I just received notification that the 2017 MLA elections for the forum executive committees are now under way.

I am asking each of you to vote for me as the new Delegate of the Italian American Discussion Group. Unlike the other nominee, I have taught Italian/American Literature courses and I am President of the Italian American Studies Association through 2018. I have organized several IASA conferences and symposiums. Most recently was the 50th anniversary symposium in Calabria, Italy in June, which corresponded with the Italian Diaspora Studies Summer School. (I attended the inaugural IDSSS four years ago.) Next week is the 50th anniversary conference of IASA (formerly AIHA) in Washington, DC. In addition, I organized conferences in New Orleans. In 2018, we are having our 51st conference in Chicago. I have published in the field of Italian/American studies:

Gravano, Alan J. “New York City as Place in Don DeLillo’s Fiction.” What Is Italian America? New York: Italian American Studies Association, John D. Calandra Italian-American
Institute. (2015): 378-90.
Gravano, Alan J. “New York in Don DeLillo’s Novels.” Italian Americana 29.1(2011): 181-89.
Gravano, Alan J. “Recycling and Redemption in DeLillo’s Underworld.” Eds. Russo, John Paul., and Teri Ann Bengiveno. Italian Passages: Making and Thinking History. New York:
American Italian Historical Association.

I have been attending IASA (AIHA) conferences every year since 2007. Finally, I am Associate editor of the IASA Annual, a peer-reviewed journal published out of SUNY Press.

Thank you,

Alan Gravano