Joseph Rocchietti was an Italian-American novelist and essayist who was active in the United States literary scene during the mid-nineteenth century, specifically between the years 1835 and 1875. Originally a native of Casale Monferrato, a town located in the Piedmont region of Italy, Rocchietti chose to emigrate to the United States in 1831, where he would spend the next several decades writing and publishing his works.\n\nHe is best remembered for his 1835 epistolary novel, Lorenzo and Oonalaska. Written in English, this love story is set partly in Europe and partly in the state of Virginia. The work holds historical significance as the earliest known novel published by an Italian-American writer. Beyond his contributions to early Italian-American fiction, Rocchietti was also an active essayist. He published a number of long essays, including a prominent piece written in opposition to the 'nativist' movement in Massachusetts. This particular essay drew contemporary literary attention, receiving a review from the famous American writer Edgar Allan Poe in the pages of Poe's Broadway Journal.
