NYCVE - Italian American Magazine - Usa

Until the end of paper has come

Massimo — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 11:00:36 +0000

More than 30 years ago, when the newly invented walkman helped bringing music out of the home, hardly anybody could imagine that like sound, also words might leave the shelf one day, and follow us in our daily movements. Even though the Gutenberg Project – launched in America in 1971 with the goal of digitizing the contents of copyright-free books – has arrived at more than 20,000 titles, the progress in computer science is actually responsible for relevant changes that are currently going on. Over the last decade, in fact, the contents of the printed book have started to migrate; thanks to the availability of several electronic formats, a new medium of reading is gradually spreading: the e-book reader.Already now, the term e-book – umpteenth neologism with “e” like “electronic” – refers to tangible publishing activities: the traditional book is revamped in a compressed form in electronic format, which seems to capture the sympathy of the public (or anyway the customers) in an expanding market whose roots are North American. The most widespread formats are pdf, dtb, Oeb, html, rtf, txt and prc: all of them so called proprietary formats, with the exception of Oeb, which became an open source format under the name epub. In a sense, thus, the Gutenberg Project is developing extremely well, instigating even the procreation of “twin” projects. With the accomplished variety of formats – which often binds the book’s producer to determined hardware and software products and limits therefore the end-user’s freedom – it can be argued that the dissemination of e-book readers (the appropriate data medium), as the decisive technology for the assertion of electronic publishing, is gaining a foothold in the collective imagination of literature lovers.
Among the companies that are the most active in e-book reader engineering, we have Amazon, one of the giants of world-wide distribution of culture; and Japanese Sony, a pioneer of design and development of technical devices and gadgets. Amazon has created Kindle, a reader now available in its second generation (operating on Linux) that is supporting more than ten data formats; Sony offers its reader in various models (Touch, Daily and Pocket), each with its technical specifics re display size, wireless connectivity and respective options of editing the texts available for reading. Apple, at last, who have overturned the use of music and the concept of telephony with their iPod and iPhone, respectively, are not yet present on the e-book reader market, even though it seems plausible that they’re planning to introduce a high-end reader: their Writing Pad might, thus, join the devices of Sony and Amazon, providing users with its extraordinarily simple, interactive and self-explanatory interface, capable of stimulating utilization of certain contents. As far as Apple, by the way, the case of iTunes Store – where to find applications for iPhone and iPod Touch, music, audiobooks and podcasts – is prototypical: entertaining a software platform meant to complement the various data media (in particular, the reader, as far as iPod, or the “phone”, as far as iPhone) has proved successful in creating a relation of extraordinary confidence and reciprocity between user/consumer and producer/dealer. In this sense – considering both what has been explained using the example of iTunes, and the specifications of the two principal e-book readers (though there are more than ten such products available) – it seems desirable that the characteristics of the new e-book readers merge in one technical standard that warrants, above all, a high degree of interactivity like, for example, the possibility to edit the text, to “annotate” something by hand or with an electronic pen, and to use the “touch” function to select content; consequently, the possibility of navigating in internet so as to download e-books from an appropriate website and with an appropriate software that provides for both data management and user support (both models, in one way or another, make use of online resources: Sony refers to http://ebookstore.sony.com, and Amazon’s Kindle to the “mother” website amazon.com) will help along the building of loyalty and ties between dealer and producer, and may become an incentive for getting used to usage which, at however early a stage, could point editors into a direction to follow as far as production and distribution.
And yet, interest for the electronic book and its easy distribution via platforms and software with user-friendly interfaces doesn’t exclusively capture the attention of the important protagonists in the world of technology, electronics, web and cyberspace. Actually, even traditional publishing houses in the paper sector, like the American Barnes & Noble, have been starting kind of a transfer of contents, converting the core of their production into an electronic format designed to be read with Nook, their proprietary reader. And by the way, not just traditional books, but also well-known magazines and newspapers, with their subscriptions and offer packages, are becoming a party to the marketing of the various e-book readers, lending themselves to digitization of their contents, they too ready to be downloaded wirelessly and at the desired time. To sum it up, that the passion for reading be pocketed seems already tangible. Without making its weight apparent.

How to Tell Obama’s Story

Massimo — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:50:13 +0000

In an epoch in which we live in and consume numerous disposable sources of information, one of the most misused words is the adjective “historic.” Perhaps there should be a team of psychologists to explain this tendency and to assign greater influence to the reality to many events unable to leave marks on the history of a country or the world. Without fear of exaggeration, one can say that the DVD “Obama - An American Dream” is a concentrated substance of news, ideas and frames taken from the stream of information from the previous 2008, a year that has become important for the world’s history.
Or, in some cases, it might just be useful for the understanding of at least an important piece of history.
Probably, as you read these lines you are on a plane trip between Europe and the United States. When the flight obligates you to keep your cell phones turned off and the background sound of their routine moves away from us, we enter in very suitable position to structure our thoughts. If you begin to think, it becomes easier to remember what was important in recent times than what was not. Between reading and chatting with the person sitting next to you, you can contemplate and reflect upon images accumulated during recent memories. You can probably remember the most engaging, the most serious, the funnest thoughts. Out in 2010, “Obama - An American Dream” may result, similarly, as the result of such an operation. Watching this DVD takes you on a journey back to a collective memory of the events in 2008 that have marked the history of the world: the campaign for the U.S. presidential election.
Many will remember the 4th of November, a night in which the first black president of the United States, a Democrat, was appointed to the White House. Many will remember the greeting of a gentleman who defeated his opponent John McCain, the Republican candidate. All these are images and phrases stored in this DVD. Not many people, however, will recall with equal clarity his speech in 2004; played four years later, when the African-American Barrack Obama stressed that the events which happened to him in the USA would not have been possible in any other country. The DVD contains those statements, as well. In addition to the collection of postcards, sound bytes, as the Americans call it, are also used.
To provide a central focus, and indeed more than one, a series of snapshots, quality reports and documentaries that flowed into 2008’s sea of information will be featured by a dynamic team of professionals at “SkyTG24″ led by director Emilio Carelli. Collaborating with this team was truly a pleasure. A team of journalists, directors and technicians which followed the events a year before the election to the White House, a team which paid particular attention to new forms of communication that enabled Obama to win, via the Internet, the consensus of many young people.
The journey through time via DVD lasts 151 minutes, but is intended for those who would like to focus on the main parts only. The DVD reconstructs the phase of the primaries. The duel between Obama and Hillary Clinton is not particularly a kind one, given the many declarative sentences used. The vain and impetuous media coverage of Sarah Palin, the Republican candidate running for Vice President is also taken into consideration. The race for the White House in the summer and autumn of 2008 between a liberal Senator, son of a Kenyan, and an enlightened Republican McCain, a wounded veteran in Vietnam.
Services curated by the team of “Sktg24″ came under the lens of Corrado Maria Daclon, the ‘engine’ of the Italy-USA Foundation. The result is an electronic anthology that the “Corriere della Sera” decided to sell as an attachment to a newspaper of strong traditions and international recognition. It contains, for example, a description of how the “caucus” meetings work, during which the selection of candidates is possible moving from one to another point in a room. Those interested in the origins of some low blows of political competition, increasing although not improving the selection of the ruling class, will find explanations about the American techniques of “character assassination”, or the killing of the character using both true and false revelations, sins or crimes of various kinds. One of the most interesting parts is a satirical gem: the parody of a press conference with Obama-oriented journalists and an excessively mistreated Hillary, by both reporters and moderators. With a conformism that this DVD is confined to the play-o-sphere of fiction.

Where books live

Massimo — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:40:31 +0000

The Italian market is still unknown, but the U.S. market has now been invaded by the new e-book format. This sector is now growing but has proven to grow rapidly, thanks to new entrepreneurs, professionals and readers, each of them ready to participate with new ideas. What is certain is that the era of the printed book seems destined to end, but maybe it’s just an opportunity to rethink a place that will continue to exist and exercise its charm. We spoke with Daniel Melamud, French department manager of Rizzoli Bookstore in New York.

How has the American publishing market been changed with the introductions of e-books? How are the customers changing?
“E-books are completely transforming the economics and fundamental processes of publishing. The titles sell for cheaper than their print counterparts but the costs to the publisher are lower as well. There are no printing, paper or binding costs; no warehousing costs; and no returns to factor in. It has simplified the practice of publishing tremendously. And the introduction of the latest e-readers certainly offers customers a viable alternative to the traditional book. In speaking with patrons of Rizzoli Bookstore I commonly find two things are considered in this decision; the weight and the font size. If you’re ready to tackle ‘War and Peace’ on your commute but not ready to work on your upper body strength then an e-reader is an attractive option.”

Many people say the book is condemned to die by the new technologies. Do you share this fear?
“Not in the near term. E-readers can improve portability and in some instances make text easier to read but cannot compete when it comes to presentation. Art, design, photography, architecture and other subjects require a certain format and feel to communicate their message. Also, such books often bring people together. A coffee table book that stimulates discussion cannot be replaced by an e-reader, which aims to be a personal device. Then there are people like myself who feel at ease and at home when surrounded by books. These new technologies provide an alternative medium but do not replace the traditional book.”

The traditional bookshops can have the same problems, as well. In your opinion, how does a modern bookshop act towards whose customers who follow these technologies?
“When it comes to novels, there will be many people who decide to download the e-book from home instead of visiting a store. So it is more important than ever for bookshops to stock visually appealing artifacts, objects of beauty that you want to hold and touch. These stores must take advantage of the fact they provide a space where you can more easily discover new titles and get advice and suggestions on which books you would enjoy. They need to ensure their service is more personal than what can be offered online. It is easy to forget just how enjoyable an experience a visit to a bookshop can be. Like a museum where you can touch the art, listen to music and lose yourself in different worlds and times, a good bookstore is an oasis and a respite from the chaos of daily life.”

Survivor

Massimo — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:14:36 +0000

It was a heavy burden on his life up to the very last moment; up to that cold December 27th, 1922, on which he was run over by a truck, he was always asked the same question. Nosey parkers, journalists, neighbours, everybody wanted him to recount, for the umpteenth time, the story of the ride that was to change his life, though he just fulfilled an order.For more than 40 years, the memory of this event would draw people to his home, arrogant people whose recurrent request was “Mr. Martini, tell us how it happened, and tell us the truth. Come on, Mr. Martini. Was it your fault?” The latter question made his mind fly back in time, to his origins in a distant land. He had been born in Sala Consilina, a village near Salerno. We don’t know many things for sure about the life of Giovanni Martini, and as for his birth, only the year is definitive, as testified to by himself: 1853. At a very young age, in May 1866, he enlisted as a drummer in Garibaldi’s Italian Volunteers Corps, and participated in the campaign in the northern region of Trentino. For the young man, Giovanni Garibaldi was the personification of liberty and of service to the country. He’d never have imagined that for the same sense of service, he was to go ashore at the far end of the ocean, and to go down in history as John Martin, sole survivor of the battle of Little Big Horn. The following year, 1867, he joined Garibaldi once more, fighting in the battle of Mentana. He emigrated to the United States in 1873, embarking in March at Glasgow on the S. S. Tyrian. Landed at Castle Clinton, New York, Giovanni Martini enlisted on June 1st, 1874 in the US army, under the name of John Martin, as a trumpeter for a five-years period of service, and was assigned to squadron H under Captain Frederick Benteen, of the 7th Cavalry Regiment commanded by Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer. From his entry in the musterroll we know that he stood “1.68 metres, brown eyes, black hair, dark complexion. Disciplined and keen soldier.” In 1875 – gold had just been found in the Black Hills – Custer got the order to lead an expedition, whose official aim was mere exploration; unofficially, however, it was about creating an outpost in order to oust the Native Americans from their territory. The young lieutenant-colonel, called Long Hair by the Indians, was spoiling for a big fight; he wanted to prove his bravery in a historic encounter, and it had to be against the Natives. Eventually, this led, for the first and only time in the history of the West, to a union of several tribes who had once been at enmity but were now ready to combat the White Man together. Their commanders were Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse at the head of the Sioux and the Cheyenne, respectively. It was June 25th, 1876. No soldier had ever seen such an American Indian contingent. Historians tell of a camp of thousands of Sioux and Cheyenne, armed and ready for battle. Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer realized that his 242 cavalrymen wouldn’t suffice. The old soldier’s memories are vivid. His story, when told to the journalists, is only now and then disrupted by emotions. Long Hair sent for him, and for all the haughtiness and bravery he had shown until then, even the lieutenant-colonel saw now that he was unable to face all those Indians on his own. Custer asked for his name. “John Martin, colonel”. “You’re having a strange accent, trumpeter. Where do you come from?”. “From Italy, Sir. What are your orders?” Just a few words, and the advice to run as fast as he could, in order to deliver the order to Benteen to go to the rescue of the brigade. John was about to leave, when Lt. William W. Cooke, perhaps not sure if the small Italian trumpeter had completely got Custer’s words, and to avoid misunderstandings anyway, gave him a written message that became legendary since: “Benteen. Come on. Big village. Be quick. Bring packs. W.W. Cooke – PS: Bring pacs”. The trumpeter opened his glove, inserted the letter and mounted his horse. Dust ascended behind him, and the silence was broken by the first volleys of gunfire and the shouts of the warriors that turned into distant echoes as he moved on. As if not to hear those voices blown across by the wind, he spurred his horse, he rushed downhill tantivy, and in little more than one hour, he managed to reach Major Benteen, and delivered the message. The feat saved his own life, but not that of the commander, who was slaughtered by the American Indians, as were all of his soldiers. Martin, the only survivor among hundreds of dead men, should feel guilty for many years to come: if his horse had been less strong… or if one of the Indians had taken more accurate aim… When he died, he was buried at the national cemetery of Cypress Hill, Brooklyn. This is the story of an Italian emigrant, born in the far south, who changed over from Garibaldi to Custer. This is the story of Giovanni Martini – the last white man who saw Custer alive.