Helen Barolini
Encyclopedia
Helen Barolini (born 1925) is an American author, born in Syracuse, New York
. She married Antonio Barolini
, an Italian poet, and lives outside New York City.
She has been included in Best American Essays for 1991 and 1993. Her first book, the novel Umbertina (1979), was assisted by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts
and in 2008 won the Premio Acerbi, a coveted Italian literary prize. Her anthology The Dream Book: An Anthology of Writings by Italian American Women received an American Book Award.
Barolini attended Wells College
in Aurora, Cayuga County, New York
, and graduated magna cum laude from Syracuse University
. She received a Master's degree from Columbia University
. She was an exchange student at the University of London
where she studied contemporary English literature, and then traveled in Europe writing "Letters from Abroad" for the Syracuse Herald-Journal
. Following studies in Italy, she married the late Italian author and journalist Antonio Barolini
, and lived in Italy and the United States. She became the English translator of Antonio's writings that were published in The New Yorker
, Reporter, and other American publications as well as translator of his books.
She has been an invited writer at Yaddo
and the MacDowell Colony
and a writer in residence at the Mark Twain Quarry Center of Elmira College
, and has been honored by MELUS, the American Italian Cultural Roundtable, the Order Sons of Italy in America
, the Italian Welfare League, and other organizations for her literary work on the Italian-American experience.
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
. She married Antonio Barolini
Antonio Barolini
Antonio Barolini was an Italian poet and novelist who was born in Vicenza on 29 May 1910, and died in Rome on 21 January 1971. His stories, translated into English by his wife, Helen Barolini, appeared in The New Yorker and then were collected and published as The Last Family Countess, and other...
, an Italian poet, and lives outside New York City.
She has been included in Best American Essays for 1991 and 1993. Her first book, the novel Umbertina (1979), was assisted by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
and in 2008 won the Premio Acerbi, a coveted Italian literary prize. Her anthology The Dream Book: An Anthology of Writings by Italian American Women received an American Book Award.
Barolini attended Wells College
Wells College
Wells College is a private coeducational liberal arts college located in Aurora, Cayuga County, New York, on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake. Initially an all-women's institution, Wells became a co-ed college in Fall 2005....
in Aurora, Cayuga County, New York
Aurora, Cayuga County, New York
Aurora is a village and college town in Cayuga County, in the Town of Ledyard, north of Ithaca, New York, United States. The village had a population of 720 at the 2000 census, of which more than 400 were college students....
, and graduated magna cum laude from Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
. She received a Master's degree from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. She was an exchange student at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
where she studied contemporary English literature, and then traveled in Europe writing "Letters from Abroad" for the Syracuse Herald-Journal
Syracuse Herald-Journal
The Syracuse Herald-Journal was an evening newspaper in Syracuse, New York, with roots going back to 1839 when it was named the Western State Journal. The final issue — volume 124, number 37,500 — was published on September 29, 2001...
. Following studies in Italy, she married the late Italian author and journalist Antonio Barolini
Antonio Barolini
Antonio Barolini was an Italian poet and novelist who was born in Vicenza on 29 May 1910, and died in Rome on 21 January 1971. His stories, translated into English by his wife, Helen Barolini, appeared in The New Yorker and then were collected and published as The Last Family Countess, and other...
, and lived in Italy and the United States. She became the English translator of Antonio's writings that were published in The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, Reporter, and other American publications as well as translator of his books.
She has been an invited writer at Yaddo
Yaddo
Yaddo is an artists' community located on a 400 acre estate in Saratoga Springs, New York. Its mission is "to nurture the creative process by providing an opportunity for artists to work without interruption in a supportive environment."...
and the MacDowell Colony
MacDowell Colony
The MacDowell Colony is an art colony in Peterborough, New Hampshire, U.S.A., founded in 1907 by Marian MacDowell, pianist and wife of composer Edward MacDowell. She established the institution and its endowment chiefly with donated funds...
and a writer in residence at the Mark Twain Quarry Center of Elmira College
Elmira College
Elmira College is a coeducational private liberal arts college located in Elmira, in New York State's Southern Tier region.The college is noted as the oldest college still in existence which granted degrees to women that were the equivalent of those given to men...
, and has been honored by MELUS, the American Italian Cultural Roundtable, the Order Sons of Italy in America
Order Sons of Italy in America
The Order Sons of Italy in America is the largest and oldest Italian American fraternal organization in the United States. A similar organization also exists in Canada.-History:...
, the Italian Welfare League, and other organizations for her literary work on the Italian-American experience.
Awards and honors
- 2010 Hudson Valley Writers Center Award
- 2008 Premio Acerbi for Umbertina
- 2006 Eugene Walter Short Story Award
- 2003 Woman of the Year Award in Literature from Italian Welfare league, New York
- 2003 Sons of Italy Literature Award
- 2001 Ars et Literas Award from the American Italian Cultural Roundtable
- 2000 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for the Study of Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States
- 2000 Chiaroscuro: Essays of Identity included in Houghton Mifflin's Notable Works of American Literary Non-Fiction in their publication Best American Essays of the Century
- 1987 Susan Koppleman Award of American Culture Association for the best anthology in the feminist study of American Culture for The Dream Book
- 1986 American Book AwardAmerican Book AwardThe American Book Award was established in 1978 by the Before Columbus Foundation. It seeks to recognize outstanding literary achievement by contemporary American authors, without restriction to race, sex, ethnic background, or genre...
of The Before Columbus FoundationBefore Columbus FoundationThe Before Columbus Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1976 by Ishmael Reed, Victor Hernández Cruz, Shawn Wong and Rudolfo Anaya to be "a multi-ethnic organizing dedicated to promoting a pan-cultural view of America," especially through the promotion of multicultural writers.One of...
for The Dream Book - 1984 Americans of Italian Heritage "Literature and the Arts Award"
- 1982 American Committee on Italian Migration "Women in Literature" Award for Umbertina
- 1977-79 Member, The Writers Community, New York City
- 1976 National Endowment for the ArtsNational Endowment for the ArtsThe National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
Grant in Creative Writing - 1970 Marina-Velca essay prize in Italy
External links
- http://users.tellurian.net/wisewomensweb/barolini.html