Linda Leuzzi is an award-winning journalist, editor and author of three adult fiction books and 8 non-fiction books for young adults, two of which garnered New York Public Library citations. Stories for the Long Island Advance, Suffolk County News, and Islip Bulletin have won 19 New York Press Association Awards including First Place mentions for In-Depth Reporting, Spot News, Coverage of the Arts, Spot News Photo and Sports Feature. She’s won two Third Place Sharon Fullmer Awards for Community Leadership for team coverage of LGBTQ+ issues. Her many celebrity interviews have included Isabella Rossellini, Chazz Palminteri, Bernadette Peters, Joe Piscopo, Sally Struthers, Sara Jean Ford, Melissa Errico, and choreographer Randy Skinner as well as Nobel Prize and MacArthur Award scientists. Community awards include Woman of Diversity for the Of Colors Black History celebration, Brookhaven Town’s Outstanding Service in Media/Communications and a Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts honor for her stories. Locally, the Bayport-Blue Point Library recognized Linda for her in-depth articles on the library’s purchase and renovation of the former St. Ursula Center. After stepping aside as editor for the Long Island Advance, Linda subs when needed and writes regularly for them and now also the Tide of the Moriches and the Fire Island News. Linda is a Sayville Rotarian, the recipient of a Paul Harris Award, and has hosted seven Rotary exchange students with her husband, Vincent. A lover of British series, foreign films, Turner Classic Movies, PBS, Broadway, Gateway musicals and Patchogue Theatre concerts, as well as European travel to Paris, London, Prague and other gorgeous places. An aspect of Linda is an ebullient enthusiasm for her work and the communities she covers. Linda has a St. John’s University journalism degree and is always thinking of stories walking with her rescue dog Tina.

Linda’s new book, “My Year With the Italian Girl,” is available on Amazon.

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Awards

19 New York Press Association Awards Including:
  • First Place Spot News Photo
  • First Place Sports Feature
  • First Place In-Depth Reporting
  • First Place Coverage of the Arts
  • First Place Spot News
  • First Place Headline Writing

Linda Leuzzi Interview with Isabella rossellini

Video courtesy of, Joseph Varsalona. Event hosted by  Bellport-Brookhaven Historical Society.

award-winning author & journalist

Recognition

In 2020, Linda Leuzzi received a prestigious Third Place New York Press Association Sharon Fullmer Community Leadership Award for coverage of LGBTQ issues (shared). Linda has been honored to receive several community and industry recognitions, including one from Patchogue Village for her community journalism efforts, the All About Ball event at the Boys & Girls Club of the Bellport Area for her support of its founder, and as a Woman of Diversity during Patchogue ArtSpace’s Of Colors Black History Month.

In 2021, Linda was honored with a 2nd Place Front Page Award for two of her stories, part of a team effort.

Linda also received a Science Museum of Long Island’s Outstanding Advocate for Science and Technology for Environmental Writing Award and accolades from the Greater Patchogue Historical Society for local history stories.

Linda Leuzzi was honored by Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts in 2019 for her many stories on the celebrities who perform as well as the theatre. In the photo with Linda are the other honorees, Long Island Advance publisher Terry Tuthill and BrickHouse Brewery partners Jim McPeak, George Hoag and Tom Keegan. Photo by Walter Petrule.

Linda was also honored by NYS Senator Monica Martinez with a Media Award at the Long Island Women’s Conference for her contributions and positive community impact. Here’s Linda with Senator Martinez.

Continued Projects

As former editor of the Long Island Advance, Tide of the Moriches, Suffolk County News and Islip Bulletin, Linda Leuzzi continues her work as regular contributor and occasional editor. She has mentored, hosted and stayed in touch with several Rotary foreign exchange students as well as young women starting out in the news business.

Linda Leuzzi authored the anniversary edition book, “Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts: 20 Luminous Years of Entertainment Progress,” for Patchogue Theatre.

You can purchase “Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts: 20 Luminous Years of Entertainment Progress” for $30 at PTPA’s box office or online here. All proceeds go to PTPA.

Linda Leuzzi also served on the board of the Bellport-Brookhaven Historical Society.

Linda was recently featured on a one-hour Community Interview Zoom meeting the Sayville Library conducted highlighting local residents who have made positive contributions. Linda was featured with Liz Finnegan, as former editors of the Suffolk County News and were asked about the stories they covered that had the most impact. They were interviewed by James Bertsch and Jonathan Pryor

Linda was recently interviewed by film star Isabella Rossellini at the Bellport-Brookhaven Historical Society, a standing-room-only event, about her new book, “My Year With the Italian Girl.”

Rotary District 7255 District Governor Sonia Saleh asked Linda to give a talk about her book, “My Year With the Italian Girl,” at the recent Woodloch Resort district conference in Hawley, Pa. Linda’s book was inspired by a Rotary Youth Exchange student she mentored, and she spoke about her experiences with the young woman as well as with other students hosted. Linda discussed the plot of her fiction book, which focuses on small town life, multiculturism, Black history, weekly newspaper work and environmental issues. She received a Paul Harris Fellow Award.

 

Books

Linda Leuzzi has authored 8 YA non-fiction books and here is her recent fiction book for adults:

“My Year With the Italian Girl,” available on Amazon.

To the Young Environmentalist was chosen as a Talking Book

Life Connections: Pioneers in Ecology received a New York Public Library citation

A Matter of Style: Women in the Fashion Industry received a New York Public Library citation

Celebrities Interviews

Isabella Rossellini, Bernadette Peters, Chazz Palminteri, Michelle Veintimilla, Tony Danza, Ronan Tynan, Sally Struthers, Andrea McArdle, Vince Giordano, Dominic Chianese, Kurt Sodergren, Randy Skinner, Keith Lockhart, Joe Forbrich, Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s Albert Mazibuko, Branford Marsalis and Joanie Madden of Cherish the Ladies.

Also, astronaut Mike Massimino, oceanographer Sylvia Earle, authors Steven Gaines and Bob Morris, photographer Bob Kolbrener, artist Valta Us, producer Stephen DeAngelis and wood artist/craftsman David Ebner.