EDITORIAL
W
e’ve been online for a year. In April 2011 Bridge Puglia USA, the new version of Bridge Apulia USA, a paper-based annual magazine, in the English language, published up to 2004, dipped its first timid toe into the magnum sea of the Web, with the support of a small group (much bigger these days) of authoritative writers, journalists, photographers and experts of various disciplines.
The aim was an ambitious one: to show the world the best of Puglia, along with some glimpses of the United States and the rest of Italy. Giving space to art, literature, the beauty of nature, folk traditions, gastronomy and to all aspects of Italian culture, specifically Apulian and American culture, about which we had something interesting to report. Addressing ourselves to everyone, but above all to those who, on the other side of the ocean, have ties with Italy and with Puglia in particular or who simply love them. So, Italian Americans, Apulian Americans, emigrants of Apulian origin, or simply Apulians and Italians who work in America or Americans who have some connection with, or are simply attracted to Italy. And of course, Italians who love the U.S.
We wanted a magazine that lightened the homesickness of those who live between two lands and two souls (recalling Tusiani again) by creating a constant contact between the two sides of the Atlantic. A flow of news, images, emotions that would keep the memory of the country of origin alive or that stimulated the desire to set off on new visits, new journeys.
The visits – the virtual ones – have, however, come from over 100 countries in the world; Italy and the United states heading the list of course, and from more than 400 Italian cities all over the country. And the confirmation of this interest on the part of the readership comes from the scores of e-mails that we get every month. In which there are lots of positive comments but also requests and proposals of all kinds that come from Bari and Taranto, but also Milan, Rome, Florence, Trieste, and Catania. From New York, naturally, but also from Chicago, Miami, Santa Fe, and Seattle.
But the one that made me smile widest, some weeks ago, was a picture, in an e-mail, that arrived from Irvine, O.C. (Orange County, the one in the famous TV show), between Los Angeles and San Diego, California.
It was from Sante, an Apulian who has been living in California for 17 years for work reasons. There was a photo of some inviting zeppole, like the ones we proposed in the March issue, and a message: “Ciao, these are the zeppole that my wife Lucia has just made by following the recipe in Bridge. Grazie!”
I passed on Sante’s thanks to our gourmet expert, Dario Ersetti.
But it’s me who has to thank Sante and Lucia for having confirmed that over there in mythical California, our magazine has brought, not virtually, but really, a sweet, flavorsome, exquisite piece of Puglia.
365 days a year Between America and Puglia
A time of foreboding, taking stock and making plans Puglia “best value travel destination in the world”
Besieged by kings and stars The railroad disaster in Puglia
that has shaken our summer The other Puglia.
The harsh reality of the gangmaster system a world away from the glossy magazine covers If spring starts with the tragedy in Brussels 2016: a year in the sign of Puglia, also in the US TEDx Lecce
The extraordinary lives and the “revolutionary” choices of ordinary people Flavia Pennetta and Roberta Vinci
Icons of Puglia on the world scene Puglia
A hot summer of culture Lecce in The New York Times again
The love affair of the American press with Puglia and the South continues… Ben Hur in Matera
Italy’s revival may start from the South In memory of Mario Cuomo, pride of Italian Americans TEDex
From a conference comes inspiration for designing the future Puglia taken by storm by the stars
A train not to be missed Web
Vieste and Gallipoli the most-clicked by Italians Blue flags
In Puglia ten beaches with top marks Buried waste dumps, searches for oil, and a gas pipeline in the crystal-clear waters.
Let there be a stop to the misdeeds in Puglia Renata Fonte
30 years since her murder.
She was defending Porto Selvaggio Pugliamania Nebraska
An unsettling story of the other America Otranto’s tree of life
symbol of Italy at Expo 2015 End of the year with great expectations for Puglia TEDx
From California to Lecce the courage of ideas Bill de Blasio.
The most likely candidate in the running for New York mayor is an Italian American If Lecce appears in the New York Times,
if the “Notte della Taranta” attracts 130,000 people… Pianos in the streets of New York The Great Gatsby...
If, by way of the silver screen, the American dream breaks into our lives “If you see something, say something”
Considerations after the Boston attack Salento “Territory of the year 2013” 2013, the Year of Italian Culture in the United States Good resolutions at the end of the year Obama re-elected
“Dreams and pragmatism”
America’s lesson for Europe The Passing of Cristanziano Serricchio, poet of the light Ten reasons to come on holiday to Puglia “Extremely loud and incredibly close” Those tears on the death of Dalla “Totally awesome” 9/11
ten years later The first time on the web