author
Joseph Rocchietti
An early Italian-American voice, he is best known for Lorenzo and Oonalaska from 1835, often noted as the earliest known novel by an Italian-American. His work bridges Europe and the United States, with stories shaped by migration, politics, and the literary ambitions of the 19th century.
1 Audiobook
Why a National Literature Cannot Flourish in the United States of North America
by Joseph Rocchietti
About the author
Born in Casale Monferrato in Piedmont, Joseph Rocchietti emigrated to the United States in 1831 and built a literary career there over several decades. He wrote during the years 1835–1875 and is remembered as one of the earliest Italian-American novelists.
His best-known work, Lorenzo and Oonalaska (1835), is widely described as the earliest known novel by an Italian-American. Written in English as an epistolary love story, it moves between Europe and Virginia and reflects the experience of a writer working between cultures.
Rocchietti also wrote plays and other works, including Charles Rovellini and Ifigenia. Even though many details of his life remain hard to pin down, his place in Italian-American literary history is clear: he stands near the beginning of that tradition.