You, like so many provincial American journalists, suffer from the same disease: Lack of originality and talent.
Regarding ”Calabrian insularity of mind” you quoted Giuseppe de Lampesusa to support your veiled denigration of my people. The above novelist lived 200 years ago. We had since Italian Risorgimento and Mussolini, who built schools and educated me and most Calabrian people at a level certainly comparable to the American schools. In fact, I have a strong conviction that the average Calabrian knows more about world geography than most American college students and journalists, including yourself.
Contrary to the pictures of a dilapidated house and stomping on grapes-giving the impression of backwardness-Cosenza (county seat of Centraro)is by far more modern and better looking than, say, Peoria, Ill.
Also, you failed to mention that progress is everywhere. Apparently you did not see the extensive engineering marvels that were required to construct a network of highways, tunnels and bridges second to none. Did you know that near Centraro was erected Europe`s highest bridge? But wait, another bridge is on the drawing board to connect Calabria with Sicily. This project is so grandiose that in comparison, the tunnel between Calais, France, and England will look like a hole in the ground.
Calabria is a very beautiful land; its people are friendly, hard-working and intelligent. You chose to make them appear lazy and backward; I very much resent your conclusions.
