Photos, prose and poems relating to my beloved mother Sarah Russo during her long itinerary from her birth in 1920 on the island of Rhodes (Greece), through Southern and Central Africa, Italy and Belgium, where she lived, as well as through her travels with my father around the world, and her last journey, on the 24th March 2013. She was a passionate reader, in English, French, Italian and Spanish. A wonderful pianist, she loved poetry above all. But more than anything else, it was the purity of her soul we admired the most, with her compassion, her generosity and her sense of humor, for she could be very funny. Thinking of her, we now laugh, cry and laugh again.
This book is Albert Russo's tribute and salute to his beloved mother. The loss of one's parent(s) is usually quite painful and significant, no matter how old or young we are when we have this experience. We will always be their child, and she/he will always be "Mom" (or in this case, Mamica mia) or "Dad". While the passing of dear ones is a part of Life that must be expected and endured by one and all, letting go of persons who have been central in our lives for such a long time is a journey that encompasses both today, yesterday and yesteryears dating back to our first debut on the planet as newborn infants. These bonds can be quite difficult to describe or approach, but in this book Albert Russo has found an excellent solution to the challenge of making personal loss and love for one's mother universally available and recognizable. Mr. Russo has always had a way with words, be they in poetry, novels, essays or short stories; and he is an equally-talented photographer. Here he synthesizes several artistic forms of expression, all of which were loved and appreciated by his mother (perhaps his greatest "fan"), and allows the beauty of his "Mamica" to set sail and proudly cover the Universe for the benefit of us all. Here Albert Russo's Mamica mia briefly becomes our own "Mamica".
Adam Donaldson Powell
Professional Reviews
'A lovely tribute' by Adam Donaldson Powell
This book is Albert Russo's tribute and salute to his beloved mother. The loss of one's parent(s) is usually quite painful and significant, no matter how old or young we are when we have this experience. We will always be their child, and she/he will always be "Mom" (or in this case, Mamica mia) or "Dad". While the passing of dear ones is a part of Life that must be expected and endured by one and all, letting go of persons who have been central in our lives for such a long time is a journey that encompasses both today, yesterday and yesteryears dating back to our first debut on the planet as newborn infants. These bonds can be quite difficult to describe or approach, but in this book Albert Russo has found an excellent solution to the challenge of making personal loss and love for one's mother universally available and recognizable. Mr. Russo has always had a way with words, be they in poetry, novels, essays or short stories; and he is an equally-talented photographer. Here he synthesizes several artistic forms of expression, all of which were loved and appreciated by his mother (perhaps his greatest "fan"), and allows the beauty of his "Mamica" to set sail and proudly cover the Universe for the benefit of us all. Here Albert Russo's Mamica mia briefly becomes our own "Mamica".
The story of Ron Hull, paralyzed in a surgical accident back in the dreaded polio epidemic days, was able to overcome most of the stigma and stereotypes and "pass for normal" for 30 years. As Ron's paralysis increased gradually through the next 20
