A sweeping portrait of the United States beyond the clichés, “(RE)COVERING AMERICA” is written by two Italian journalists, husband and wife duo Maria Teresa Cometto and Glauco Maggi. The book recounts a 20,000‑mile coast‑to‑coast journey across the U.S., chronicling what the authors call “The Other America.”
Living in New York since 2000, Cometto and Maggi undertook two expansive road trips as "special correspondents for the Italian Cultural Institute of New York". The first followed the routes of America’s pioneers from New York to Oregon and back through the northern states along the Canadian border. The second led them south — from New York to San Diego by way of Georgia and the deep South — revealing corners of the country often overshadowed by familiar tourist icons.
Their travels took them through landscapes that inspired American writers like Ernest Hemingway in Michigan and into striking curiosities such as the University of Texas at El Paso, whose architecture echoes Bhutanese temples. They explored the surreal Craters of the Moon in Idaho and the elegant Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas — a world‑class art institution nestled in a small Walmart town.
Equally vivid are the stories of the people they met: from reflections on America’s painful past at Montgomery’s National Memorial for Peace and Justice (the Lynching Museum) to the hopeful activism of Opal Lee, the 96‑year‑old “Grandmother of Juneteenth” in Fort Worth, who preaches colorblind love and reconciliation. The authors also encountered a “new” Italy across America — from NASA scientists in Pasadena to Chef Bruno Serato, who since 2005 has cooked and served free pasta meals to disadvantaged children at his Anaheim White House restaurant.
About the Authors
Maria Teresa Cometto and Glauco Maggi are award‑winning Italian journalists and U.S. citizens since 2018. Both are recipients of the Amerigo Journalism Award, recognizing outstanding coverage of the United States for the Italian audience.
Cometto writes for "Corriere della Sera" and has authored several books, including "Emma and the Angel of Central Park", "La Marchesa Colombi", "Brothers of the Mountain", and "Tech and the City: The Making of New York’s Startup Community".
Maggi, a veteran of "La Stampa", currently contributes to "Investire", "Money.it", and "La Voce di New York". His previous books include "Trump 2.0 – The Comeback", "Il guerriero solitario: Trump e la Mission Impossible", and "Obama Dimezzato."
"(RE)COVERING AMERICA" is available now on Bookshop.org and all major digital platforms.
