*From the Editor

Ciao Tutti!

I could not be more pleased to showcase the work in Ovunque Siamo’s second issue!  The variety of voices and forms  in and of itself is uplifting and inspiring.  What we share, our commonality, is our membership in the Italian-American community, but these poems, memoir excerpts, travel and fiction pieces prove that we are not a monolith—that the Italian-American experience expressed in writing (and other art forms elsewhere) gives a glimpse into many different experiences and ways of expressing them.  Still, are writing is accented and as different as we may express ourselves, we are held together by the invisible bonds of commonality—bonds that many of us take pleasure in.

In this issue we have our first book reviews, from our four stellar book reviewers, Stephanie Longo, George De Stefano, Theodora Patrona and Jennifer

Martelli, as well as two illustrations done by our in-house artist, Pat Messina Singer, which feature her amazing  artistic interpretation of two short stories and a poem.

In our Spotlight our Poetry Editor, Chad Frame, engages  poet extraordinaire, Ava C. Cipri in a spirited and fun interview !

And because we love our neighbors to the north, I am happy to publish the work of Gianna Patriarca and Joseph Farina, Italian-Canadians.  Though the identifying label is different, the the Italian “accent” is the sam.

Thank you to our readers for your interest and your support!

We appreciate your feedback and we would love to hear from you

Michelle Messina Reale