Letters to Italy

Letters to Italy by Sara Marinelli is an eighth-part series about the impact of Covid-19 on Italian immigrants in the Bay Area. How did Italian expats feel when they received news of their country being the epicenter of the pandemic in the Western world, and how did it affect their distant relationship to home? At the intersection of personal memoir and documentary, each episode features conversations with an Italian expat to hear how the pandemic reshaped their life in the U.S., and how they tried to remain connected to Italy in a time of crisis and forced separation. Conversations bring up questions of belonging, resilience, community, and how to transform challenges into possibilities.

All Episodes

Letters to Italy

Ep. 1 - Sara Marinelli, Writer & Radio-producer - My letters to Italy

May 14, 2021 • Sara Marinelli • Season 1 • Episode 1

Writer and radio producer Sara Marinelli introduces the series by sharing some of her Letters to Italy that she has been writing since the onset of the pandemic.

Through a collage of voice-memos, phone calls, radio news, journal entries, and music recorded on Italian balconies, Sara explores her sense of belonging and ways to connect from afar with the country she left fourteen years ago.

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Since recording this episode, Italy’s vaccination plan has sped up. 13% of the population has received the anti Covid-19 vaccine, as of early May 2021.

Episode notes

Writer/ Producer/Editor: Sara Marinelli

Mixing consultant: Rebecca Seidel

Sound design: Sara Marinelli

Intro and outro music: “Hopeful Motivation” - James Yan

Music bed: “Passage IV” (remix) - Laura Inserra

Website: https://podcast.saramarinelli.com

Website for Sara Marinelli: www.saramarinelli.com

Website for Italian Frequency radio show: www.kxsf.fm

Social:

IG: @saramarinelli1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sara.marinelli.92/

This series was made possible thanks to the support of COMITES of San Francisco and the Italian Consulate of San Francisco, with funding from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

I'd like to thank: the Hershowitz family, Elisabetta Ghisini, Whit Missildine, Mia Warren.