Courses

Elena Ferrante: The Neapolitan Novels (in English)
An international sensation since the 2011 publication of this four-novel series, Elena Ferrante depicts the life-long, ambivalent relationship between Lenù and Lila, two “brilliant friends,” attempting escape from Neapolitan poverty and crime, from late 1940s Reconstruction Italy into the new Millennium. The first two novels, translated by My Brilliant Friend (2011) and Story of a New Name (2012), also subject of Saverio Costanzo’s 2018-2020 HBO series, will provide our particular focus. Blogs, short essays, oral presentations, research project; possible video. 3 hrs.

Boccaccio’s Decameron in the Age of Coronavirus
Composed at the end of the 1348 Black Plague, the Decameron engages the social crises emerging from pandemic. Popularly considered only a collection of bawdy stories, we will challenge this popular stereotype of the work, discussing also how its storytelling emerges as a responsible act critiquing the society passing away, and proposing alternatives foundational to modern Western society regarding class, gender, and religion. We will also consider how contemporary Western essays and media (some in translation) re-engage the Decameron. Class work includes short analytical essays with rewrites, blogging, scrapbooking, and a class project rewriting the Decameron for today. This course will be conducted exclusively in English, with English language sources. 3 hrs. lect.

Literary Feasts: Representations of Food in Modern Narrative (in English)
This course will consider food and eating practices within specific cultural and historical contexts. We will analyze realistic, symbolic, religious, erotic, and political functions surrounding the preparation and consumption of food. Readings will be drawn from several national traditions, with a focus on Europe. Authors will include, among others, I. Dinesen, L. Esquivel, J. Harris, E. Hemingway, T. Lampedusa, P. Levi, C. Petrini, M. Pollan, E. Vittorini, and B. Yoshimoto. Viewing of several films where food and eating play an important role will supplement class discussion.

The Power of Words: Debating Global Issues in Italian
In this course we will use the pedagogy of debate to develop advanced competency in Italian but also to work on skills that can be applied beyond the classroom, like public speaking, engaged listening, productive dissent, and teamwork. We will study in depth opposite sides of controversial, globally relevant issues, such as: environment vs. economy; immigration vs. national security; cultural preservation vs. diversity; technology/social media vs. privacy; Humanities vs. STEM. Through a variety of preparatory activities, scaffolding exercises, and contextualized vocabulary we will work toward writing about, discussing, and finally debating the issues considered in each module. (One 300 level course or by approval) 3 hrs. lect./disc.,

Italian Landscapes: History, Culture, Literature, and Identity
What is paesaggio, and how similar/different is it from its English equivalent, Landscape? In this course we will study the concept and its relevance for the construction of an Italian identity. In particular, we will discuss the relations between paesaggio and environment, emotions, history, and literature. Through the reading of essays from a variety of scholarly approaches (anthropological, sociological, historical, literary), personal reflection, and group analysis, we will analyze the creation and the changing nature of the meaning and importance of paesaggio. Our focus will be Italy and its regions, with a comparative approach that will include Vermont and Middlebury. 3 hrs. sem

Italian Identities: Gender, Race, Culture
What does it mean to be "Italian"? In this course we will analyze Italian identities by reading and listening to a variety of sources and authors, and discuss the role that concepts such as gender, race, nation, culture, value/s, diversity, otherness, and intersectionality play. While learning about contemporary Italy, we will work on our linguistic, critical, and analytical skills. Special emphasis will be placed on both Academic and Public Writing, and we will rely on rewriting, editing, and peer reviewing. (ITAL0252 or by permission, taught in Italian) 3hrs. lect./disc.

Italy Today: From the Margins to the Center
Our goal in this course will be learning about Italy by concentrating on the margins, on what is not mainstream, on those who are not in power. We will study discrimination, marginalization, racism, and how Italy does, or does not, address them. People can be marginalized through the use of derogatory words and terms, even when speakers do not realize that they are participating in the act of marginalization. We will discover how Italian language affects minority groups (because of race, religion, culture, non-binary or non-conforming genders), and discuss how to translate, into and out of Italian, terms and texts that could help redress some inequalities. We will rely on authors such as Forgacs, Gheno, Guerra, Aime, Hakuzwimana. Taught in Italian. (ITAL 0252 or Instructor's approval) This course is part of the Public Humanities Labs Initiative administered by the Axinn Center for the Humanities.

The Power of Words: Debating Global Issues in Italian
In this course we will use the pedagogy of debate to develop advanced competency in Italian but also to work on skills that can be applied beyond the classroom, like public speaking, engaged listening, productive dissent, and teamwork. We will study in depth opposite sides of controversial, globally relevant issues, such as: environment vs. economy; immigration vs. national security; cultural preservation vs. diversity; technology/social media vs. privacy; Humanities vs. STEM. Through a variety of preparatory activities, scaffolding exercises, and contextualized vocabulary we will work toward writing about, discussing, and finally debating the issues considered in each module. (One 300 level course or by approval) 3 hrs. lect./disc.,

Italian Identities: Gender, Race, Culture
What does it mean to be "Italian"? In this course we will analyze Italian identities by reading and listening to a variety of sources and authors, and discuss the role that concepts such as gender, race, nation, culture, value/s, diversity, otherness, and intersectionality play. While learning about contemporary Italy, we will work on our linguistic, critical, and analytical skills. Special emphasis will be placed on both Academic and Public Writing, and we will rely on rewriting, editing, and peer reviewing. (ITAL0252 or by permission, taught in Italian) 3hrs. lect./disc.

Italy Today: From the Margins to the Center
Our goal in this course will be learning about Italy by concentrating on the margins, on what is not mainstream, on those who are not in power. We will study discrimination, marginalization, racism, and how Italy does, or does not, address them. People can be marginalized through the use of derogatory words and terms, even when speakers do not realize that they are participating in the act of marginalization. We will discover how Italian language affects minority groups (because of race, religion, culture, non-binary or non-conforming genders), and discuss how to translate, into and out of Italian, terms and texts that could help redress some inequalities. We will rely on authors such as Forgacs, Gheno, Guerra, Aime, Hakuzwimana. Taught in Italian. (ITAL 0252 or Instructor's approval) This course is part of the Public Humanities Labs Initiative administered by the Axinn Center for the Humanities.

Elena Ferrante: The Neapolitan Novels
An international sensation since the publication of this four-novel series, Elena Ferrante depicts the life-long, ambivalent relationship between Lenù and Lila, two “brilliant friends,” attempting escape from Neapolitan poverty and crime, from late 1940s Reconstruction Italy into the new Millennium. Although we will consider the whole four-novel series, the first two novels, subject of Saverio Costanzo’s HBO series as well, will provide this seminar’s particular focus. Blogs, short essays, oral presentations, research project; possible video.(ITAL0351, 354 or equivalent) 3 hrs. sem.

Time Around the Table: A Culinary History of Italy
In this course food will be our guide in the exploration of Italian history and culture. The choices that a nation, in our case Italy, made and makes about issues surrounding food tell us about identity, be it social, national, regional, ethnic, or religious. We will examine a number of questions: What do we mean when we talk about Italian food? What did one eat in Ancient Rome or during the Renaissance? And what about today? What are the historical events that have shaped what we have in mind when we say “Italian food”? And what about “Italian-American” food? (Not open to students who have taken FYSE 1344).