Raphael ,. Sabatini A message from The Society for Italic Studies, Inc. Let's be candid... Isn't your heritage worth a $10 membership? If you are offended by moronic stereotypes or by the rich and famous exploiting your heritage to make their fortune, then it is time to do something positive. Support our work, Support our message ··-------------------------------------New Member AppUcation N~c ________________ General Membership (non-voting) D $10 AdM~s _______________ Plenary Council (voting & officeholding) 0 $50 Send this portion with your remittance (check or m.o. made out to The Society for Italic Studies,lnc.) PO Box 818, Floral Park. NY 11001 The Italic Way Spring,l989 Letters...... ....... page 2 Focus (cover story) ... page 12 All'ltaliana ........page 4 Prospectives .............page 14 World Notes..... page 6 Project ltalia.............. page 16 Editorial... ........ page 8 Youth (AURORA) ..... page 18 Forum.............. page 9 Society Update .........page 20 Books ..............page 11 Announcements ........page 21 IL~ etters Address aU letters to: LETTERS, The Italic Way, PO Box 818, Floral ParK. NY 11001 WHY ITALIC? NO COMPLAINTS While I find your magazine quite (Ed. We realized from the start that the I enjoy very much receiving The interesting, I think I will have to agree 1ILltne Italic would be difficult for some Italic Way. I found it very interesting, with one of the letters written to you "Italians" to accept. It is meant to con­ and reading it relaxes me. I'm an that the name does not give the Italian vey a spiril rather than a nationality. It American of Italian parents - and people their due. Italic may convey is also meant to add a thousand years to proud of it. what you want butit is not interpreted the perception of Italy and the Italic I would enjoy reading an article that way by other Italian people, in­ people. Italy and the Italians were not about Julius Caesar's time. cluding myself. There are so many born Q/J.&.r. the fall of Rome, as many Keep the magazine coming. romantic names that personify Italian history books suggest. It is an all­ Louis R. Pisaniello, culture, that I do not know why you encompassing term that transcends Troy, NY picked Italic. Italic is a type face and I natural borders and defines our histori­ almost overlooked the magazine when cal and cultural continuity. (Ed.- See the Books and also the Per­ it was sent, thinking it had something We suppose when someone first spectives sections.) to do with the graphic arts. In any coined a term such as "Gaelic charm" it **"'* event. I bring this out constructively, must have sounded strange. Fear not, as I do feel wannly towards what you you'll gel used to our Italic charm.) lk:nowthatTheitalicWay isgoing aredojng. to be a great success. Thomas B. Constantino, •••• Alex. P. Lombardi, Amsterdam, NY Montclair, NJ Joseph Riccardi Account Executive Hudsha Paint & Materials Co., Inc. 429 West 53rd Street New York, NY 10079 Telephone: 2121582-6726 ~-=;;;; The Italic Wau =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~~~~;;;;;;;;: J 2 Spnng 1989 Post Scripts ALF et. AI. Our last issue focused on the their favorite Saturday cartoons. A/f share. Let's face it, the competiJion is creations of the Italic imagination (Alf, Tales was top-rated with 18% ofthe vote. keen with the likes of the Chipmunks, the Flintstones, the Jetsons, and others) Overall, Alj. the Flintstone Kids, and Smurfs, and GJ. Joe. Since then, Kidsday, a feature inNew­ Jetsons received 29%. Nearly one-third sday, polled 291 youngsters to find out of the young audience is an impressive Russian Car/ Italian Roots (Ed.- Two issues ago we reported in our communist) is now over 20 years old pany. With lower fuel consumption than cover story that FIAT designed the Rus­ and still turning out its full capacity of the Opel and Renault, the Lada goes sian Lada, the standard automobile of 721 ,000 Lada per year. As a follow up from 0 to 100 Kph in 15.4 seconds, re­ the USSR. The FIAT-built plant at we asked for and received photos ofthe spectable for its class.) Togliattigrad (named for an Italian Lada Samara from a Soviet export com- **** The Lada Samara The two door model FUTURE ISSUES OF THE ITALIC WAY o NORTH vs SOUTH- Italy's enduring myth o lPESCOSOLIDO - The man who is Romanizing Harvard o AFRICA - A part of Italic history o MUSSOLINI- The blame must be shared .__=====================;;;;;;;The Italic Way=;;;;;;;;! Spring 1989 3 All'ltaliana THE SHAPE OF WINGS Another Made in Italy marvel saves time, Kane, recalled how Leonardo Da Vinci TO COME money and lives. had inspired him. In Da Vinci's Book of American airmen will soon un­ Inventions Kane discovered a man with dergo the U.S. Air Force's Primary THE REGULUS INITIATIVE bat wings. The Italian scientist's quote Aircraft System program on an incred­ On March 30,1989,a new European further fueled Kane's imagination: ible Italian flying machine - the Au­ enterprise took one giant leap for man­ 'Your bird shall have no other wings but gusra S-211 jet. Produced by kind. Named the Regulus consortium, that of a bat'. theAgusta's Siai Marchetti firm, this this project was launched by Italian capi­ plane measures under 30 feet long and tal (60% -Snia- Bpd -Fiat) and to a lesser ECONOMICS AND A SENSE has a 28 fL. wingspan. The S-211 is extent French support (34% Snp). Its OF ITALY considered a technical gem because of mission is to build gigantic auxiliary According to Sergio Pininfarina, its reduced dimensions, weight and motors - 0 boosters - for the Ariane the President of Confindustria (Italy's costs. In addition, the jet's fuel con­ rocket at huge chemical plants in Guyana association ofleading industrialists) and sumption is from 30% to 40% lower and Kourou. These selfsame boosters one of Europe's top automotive design­ than any other aircraft in its class. will help propel European -including ers, Italian private businessmen are Initially, the Air Force pUL in an Italian-astronauts to the stars. World bullish on 1992. Here's why: order for 538 planes, but it ap­ • In 1988,Italyremained the pears that the U.S. Navy requires world's fifth-ranking industrial another 260. Other allied coun­ power, generating 300,000 new tries are waiting in line to make jobs. The forecast for 1989 is their purchases. Agusta foresees 200,00 new jobs. asaleofmorethan t,OOOplanesat • Inflation is predicted to approximately $4,440 million. slow to4.75% in 1989 and4.0% in 1990. DURUM EST DECORUM • For every 100 lire earned, In a move designed to sepa­ the Italian sets aside 23 for sav­ rate the wheat from thedurum,the ings - outstripping even the ttalian cabinet approved a law re­ much-vaunted Japanese. quiring quality-control marks for • In the last 12 months, the traditional Italian pasta. This will amount of savings invested help consumers distinguish be­ in real estate has grown by tween home-grown authentic The 5-211 jet touchs down. 10%. pasta and inferior foreign brands • Fiat ousted Volkswagen andre­ made of mixed wheat. Pasta pur- turned to the top ofthe heap in European ists contend that only durum wheat renowned engineer Giuseppe Grande automotive sales-15% of the marke makes the dish a1 dente. And they're was chosen as the group's president and with sales of more than l.9 million taking a fum stand to prove it director general. Fiats, Lancias and Alfa Romeos. illGH-TECH FIREFIGHTERS FROMDA VINCITO COURAGE, ITALlAN STYLE Italian ingenuity is blazing new THE DARK KNIGHT In a February 22,1989 editorial, the trails by helping to beat blazes in Spain. "Criminals are a superstititious New York Times, commenting on the Recently, the innovative Cella factory cowardly lot. So my disguise must be Salman Rushdie affair, saw fit to prin near Brescia in Northern Italy exported able to strike terror into their hearts." this revealing editorial: a 237 fL skyhook to the Iberian penin­ The garb chose by millionaire Bruce What's far more shameful is the sula. Known as the "Fire Defender," Wayne in his war against the underworld wobble in other countries. Can­ this device gives frrefighters the capa­ for the avenging Batman was that of the ada at first considered using bility of arching over obstacles such as eerie bat On the fiftieth anniversary of trade laws to bar the Rushdie a skyscraper in congested city centers. the comic book character, creator Bob novel, but then relented. In Ja- ~;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; The Italic Way ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;=====;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;=====~ 4 Spring 1989 All 'ltaliana pan, France and West Germany, to the irrelevance of the training and Nevertheless, traces of a chemical publishers have chosen not to frustrating career interruptions. Those in used exclusively in high-powered mis­ publish-in ignominious contrast the other camp are concerned about an siles was reported found on pieces of the with Italy, where the book is being erosion of democratic principles and to­ recovered fuselage and several bodies, sold and the Iranian Embassy talitarian temptations. And some worry making the theory of skullduggery and picketed. that the standards of discipline will de­ coverup very valid. cay. PIAZZA ROMANA STILL NUMBER ONE Friends, tourists and ltalophiles are DISASTER COVERUP? University ofRochesler political sci­ flocking to the Piazza della Signoria in When a domestic Italian airliner ence professor John Mueller reckons Florence for a glimpse of another age. mysteriously crashed in the Mediterra­ that the world powers have passed a But they are not there to view the home nean nine years ago killing 81 passen­ milestone. It's been nearly 45 years of the medieval Medici or gers, the theories for the disaster ranged since the end of World War II and there Michelangelo's duplicate David.