Just a side note I wanted to say thank you for such a great novel selection with Son of Italy. I enjoyed reading about Pascal's experience and how closely i can relate to trying to remain optimistic when all seems to be going wrong.  One quote that resonated with me the most was:

 
"I had faith in myself. Without realizing it, I had learned the greatest lesson of America: I had learned to have faith in the future. No matter how bad things were, a turn would inevitably come- as long as I did not give up. I was sure of it. But how much I had to suffer until change came! What a thorny heartbreaking road it was!"

 
One of the best novel I've read to date.
 
HOW TO TAKE NOTES
 
14 Seers and poets  
17 INTRODACQUA
19 storm
25 happy (?)
27 superstition
28 the witch
31 superstition
33 BIDENTO
34/35 topos, big trees and sabba
36 needle and vampire
39 village revenge
41/42 pain
47 decide to emigrate
48 Previously no escape
52 losing someone for ever
60 chewing gum
61 everything big
62 ace of hearts
63 complex political thoughts
64 CONRADINO? Corradino
66 BANANAS
67 truck with horses
67/68 dumped out of the truck - metaphor/foreshadowing/edgy (Can be dumped anytime)
72 POETRY
I MET THIS GUY WHO DIED

  For J.L.K. 


  We caroused 
     did the bars 
         became fast friends 
  He wanted me to tell him 
     what poetry was 
         I told him 

  Happy tipsy one night 
  I took him home to see my newborn child 
  A great sorrow overcame him 
  "O Gregory" he moaned 
          "you brought forth something to die" 

GREGORY CORSO

 

74 I realized the city/ things bigger than NY in my dreams
75 shady side
67 foreshadowing/ broadening of perspective
75 aristocrats
80 lovely repulsive
84 BANANA 3 x 1c
86 theft $60
88 Eliz street police station
91 Negroes in the south
100 could this be true?
103 pigs in sty / commissary system
104 all this in america
105 incident (typo? guy - guide?)
106 wonderful perilous land /masochism? challenge
107 hope dreams, darkeness light
108 WET TIES ( levi) 
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/modlang/carasi/articles/Levi1.html
112 that was his job
113 foreman wheel barrow
119 better at home
121 nail in hand - crucifixion
126 what could i do?
128 gang together again
129 IT theater bowery
135 big words
135 Stars unseen worlds around them
137 super romantic sensibility
144 Shelley - burned all his writings (do not believe it)
146 O with table glass /// poem like
148 belongs to NY
156 faith in myself
The Nation