Frank Sinatra : history, identity, and Italian American culture / edited by Stanislao G. Pugliese.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Pugliese, Stanislao G., 1965-

Series:

Italian and Italian American studies (Palgrave Macmillan (Firm))

Italian & Italian American studies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Sinatra, Frank, 1915-1998.

Sinatra, Frank.

Sinatra, Frank, 1915-1998--Political and social views.

Singers--United States--Biography.

Singers.

Italian Americans--Social life and customs.

Political and social views.

United States.

Italian Americans--Social life and customs--20th century.

Italian Americans.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

x, 238 pages : illustrations, portraits ; 22 cm.

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2004.

Summary:

Frank Sinatra was more than just a pop star. He embodied a quintessential American style that influenced generations of Americans from the big band to the hip hop era. Sinatra's life story explains part of his lasting appeal. From impoverished beginnings in a single-parent immigrant household to world renown as the beloved "Chairman of the Board," he beat tremendous odds to become one of the most influential and best-loved artists of the twentieth century. For first-generation Americans and Italian Americans in particular, Sinatra proved that the American dream was real. Yet his persona transcended the son-of-immigrants-made-good story by expressing a knowing world-weariness and fierce individualism perfectly in tune with an America finding its place in the world. In this exciting volume of new essays, a gathering of distinguished historians, journalists, and critics explore Sinatra's impact on American culture, addressing a number of facets of this deeply complicated man. Topics include Sinatra's civil rights activism, his political swing from left to right, his relationship to ethnic stereotypes of Italian Americans, and his contribution to an American model of masculinity. The insights in these essays place Sinatra at the fulcrum of many controversial and timely issues, helping to explain why his presence continues to loom so large in the American imagination.

Contents:

1 Longing, Loss, and Nostalgia / Stanislao G. Pugliese 3

Part 1 History and Politics

2 Frank Sinatra and the American Century / Douglas Brinkley 17

3 Frank Sinatra's House: Pride, Passion, and Politics / Joseph Dorinson 23

4 Frank Sinatra and Civil Rights / Leonard Mustazza 33

5 Frank Sinatra and Presidential Politics / Michael Nelson 47

Part 2 Identity and Representation

6 Why the Bobby Soxers? / Janice L. Booker 73

7 Playing the "Big Room": Frank Sinatra, the Fontainebleu Hotel, and the Architecture of Inclusion / Gaspar Gonzalez 83

8 Someone to Watch over Him: Images of Class and Gender Vulnerability in Early Sinatra / Rob Jacklosky 91

9 State of Grace: Frank Sinatra and American Charisma / T. H. Adamowski 101

Part 3 A Riff on Italian American Culture

10 Sinatra at the Table: Scenes from Patsy's Restaurant / Joe Scognamillo, Sal Scognamillo 119

11 Mammissimo: Dolly and Frankie Sinatra and the Italian American Mother/Son Thing / John Gennari 127

12 Urbane Villager / Thomas J. Ferraro 135

13 Passing for Italian: Crooners and Gangsters in Crossover Culture / John Gennari 147

14 Sinatra, the Name Ending in a Vowel, or, "The Voice" as Signifier and Symptom of Italian Americanness / Pellegrino A. D'Acierno 155

15 I Get No Kick from Assimilation, or, "My" Frank Sinatra Problem / Rocco Marinaccio 179

16 Prophet, Padrone, Postmodern Prometheus: Moral Images of Sinatra in Contemporary Culture / Edmund N. Santurri 201.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [217]-225) and index.

ISBN:

1403966559

OCLC:

54529323