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August 8 - August 15,2004 |
What a Mamma Mia!
Anthology by Italo-Canadian women sets record straight
By Benedetta Lamanna
Originally Published: 2004-07-25
Family. Gender expectations. The struggle to accept one's own identity and dual heritage.
These are a few of the topics explored in Mamma Mia! Good Italian Girls Talk Back, an anthology of short stories written by 18 women from different age groups and walks of life who are joined by their common identity as Italian-Canadians. Stories range from funny to poignant, making the anthology both charming and smart as their writers recount their experiences of growing up in an Italian-Canadian household.
A freelance writer for The Toronto Star and novelist, Maria Coletta McLean collected the 25 stories that make up the anthology, and contributed her own piece, "Clever Little Compartments," a witty story about her childhood fondness for frozen TV dinners. Coletta McLean began the process of collecting stories as part of her monthly writing group at the Columbus Centre, where she wrote "Clever Little Compartments." From there, she got in touch with other authors writing pieces about their own cultural experiences.
Mamma Mia! Good Italian Girls Talk Back breaks down many preconceptions and stereotypes of the Italian-Canadian culture. "We're playing on the irony of [the phrase 'good Italian girl']," explains McLean. "A good Italian girl is supposed to sit quietly and not talk back, to learn a skill such as crocheting or learning how to cook. [As for the need to 'talk back'] we want to tell our stories, talk about some of the traditions of the Italian-Canadian society."
This theme of speaking up and setting the record straight about life as a female Italian-Canadian also gives the contributing authors a platform through which to voice the struggles and even injustices they faced growing up.
This subject is the central theme in Angela Capozzolo's "Figli Maschi," a story which explores the preferential treatment often given to boys in Italian-Canadian families. "It's a tacit understanding that boys are preferred; it's understood but never questioned," states Capozzolo, a Toronto high school teacher. "I didn't have any brothers myself but most of my cousins were boys. I remember the stories of my parents about my birth and how they preferred a boy. At first it was jokingly, but then I asked why? Why is no one questioning this? [It also came up] going to weddings [during which the married couple was toasted with a wish that they someday would have male children]."
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