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[ Back to Main Registry Page ] [ EDITOR/AGENT REQUEST FOR MANUSCRIPT/SCREENPLAY ] [ Rate this Work ] Welcome to Authorlink, the news, information, and marketing site for editors, agents, writers, producers, publishers and fans. The Writers' Registry provides a comprehensive view of authors, journalists, and freelancers, what they do, their specialties, projects, and how to contact them. George De StefanoRecent Projects As evidenced in countless films, novels, and television portrayals, the Mafia has maintained an enduring hold on the American cultural imagination--even as it continues to wrongly color our real-life perception of Italian Americans. In An Offer We Can't Refuse, George De Stefano takes a close look at the origins and prevalence of the Mafia mythos in America. Beginning with a consideration of Italian emigration in the early twentieth century and the fear and prejudice--among both Americans and Italians--that informed our earliest conception of what was at the time the largest immigrant group to enter the United States, De Stefano explores how these impressions laid the groundwork for the images so familiar to us today and uses them to illuminate and explore the variety and allure of Mafia stories--from Coppola's romanticized paeans to Scorsese's bloody realism to the bourgeois world of David Chase's Sopranos--while discussing the cultural richness often contained in these works. At the same time, he addresses the lingering power of the goodfella cliché and the lamentable extent to which it is embedded in our consciousness, making it all but impossible to green-light a project about the Italian American experience not set in gangland. Projects or Proposals Offered I am developing a new book tentatively titled “Another Sicily.” It’s a logical continuation of my first book, “An Offer We Can’t Refuse,” but with a different focus. The book will introduce readers to a Sicily they don’t know: that of the people and social movements opposing the Mafia and the political corruption and social conservatism that have allowed it to flourish. The stories of anti-Mafia crusaders are as dramatic and compelling as Mafia narrative, but they’ve rarely been told. I’ll also portray, through interviews and reporting, some cultural figures – like rock star Carmen Consoli and author Andrea Camilleri – whose work offers visions of “Another Sicily.” Readers who think they know Sicily from “The Godfather” will be surprised and enlightened by my portrayal of another reality that flouts those familiar images. Searchable Keywords non-fiction, cultural studies, ethnic studies Specialties or Categories of Interest nonfiction, journalism, cultural criticism,cultural politics Experience, Credits, and/or Awards Author of "An Offer We Can't Refuse: The Mafia in the Mind of America," numerous articles, reviews, features in national and local publications Excerpts from Reviews or References De Stefano knows the gangster genre inside out, making it a pleasure to follow his thoughts on favorites like "The Sopranos," "Donnie Brasco," "Goodfellas" and the "Godfather" trilogy, as well as lesser-known films like "A Bronx Tale." (NYT Book Review) A whip-smart meditation on the power of ethnic myth, in this instance the one that supposes that to be an Italian American is by definition to walk among the dons and the goombahs." Kirkus Reviews From The Book I am an author, journalist and critic whose work has appeared in many magazines, newspapers, journals, and websites. My book, An Offer We Can’t Refuse: The Mafia in the Mind of America (Faber and Faber, 2006) explores in-depth some of my longstanding preoccupations as a writer: cultural mythologies and their social impact; ethnic identity and stereotypes; popular culture, especially film, and how such social categories as race, class, sexuality and gender interact in American society. As an Italian American, I have a personal interest in these topics. I’ve enjoyed gangster movies and TV shows, as well as novels such as “The Godfather,” but I always wondered why these images of Italian Americans – as hoodlums or similarly, as boorish, uneducated proles – were virtually the only images in popular culture of people of my background. I also wanted to explore some related questions. Does the fact that so many non-Italians associate us with organized crime necessarily mean they are prejudiced against Italians? How are stereotypes of Italians as mafiosi like, and not like, other racial and ethnic stereotypes? What do the better entries in the mob genre – the “Godfather” films, “Goodfellas” and “The Sopranos” have to say about American society, not just Italians? And why are so many people so fascinated with Italian and Italian American organized crime stories? According to critics, and actors such as John Turturro, who has played gangsters, “Offer” provides thought-provoking and often surprising answers to these and other questions about America’s long-running romance with the mafia. As a journalist, I have written about the AIDS pandemic, Afro-Cuban and other “ethnic” musics, jazz, American society’s conflicted relationship with gay culture, Italian politics, and many other topics. I also am interested in food – its cultural and social significance, its production and distribution, and the critical importance of preserving biodiversity in agriculture. The Slow Food movement, which began in Italy as a protest against corporate “fast food” and its attendant social ills, fascinates and inspires me. I am currently developing some new book ideas, as well as pursuing opportunities in journalism and cultural criticism. http://www.holtzbrinckpublishers.com/FSG/search/SearchBookDisplay.asp?BookKey=2267797 Copyright 2006-2007, George De Stefano (Expires June 20, 2008) Ordering Information To request information on this author or a manuscript contact the listed agent or e-mail: dbooth@authorlink.com Editor/Agent Request for Manuscript/ScreenplayThis service is for legitimate publishers, editors and agents only. Please do not request a manuscript or information unless you can verify that you are an active professional in the industry. Thank you! Note to Editors and Agents: Your contact information will remain highly confidential at all times. The information will be given ONLY to the person whose materials you requested. Thanks. 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