SPEAKERS BUREAU
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Sons & Daughters of Italy Speakers Bureau Need a speaker for your club meeting or a special event? Contact these experts directly. Some may require travel expenses and/or honorariums. For a complete list of speakers, visit www.osia.org and click “Speakers Bureau” under the tab labeled “Programs.” To apply as a speaker, contact Miles Fisher at mfisher@osia.org Don’t forget: You can host speakers over Zoom!
• ALABAMA Author Barbara Barcellona Smith speaks about writing, Italian culture, and her children’s book, Let’s Eat Snails! She has worked in radio, television, and corporate marketing, and also worked in the public school system, teaching English as a Second Language. She incorporates a fun and engaging 30-minute author video into her speaking engagements. Book signing. Contact: (334) 477-3735 Email: barbara.barcellona. smith@gmail.com Website: barbarabarcellonasmith.com Will also travel to: Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee
• OHIO Author Gerardo Perrotta speaks about Italian themes on U.S. Postage Stamps and conducts a travelogue called Calabria by Stamps. He has published a book, Phila-Italy Americana: Italian Themes on United States Postage Stamps, and has given several live audience presentations on Italian-related themes at the University of Cincinnati OLLI (Learning in Retirement) Program. He is also an instructor of Italian at the Amici School of Languages in Cincinnati. Contact: (513) 451-8701 Email: perrotg@yahoo.com
• CALIFORNIA History and Italian teacher Mark Nemetz Tedesco speaks about the magic of the city of Rome—its stories, people, and history—and his recent book—She Seduced Me: A Love Affair in Rome. Book signing. Contact: (760) 773-7259 Email: markfnemetz@ gmail.com Website: https://www.marktedesco.com
• PENNSYLVANIA Managing Director of Little Italy Productions Joseph Puglisi speaks about topics related to the creation of a feature film—such as writing a script, hiring a cast and crew, acting in a film, and marketing a film. He is Executive Producer, writer, and actor for the recent feature film That’s Amore. Contact: (724) 316-5635 Email: j.puglisi@comcast.net Website: Facebook-Joe Puglisi Will also travel to: Anywhere
• CONNECTICUT Lecturer, Instructor, and Genealogist Toni Anastasio McKeen speaks about various cities and areas in Italy (such as Matera, Pisa, Rome, Venice, Amalfi Coast, Sicily), history of the Renaissance and the great masters (writers, sculptors, painters, architects), and many Italian and Italian-American men and women who have made long lasting contributions to the world in science, music, banking, and inventions. She plans and leads small groups to Italy every year, giving personalized tours rich in the culture and history of the country. Contact: (203) 431-9973 Email: tonimckeen47@hotmail.com Will also travel to: West Chester County • NEW YORK Author and College Writing Instructor Maria Giura, Ph.D. speaks about “Writing the Italian in Your Memories” and conducts an hour-long teaching workshop. She is the author of the awardwinning memoir Celibate and the award-winning poetry collection What My Father Taught Me. She has more than a decade of teaching experience. Workshop and Book Signing. Contact: (718) 979-1272 Email: mariagiura1@gmail.com Website: https://www.mariagiura.com ITALIAN AMERICA
• WASHINGTON Clergyman and Professor Rutherford Johnson speaks about numerous topics, including Italians as the Forgotten Minority, Italy before the Savoy Kingdom and Republic, the Pontifical States, Ancient Roman Society, Italy as an ancient cultural melting pot, the Renaissance and Baroque, and more. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky in Agricultural Economics and a Master of Liberal Arts from Harvard University Extension School. Email for a complete list of topics with full descriptions. Email: AulaSMW@aol.com Website: www.rutherfordjohnson.com Will also travel to: Anywhere • ITALY Italian and Italian History Teacher Virna Chessari speaks about literature and her bilingual Italian/English poetry collection entitled The Ulysses Butterfly (La farfalle di Ulisse). Email: ulyssesbutterfly447@gmail.com Website: https://www.facebook.com/virna.chessari.5 FALL 2021 15
