Poetry. Lewis Turco is one of the most original and diversely talented Italian American poets. What a pleasure to read him in two languages at once – his own zesty English and an Italian translation (Dana Gioia). A BOOK OF FEARS is literally that: each poem is named after a fear. For example Eratophobia The Fear of Poetry: Dear Cousin, she wrote, Thanks / for the book of poems. I must admit / that I haven’t opened them. It’s a source / of pride to me to have a poet in the family, / but I’m afraid I won’t understand // the poems and I’ll feel stupid. Founder of the Poetry Center of Cleveland in 1962 at what is now Cleveland State University, Lewis Turco also founded the Program in Writing Arts at S.U.N.Y. Oswego in 1968, directing it for the next 27 years. His last book, SHAKING THE FAMILY TREE, A REMEBRANCE is also out of Bordighera and is avaialble from SPD. Translated into Italian by Joseph Alessia, a poet and teacher who is currently professor of Italian and Spanish, also at S.U.N.Y. Oswego.