As Ida Susser writes in reference to Belmonte's Broken Fountain, "good ethnographies have long lives." This
classic of urban anthropology, one of the most acclaimed ethnographies of recent years, offers vivid, literary
descriptions of Fontana del Re, an impoverished Neapolitan neighborhood. Belmonte documents the struggles of Neapolitans
surrounded by crumbling buildings and economic insecurity. He details family dynamics as well as the workings of
Naples's informal economy, the day-to-day struggle for economic subsistence, and the intermittent begging and thieving
of the young. Taking us from the bustling, vibrant, and gritty streets and alleyways of Naples to the kitchen tables
of poor Neapolitan homes, Belmonte resists simplistic depictions of the poor. Instead, he presents subtle, compelling
portraits and analyses that capture the emotional, social, and economic lives of his subjects.
In addition to the continuing relevance of his insights into the effects of poverty, Belmonte's willingness to
reflect on his own reactions and emotions while in the field has influenced a generation of scholars. In The Broken
Fountain, he poignantly describes the experience of living alone in a strange urban environment and his interactions
with the residents of Fontana del Re.
About the Authors
Thomas Belmonte was a professor of anthropology at Hofstra University.
Ida Susser is professor of anthropology at the CUNY Graduate Center. Her books include Norman Street: Poverty and
Politics in an Urban Neighborhood; The Castells Reader on Cities and Social Theory; and Wounded Cities: Destruction
and Reconstruction in a Globalized World.