapers and Radio Programs in Rhode Island
2023-02-11 13:00 | Westerly Library Auditorium, 44 Broad St, Westerly, 02891
Alfred R. Crudale, Ph.D.,is a professor of Italian at the University of RI.
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

Movie: "Paradiso"
2023-02-27 16:00 - 18:00 | The United Theater, 5 Canal St., Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
The first movie for the Westerly Dante Society 2023 file series is “Paradiso”. This movie received the 1990 Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Cost is $6 per person at The United Theater’s box office.

General Membership Meeting March 2023
2023-03-16 18:00 | Westerly Senior Center, 39 State St., Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
Agenda will be sent to members shortly before the meeting.

Members are reminded that the bylaws require attendance at a minimum of 50% of membership meetings as well as participation and support in society activities.

When available, the Agenda and/or Minutes of the meeting may be found using this link: Index of Agendas & Minutes

Prof. Peter Nightingale: The Life and Times of Galileo
2023-04-29 13:00 | Westerly Library Auditorium, 44 Broad St, Westerly, 02891
Peter Nightingale, Ph.D, theoretical physicist, the University of Rhode Island.
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

Cappizzano Oil & Vinegar: "The Unforgettable Plate"
2023-05-06 13:00 | Westerly Library Auditorium, 44 Broad St, Westerly, 02891
Lecture and book signing.
This is a save the date announcement. Details forthcoming.
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

General Membership Meeting June 2023
2023-06-15 18:00 | Westerly Senior Center, 39 State St., Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
This is the 2nd members’ business meeting for 2023.
Agenda will be sent to members shortly before the meeting.

Members are reminded that the bylaws require attendance at a minimum of 50% of membership meetings as well as participation and support in society activities.

When available, the Agenda and/or Minutes of the meeting may be found using this link: Index of Agendas & Minutes

Annual Spring Gathering
2023-06-28 18:00 | RI
This is the annual membership gathering for the end of the 2022/2023 season. For details please see the flyer Cathy sent to members on May 17.

General Membership Meeting September 2023
2023-09-14 18:00 - 20:00 | Westerly Senior Center, 39 State St., Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
This is the 4th (and last) members’ business meeting for 2023.
Agenda will be sent to members shortly before the meeting.

Members are reminded that the bylaws require attendance at a minimum of 50% of membership meetings as well as participation and support in society activities.

When available, the Agenda and/or Minutes of the meeting may be found using this link: Index of Agendas & Minutes

The society is seeking the following:

Dante member(s) familiar with Microsoft Publisher. Looking for volunteers who can assist in generating society brochures and posters and/or mentor others in the process. If you wish to volunteer, please use the new contact form and select “Other” for the Category.
Suggestions for the speakers for the Dante lecture series. If you have any suggestion, please use the new contact form and select “Question, Comment or Suggestion for the Lecture Series” for the Category.
Auction items for the Cooking Demo in October, 2023. If you have an item, please use the new contact form and select “Question, Comment or Suggestion for the Cooking Demo” for the Category.

Movie: "Life is Beautiful"
2023-09-18 16:00 | The United Theater, 5 Canal St., Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
When an open-minded Jewish waiter and his son become victims of the Holocaust, he uses a perfect mixture of will, humor and imagination to protect his son from the dangers around their camp.

Awarded many top film honors including American Academy Award Oscar for best foreign film of the year. It is rated PG-13, and runs approximately 2 hrs.

This 1997 film is listed at #27 on the Internet Movie Database list of top 250 movies. It won more than 70 awards, including 3 Oscars.
Trailers for the movie and additional details on the film can be found on the IMDB at https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118799/

Tickets can be purchased on line from the United Theatre: https://unitedtheatre.org/shows/life-is-beautiful/

Lecture Series: Rebel With a Cause
2023-09-30 13:00 | Westerly Library Auditorium, 44 Broad St, Westerly, 02891
Prof. Hilary Emerson will present a lecture entitled “Rebel with a Cause: Lina Mangiacapre and her Neapolitan Feminist Films”. The lecture will include a brief presentation followed by a screening of “Lina Mangiacapre: Artista del femminismo” [Lina Mangiacapre: Artist of Feminism], a 40-minute docufilm by Nadia Pizzuti.

Pizzuti provides an artistic glimpse into the art, philosophy, and lives of Lina Mangiacapre and her fellow avant-garde artists in Naples. The film folds together varied audiovisual material, including: clips from Mangiacapre’s short and feature films, manifestos, interviews, photography, painting, poetry, and more.
Hilary Emerson is an Assistant Teaching Professor and Coordinator of Italian at the University of Rhode Island. Originally from Connecticut, Hilary completed her B.A. at Wheaton College in Massachusetts and Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her teaching specializations include: Italian language and society, modern and contemporary literature, and gender and film studies. Her research interests include: Lina Mangiacapre and the Nemesiache, Italian art film, political film, film theory, and inclusive pedagogy.
This film is unrated and may include mature content.

Note: All lectures in the lecture series hosted by the Dante Society of Westerly are live events only and are not recorded. They are neither streamed online nor available afterwards as recordings.

2023 Annual Anna Turrisi Cooking Demonstration
2023-10-05 18:00 | Calabrese Club, 28 Pleasant Street, Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE
Tickets are still being sold at the Chamber of Commerce (see below), and will be sold there up until Thursday.
A limited number of tickets may be available at the door, depending on prior sales.
(on line purchases are no longer available)

The Dante Society of Westerly will continue our tradition of hosting the annual Anna Turrisi Food Demonstration. The event will feature a video of the culinary students from the Westerly High School demonstrating their cooking skills, followed by a live Q&A session with the chefs. A meal will be served based on the video presentation, followed by a raffle and auction.
Tickets are required for attendance. There is a 180 seat limit.

The base price of each ticket is $25, with a credit card processing charge of $1/ticket if purchased online.
Tickets may now be purchased online or in person.

Purchase individual tickets online (until 5 PM Saturday, Sept 30)

The cost per ticket is $26 each, inclusive of the credit card processing fee.
Upon completion of the payment, you will be emailed a receipt indicating the number of tickets purchased; the Dante Society will receive a copy of the receipt.
Several days after placing the order you should receive an email copy of your tickets.
Tickets may be purchased on line by clicking this link:<Purchase Tickets>

Note: Due to processing time, online ticket purchases will not be available after 5PM, Saturday, Sept 30.

Purchase a reserved table with 9 tickets (until 5 PM Saturday, Sept 30)

The total cost for a package containing a reserved table and nine tickets is $250, inclusive of the credit card processing fee.
The count on the order is for the number of packages, not the number of tickets.
Upon completion of the payment, you will be emailed a receipt indicating the purchase of a package (assuming you only ordered 1 package); the Dante Society will receive a copy of the receipt.
Several days after placing the order you should receive an email copy of the 9 tickets.
Reserved table packages may be purchased on line by clicking this link:<Purchase Reserved Table Package>

Note: There are a limited number of tables set aside for reservations. The number available may be impacted based on individual sales.

Purchase Tickets in person at the Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce

The chamber is located at 1 Chamber Way, Westerly RI (just off Route 1)
Tickets are $25 each, cash or check (no credit cards)
You can check the hours the Chamber is open on their website: <www.oceanchamber.org>

Space for advertisements and/or personal messages are available in the event’s brochure.
Among other items the brochure will also contain the menu and recipes.
Cost for the space is:

Full Page: $250
Half Page: $125
Quarter Page: $50
Eighth Page $25

For additional information, please contact the Dante Society of Westerly with this form: <Request Information>

Lecture: Prisoners in Paradise
2023-10-21 13:00 | Westerly Library Auditorium, 44 Broad St, Westerly, 02891
Update October 21: You may buy the DVD on line, or stream to view the movie. For details, click HERE.

This lecture consists of a screening of the 59-minute award-winning documentary “Prisoners in Paradise”, directed and produced by Camilla Calamandrei, followed by a discussion facilitated by Dante Society member John Ghersi.

During World War II more than 51,000 Italian soldiers were brought to the United States as Prisoners of War. “Prisoners in Paradise,” traces the previously untold story of these young men, their romances and friendships with American women, and their significant — but unrecognized — contribution to the Allied war effort.
Featuring rare period footage of POW camps, “Prisoners in Paradise” follows six Italian POWs (and the women they met in America) on their extraordinary journey—full of challenges, love, perseverance, and good luck. Captured primarily in Northern Africa, where they had been surviving on hard biscuits and water, the Italian POWs were amazed at the abundance of food in the USA and the generosity of their captors. Ironically, for many, capture had turned out to be a stroke of good fortune.*
*Taken from https://www.prisonersinparadise.com/trailer/, with permission of Camilla Calamandrei
This film is unrated and may include mature content.

Additional information on the film can be found at the movie’s web site:
Prisoners in Paradise
IMDB.com is limited in information on the movie

Note: All lectures in the lecture series hosted by the Dante Society of Westerly are live events only and are not recorded. They are neither streamed online nor available afterwards as recordings.

Movie: "The Godfather Part II"
2023-10-23 16:00 - 19:30 | The United Theater, 5 Canal St., Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
This 1997 film is based in the 1920’s, looking at the early life and career of Vito Corleone

The Godfather Part II is listed at #4 on the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) list of top 250 movies. It won numerous awards, including 6 Oscars.
Trailers for the movie and additional details on the film can be found on the IMDB at https://www.imdb.com/.
The movie is rated “R”. Running time is approximately 3 1/2 hrs.

Tickets can be purchased on line from the United Theatre: The Godfather Part II – United Theatre

Lecture: Growing Up Italian in Rhode Island
2023-11-04 13:00 | Westerly Library Auditorium, 44 Broad St, Westerly, 02891
Dr. Edward A. Iannuccilli will discuss his story of growing up Italian and will integrate it with the history of Italian immigration, the first Italian immigrants in Rhode Island, and how you can begin to write your story. And where is Westerly in this story….

Ed Iannuccilli, a retired gastroenterologist, has had extensive experience in academics, management, governance, and entrepreneurial endeavors. Former Chairman of the Board at Rhode Island Hospital and a former member of the Lifespan Board, he is a Clinical Professor Emeritus at The Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University .
Dr. Iannuccilli is a graduate of Providence College and Albany Medical College. He is a published author of medical articles and of stories of his childhood. Dr. Iannuccilli has been on numerous boards and was honored as a distinguished alumnus of Classical High School in 2014 . He was recently inducted into The RI Heritage Hall of Fame.
Currently a weekly columnist for GoLocalProv, he is the author of several books including: Growing up Italian; Grandfather’s Fig Tree and Other Stories; What Ever Happened to Sunday Dinner and Other Stories; and My Story Continues: From Neighborhood to Junior High School.

Note: All lectures in the lecture series hosted by the Dante Society of Westerly are live events only and are not recorded. They are neither streamed online nor available afterwards as recordings.

General Membership Meeting November 2023
2023-11-16 18:00 | Westerly Senior Center, 39 State St., Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
This is the 4th (and last) members’ business meeting for 2023.
Agenda will be sent to members shortly before the meeting.

Members are reminded that the bylaws require attendance at a minimum of 50% of membership meetings as well as participation and support in society activities.

The Agenda of the meeting may be found using this link to the index: Index of Agendas & Minutes
The Minutes of the previous meeting, which are up for approval at this meeting, may be found using the same initial link.

Nov 17 at the Knickerbocker with the band La Terza Classe
2023-11-17 20:00 | The Knickerbocker, 35 Railroad Ave, Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
This Friday evening (Nov 17, 2023) The Knickerbocker is featuring the band La Terza Classe.
The band is described as presenting an “authentic and original sound rooted in the soul of Italy and the heart of American roots music“. Additional details can be found on the Knickerbocker’s web site: https://knickmusic.com/events/2023/11/17laterza
The band’s website, including links to samples of their music, is https://www.laterzaclasse.it/
Advanced tickets are $15 (with a $2 service charge for online purchases), but specially price at the door: $7.50 for members of the Dante Society of Westerly. (Your name must be on the membership list to get this price)

Movie: "Paisan"
2023-11-20 16:00 | The United Theater, 5 Canal St., Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
This 1946 film spans one and a half years of the liberation of Italy towards the end of World War II. The movie consists of 6 episodes, starting with the American invasion of Sicily in the first episode. Subsequent episodes include Naples, Rome, Florence, and the Apennines mountains.

The movie is included in the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage’s 100 films to be saved. Additional information is available on Wikipedia.
The film was a 1950 Academy Award nominee for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay.
Cast and story line can be found on the Internet Movie Database.
The movie is unrated, and runs approximately 2 hours.

Tickets will become available on line from the United Theatre as the date of showing approaches.

Presentation: "The Troubadour" with "Little John"
2023-12-06 18:00 | Westerly Library Auditorium, 44 Broad St, Westerly, 02891
Growing up Boomer, Italian, (and a little Irish) in Westerly – A Celebration in Song, Hilarity, and really good Gravy!
Join Frank Pendola, one of Westerly’s favorite sons and one of southern New England’s favorite vocalists as he teams up with Westerly born and well-known comedian John Roarke.
Together these two old friends will take you on a rollicking and nostalgic roller coaster ride* back to the days of Vars, Holliday’s Restaurant, and WERI—all through song and story.
You’re going to love this one, even if you’re not a Boomer!

*(…or maybe a “Misquamicut Ferris Wheel” ride?)

Celebrate La Befana with the Dante Society and Westerly Library & Wilcox Park
2024-01-06 10:00 - 12:00 | Westerly Library, 44 Broad St, Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
The Dante Society of Westerly and Westerly Library & Wilcox Park will present stories, crafts, and snacks to learn about the Italian tradition of La Befana in the Terrace room at the library. This is open to the public.
Please see the Library’s calendar for additional detail.

Information on La Befana and the Italian tradition can be found here on Wikipedia.

2024 Winter Gathering
2024-02-04 14:00 - 16:00 | RI
Time for the annual winter gathering, open to members of the Dante Society of Westerly and their spouses.
Cost is $15/per person; tickets will not be available at the door.
An email will be sent to members shortly with details.
Seating is limited. It was sold out last year; please pay early.

Lecture: Reclaiming the Legacy of Our Italian Grandmothers
2024-02-24 13:00 - 14:30 | Westerly Library Auditorium, 44 Broad St, Westerly, 02891
Juliet Grames will discuss her prizewinning novel, The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna, the story of a Calabrian family that emigrates to New England in the harsh years between the World Wars, and the novel’s nonfiction inspirations in the immigrant stories of her southern Italian grandparents.

Juliet Grames was born into a tight-knit Italian-American family in Hartford, Connecticut, and settled in the Westerly area in 2018. She is the author of the national and international bestseller The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna (Ecco/HarperCollins), which has been translated into 9 languages and received Italy’s Premio Cetraro for Contributions to Southern Italian Literature, and the forthcoming The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia (Knopf, July 2024). She studied history at the University of Oxford and graduated magna cum laude from Columbia before embarking on a career in book publishing. She is SVP, Editorial Director at Soho Press

Note: All lectures in the lecture series hosted by the Dante Society of Westerly are live events only and are not recorded. They are neither streamed online nor available afterwards as recordings.
Lectures are free and open to the public.

Movie: "Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow"
2024-02-26 16:00 - 18:00 | The United Theater, 5 Canal St., Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
The first movie for the film series in 2024 is “Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow” (released as “Ieri, Oggi, Domani” in Italy), a 1963 Oscar winning romantic comedy staring Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni, and Aldo Giuffrè. The film consists of 3 short stories, each of a woman (all played by Sophia Loren) living in different financial circumstances and the men in their life. The stories are set in Naples, Milan, and Rome.
The film is in Italian, with subtitles. It runs approximately 2 hours and is not rated.

The film was a 1964 nominee for the Golden Globe’s Best Foreign Film, and won the 1965 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. It has numerous other nominations and awards.
Additional details on awards and cast, including the trailer, can be found on IMDB
A more detailed synopsis of the film can be found on Wikipedia

(note: This was originally scheduled for showing in January, but has been rescheduled for February.)

General Membership Meeting March 2024
2024-03-14 18:00 - 19:00 | Westerly Senior Center, 39 State St., Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
This is the first of four membership meetings for 2024.
Agenda will be sent to members shortly before the meeting.
Additional details will be forthcoming.

2024 Membership dues may now be paid. Details and a link for credit card payment may be found by clicking on this link:
2024 Dues Information

Movie: "Spettacolo"
2024-03-25 16:00 - 18:00 | The United Theater, 5 Canal St., Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
The town that plays itself: This is a 2017 documentary of a small hill-town in Tuscany where every summer the citizens become actors, playing themselves. They dramatize and debate the town’s problems in the piazza, which has become the stage for the event.
The film is in Italian, with subtitles. It runs approximately 1½ hours is rated TV-PG.

The film had little distribution, but won 5 film festival awards with an addition 4 nominations.
Additional details on awards and cast, including the trailer, can be found on IMDB
A more detailed synopsis of the film can be found on Wikipedia

Lecture: Women in Action: Collaboration between Italian Partisans and the Office of Strategic Services during WWII
2024-04-06 13:00 - 14:30 | Westerly Library Auditorium, 44 Broad St, Westerly, 02891
(This was previously listed with the title of “The ‘Women of the Villas’: Collaboration between Italian Partisans and the Office of Strategic Services during WWII”.)

Professor Catharine Sama will discuss the collaboration between Italian Partisans and the Office of Strategic Services during WWII.

Professor Catherine Sama is the head of the Italian program at the University of Rhode Island. She enjoys teaching a wide range of courses at URI, from Italian language & culture classes to advanced courses in Italian literature and film. Specific areas of focus include early modern Italian women writers; Italian dramatic cinema from Neorealism to the present; genocide in Italian literature & film. Her research projects are dedicated to bringing Italian women’s voices from the past into the present: whether for eighteenth-century writers and artists or partisans during World War II. Her research has been supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Association for University Women.
Her new research project centers on the activities of Italian partigiane from the Veneto region who collaborated with the United States Office of Strategic Services to end nazi-fascist control of Italy. This talk will explore the actions, dilemmas, fears, and hopes of individual women and men involved in this fight, as seen through the primary sources Sama has collected thus far: interviews with the partisans and OSS agents; military documents now declassified, including radio messages transmitted from behind enemy lines; private letters and papers; and interviews with descendants on both Italian and American sides. Her goal is to create a limited series podcast in order to bring these stories to a broad audience.

Note: All lectures in the lecture series hosted by the Dante Society of Westerly are live events only and are not recorded. They are neither streamed online nor available afterwards as recordings.
Lectures are free and open to the public.
