Joseph Tusiani (January 14, 1924 – April 11, 2020) was an Italian-American poet, translator, and novelist. He served as a professor emeritus of languages and literature at

Lehman College Lehman College is a public college in New York City, United States. Founded in 1931 as the Bronx campus of Hunter College, it became an independent college in 1967. The college is named after Herbert H. Lehman, a former New York governor, United ...

and was named New York State Poet Laureate Emeritus in 2016 by Governor

Andrew Cuomo Andrew Mark Cuomo ( , ; born December 6, 1957) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 until his resignation in 2021. A member of the Democratic Party and son of former governor Mario Cuomo, ...

. Tusiani published works in four languages: Italian, Latin, English, and Gargano, the dialect of his birthplace in the

Apulia Apulia ( ), also known by its Italian language, Italian name Puglia (), is a Regions of Italy, region of Italy, located in the Southern Italy, southern peninsular section of the country, bordering the Adriatic Sea to the east, the Strait of Ot ...

region of Italy.

Early life and education

Born in the Apulia region of Italy, Tusiani earned his Ph.D. in Letters from the

University of Naples The University of Naples Federico II (; , ) is a public university, public research university in Naples, Campania, Italy. Established in 1224 and named after its founder, Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick II, it is the oldest public, s ...

in 1947. He emigrated to the United States the following year, settling in the Arthur Avenue neighborhood of

the Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

. He began his teaching career at the

College of Mount Saint Vincent The University of Mount Saint Vincent (UMSV) is a Private university , private Catholic university in New York City, United States. It was founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity of New York. The university serves over 1,800 students with p ...

before joining Lehman College.

Career

In addition to teaching, Tusiani was a prolific writer and translator. His works include poetry, translations, a novel, and a three-volume autobiography. His contributions to literature and education were recognized internationally, earning him several prestigious awards.

Achievements and recognition

In 1954, he was the first American to receive the Greenwood Prize of the Poetry Society of England. He received the AATI Distinguished Service Award in 1986, and the Keys to the City of Florence in 2007 for his contributions to literature. A scholarship was established in his name at Lehman College to support students interested in Italian-American culture.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tusiani, Joseph 1924 births 2020 deaths 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American poets American male novelists American poets of Italian descent Italian emigrants to the United States Lehman College faculty Novelists from New York City People from Apulia Poets from New York City Translators from Italian Writers from the Bronx