02609 - Contemporary Italian Literature (N-Z)

Learning outcomes

At the end of this class, students are expected to achieve a wide knowledge of Italian Twentieth-Century literature, with a main focus on relationships between literature and sociology, anthropology and civilization; the course load goes together with general notions in criticism and textual analysis, in formal, structural, compositional matters, and in their reception as well. During the course students become able to analyze by themselves texts belonging to the contemporary Italian literary tradition.

Course contents

Specific subject: "The Sunshine Family". The household relationship as a literary frame.

This course lasts 60 hours, and equals to 12 credits. It is focused on the representation of family as a social institution, as well as an historical characterisation and a set of conflicts. That is going to take place throughout some samples of narrative and poetry from the late 19th Century to the present time. This course assumes a basic knowledge of Twentieth-Century Italian literature.

Lectures start on Monday 1st October, 2018, and go on according to the following schedule, till 21st December, 2018:

- Monday, 9-11 am, Room V, Via Zamboni 38;

- Tuesday, 9-11 am, Room V, Via Zamboni 38 [1st Oct. to mid-Nov., 2018], then Pascoli Room, Via Zamboni 32 [mid-Nov. to 21st Dec., 2018];

- Thursday, 11 am-1 pm, Room VI, Via Zamboni 38 [1st Oct. to mid-Nov., 2018], then Room II, Via Zamboni 38 [mid-Nov. to 21st Dec., 2018].

Since the beginning of the lectures, students will be allowed to enroll in this class via the Insegnamenti OnLine web site.

Readings/Bibliography

Readings and discussions of narrative, poems and criticism are framed in six units as follows:

1. Federico De Roberto, I Viceré [1894-1920], ed. by Luigi Lunari, Milan: Feltrinelli, 2011 [even in different issues and reprints]; Carlo Alberto Madrignani, Effetto Sicilia. Genesi del romanzo moderno, Macerata: Quodlibet, 2007 [Premessa, 7-10; Introduzione. Effetto Sicilia, 11-26; De Roberto, 87-134];

2. Elio Vittorini, Conversazione in Sicilia [1937], ed. by Giovanni Falaschi, Milan: BUR Contemporanea, 2014 [even in different issues and reprints]; Edoardo Esposito, Elio Vittorini. Scrittura e utopia, Rome: Donzelli, 2011 [I. Vittorini e no, 3-16; II. Maestri cercando, 17-42; III. Un nuovo narrare, 43-66; IV. Simboli e altri simboli, 67-80];

3. Natalia Ginzburg, Lessico famigliare [1963], with a foreword by Cesare Segre, Turin: Einaudi, 2014 [even in different issues and reprints]; Cesare Garboli, Scritti servili, Turin: Einaudi, 1989 [Opere di Natalia Ginzburg, 93-134];

4. Vivian Lamarque, Teresino [1980] and Una quieta polvere [1996], in Poesie 1972-2002, Milan: Mondadori, 2002 [1-72 and 133-212]; Vivian Lamarque, Madre d'inverno, Milan: Mondadori, 2016;

5. Attilio Bertolucci, La camera da letto [1984-1988], Milan: Garzanti, 1988 [even in different issues and reprints]; Giacomo Morbiato, Forma e narrazione nella "Camera da letto" di Attilio Bertolucci, Padua: Libreriauniversitaria.it, 2016 [Introduzione. Sulla poetica dell'extrasistole, 13-26; III. Strutture narrative e modelli generici: l'unità profonda della "Camera", 147-206];

6. Valerio Magrelli, Geologia di un padre, Turin: Einaudi, 2013; Federico Francucci, Il mio corpo estraneo. Carni e immagini in Valerio Magrelli, Milan: Mimesis, 2013 [Io, Valerio Magrelli, sono mio padre, mio figlio, e io, 71-112].

Students who are not planning to attend our classes are requested to get a basic knowledge upon Italian literature of the 20th century by reading a handbook by Giulio Ferroni, Storia della letteratura italiana. Il Novecento e il nuovo millennio, Turin: Einaudi, 2012; as an option, other handbooks can be considered suitable as well.

Useful directions on these resources and others will be provided throughout the class. Samples will be partially made available on time with a view to the exam; any other information will be available on the Insegnamenti OnLine web site.

Italian students who attend the course for six credits are expected to choose and study three units on those making up the course as a whole.

Overseas and Erasmus+ exchange students who are attending the course for 6 credits will be requested to compose a short essay (up to 20000 bytes) upon a specific topic related to the course programme. This topic will be negotiated with the teacher, who will assign a specific set of bibliographical references. The essay will be discussed at the oral examination session. Beyond this essay, Overseas and Erasmus+ exchange students who are attending the course for 12 credits will be requested to study at least one unit among those included in the course programme, and to explain it briefly during the oral examination session. 

Teaching methods

Traditional lectures with a strong interaction between students and teacher.

Assessment methods

The final exam consists of an oral appointment, which aims to verify some methodological, personally developed skills. It lasts approx. 20 minutes, split in two parts. The first one focuses on the main theoretical matters approached throughout the class, verifiyng the preparation upon at least two units among those included in the study programme. The second one will consist of the brief exposition of an individual in-depth analysis, even written if preferred, upon a review, a topic or a period included in the study programme itself. 

A positive or excellent score (27 to 30/30, with possible distinction) corresponds to a full mastering of technical, theoretical, historical and terminological resources of Twentieth-Century and contemporary literature, and to a proved ability to make connections among single aspects of the course contents, and to show awareness of textual features with appropriate language; an average score (23 to 26/30) goes to students who reveal some lacks in one or more topics or analytical proofs, or are able to use just mechanically their ability in interpretation; a pass or low score (18 to 22/30) to students with severe lacks in one or more topics or exercises, or not enough accurate while they use or quote notions and samples. A negative score is to be assigned to students who are not able to recall general notions in a sample of text and/or in general.

Exam sessions take place once in a month, and are scheduled in turns. Students must sign up at the AlmaEsami web site (https://almaesami.unibo.it). The registration ends two days before the oral examination.

Teaching tools

Excerpts from texts and criticism in digital scans.

Office hours

See the website of Stefano Colangelo