WTI Magazine #26    2014 Apr, 18
Author : James Vescovi      Translation by:

In a world filled with memoirs, Eat Now; Talk Later by James Vescovi is truly different. This memoir that doesn't focus on a radically dysfunctional family, but instead celebrates the breadth of family life: loyalty, struggle, humor, misunderstanding, and love.

When the author's grandparents Tony and Desolina Vescovi arrived in America, they collided with the 20th century. Born around 1900, in farming communities where little had changed for hundreds of years, the couple was stumped by telephones, banks, fast food, TV wrestling, and supermarkets. It was up to their only child, a son, to serve as their shepherd, and it wasn't easy. For example, how could he explain to them that his job was taking him and his family 700 miles away when, in their day, sons stayed put to work the family farm? Or that it wasn't wise to hide $10,000 in the bedroom? Or bring $1,000 cash to the hospital to pay the bill?
"My book veers away from the commonly told 'immigrant made good' story," says Vescovi. "It's really about two people who are far out of their element."

It is not only the topic that's original, but the way Tony and Desolina's life is recounted: through fifty-two stories recalling incidents and ideas that reveal their character. Several of the stories previously appeared in publications such as The New York Times, Creative Nonfiction, Newsday, and Ancestry Magazine.

"I could never have written a traditional, birth-to-death memoir of my grandparents," says Vescovi. "They were not famous and did nothing that we might deem extraordinary, like invent a successful product or argue before the U.S. Supreme Court. Instead, like most of us, they lived quiet, anonymous lives. Yet, how do we tell others about remarkable family members—through stories."

Vescovi's collection—the full title is Eat Now; Talk Later: 52 True Tales of Family, Feasting, and the American Dream—began with his father. A born storyteller, he traveled around the world as a pharmaceutical executive and he returned home with amazing stories. He also told tales about his childhood with Tony and Desolina in New York, which the author collected, along with his own. The book also contains a scrapbook of family photos and recipes.

According to Vescovi, the book's title comes from his grandmother, who disliked conversation during meals. "To her, eating was sacred. Conversing while eating tortellini was like talking loudly during mass. You just didn't do it," says the author. He is quick to point out that you don't have to be Italian to appreciate these stories.

"They have a universal quality about them. We all have relatives like my grandparents—who are far behind the times," says Vescovi. "Part of my goal in writing Eat Now; Talk Later is to encourage people collect their own precious family stories."

Eat Now; Talk Later is also a book for modern, busy people. Stories can be read before bed, on a lunch hour, or waiting in line. "They can even be shared with friends who complain they have enough to read," says the author.

To learn more about the book and read an excerpt, visit www.eatnowtalklater.com.