Maria Laurino is the author of The Italian Americans: A History, the companion book to the PBS documentary series, as well as the memoirs, Old World Daughter, New World Mother, a meditation on contemporary feminism, and the national bestseller, Were You Always an Italian?, an exploration of ethnic identity.
Laurino began her career as a staff writer at the Village Voice. She left the Voice to serve as the chief speechwriter to former New York City Mayor David N. Dinkins.
Laurino’s work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Nation, Salon.com, and numerous publications. Her essays have been widely anthologized, including in the Norton Reader. In addition to writing books, Laurino continues her work as a speechwriter, serving as Assistant to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, and she teaches creative nonfiction in the undergraduate writing program at New York University. Laurino is a graduate of Georgetown University, where she double majored in English and Government; she holds an M.A. from New York University in English and American literature. She lives in New York City with her husband and son.