02609 - Contemporary Italian Literature (R-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.

Course contents

Specific topic 2016-2017: "The sun ravishes the city". Facts and imageries of Africa in 20th century Italian literature.

This course lasts 60 hours, and equals to 12 credits. Its general aim consists of the study of the occurrences of Africa as a theme in a selected corpus of Twentieth-Century and contemporary Italian poets and novelists. This course assumes a general knowledge of Twentieth-Century Italian literature.

Lectures start on Monday 26th September, 2016, and go further with the following schedule:

Monday, 11-13 am, Room II, Via Zamboni 38;

Tuesday, 11-13 am, Room II, Via Zamboni 38;

Wednesday, 11-13 am, Room II, Via Zamboni 38.

Readings/Bibliography

Throughout the course, the following readings (even in other available issues) will be discussed, towards the final oral exam:

a. Filippo Tommaso Marinetti [1876-1944], Mafarka il futurista [1909-1910], ed. by Luigi Ballerini, Milan: Mondadori, 2003;

b. Giuseppe Ungaretti [1888-1970], L'Allegria [1919], in Vita d'un uomo. Tutte le poesie, ed. by Carlo Ossola, Milan: Mondadori, 2009;

c. Ennio Flaiano [1910-1972], Tempo di uccidere [1947], Milan: Rizzoli, 2013;

d. Vittorio Sereni [1913-1983], Diario d'Algeria [1947-1965], in Tutte le poesie, ed. by Dante Isella, Milan: Mondadori, 1995;

e. Pier Paolo Pasolini [1922-1975], Poesia in forma di rosa [1964], in Bestemmia. Tutte le poesie, I, ed. by Graziella Chiarcossi and Walter Siti, Milan: Garzanti, 2003;

f. Goffredo Parise [1929-1986], Biafra [1968], in Guerre politiche, Milan: Adelphi, 2007;

g. Alberto Moravia [1907-1990], Lettere dal Sahara, Milan: Bompiani, 1981 [II - Lettere dal Sahara, 65-102; this reading is not mandatory for UniBo, Erasmus+ and Overseas students];

h. Gianni Celati [1937], Avventure in Africa, Milan: Feltrinelli, 2000;

The following texts (some of them partially, as specified) will be considered as bibliographical sources:

i. Alberto Casadei, Il Novecento, Bologna: Il Mulino, 2005 (or further reprints);

l. Edward Said, Cultura e imperialismo. Letteratura e consenso nel progetto coloniale dell’Occidente [1993], Rome: Gamberetti, 2006 [Introduzione, 7-25];

m. Sante Matteo - Stefano Bellucci (ed. by), Africa Italia. Due continenti si avvicinano, Santarcangelo di Romagna: Fara, 1999 [Charles Klopp, Buster Keaton va in Africa: le Avventure in Africa di Gianni Celati, 182-191];

n. Stefano Colangelo, L'Africa delle avanguardie: esplorazioni e riflessi, in Mappe della letteratura europea e mediterranea, III, Da Gogol' al postmoderno, Milan: Bruno Mondadori, 2001;

o. Édouard Glissant, Poetica della relazione, Poetica III [1990], Macerata: Quodlibet, 2007 [Gli scarti determinanti, 133-137, and Riconnesso (ritrasmesso), relato, 155-164];

p. Giovanna Trento, Pasolini e l'Africa, l'Africa di Pasolini. Panmeridionalismo e rappresentazioni dell'Africa postcoloniale, Milan-Udine: Mimesis, 2010 [IV. Poesia, dialetto e diaspora, 143-178];

q. Gino Ruozzi, Ennio Flaiano. Una verità personale, Rome: Carocci, 2012 [the following excerpts: Capitolo 2. La forza del caso, 39-64; Capitolo 4. Constatazioni disarmate, 85-114];

r. Niva Lorenzini - Stefano Colangelo, Giuseppe Ungaretti, Florence: Le Monnier-Mondadori Education, 2012;

s. Silvia Camilotti, Cartoline d'Africa. Le colonie italiane nelle rappresentazioni letterarie, Venice: Edizioni Ca' Foscari, 2014 [3. Visioni controverse: Etiopia ed Eritrea tra evocazione mitica e storia, 25-106].

Further explanations on these and other resources will be provided throughout the class. Copies will be partially made available to students on time with a view to the exam; any other information will be available through a dedicated mailing list. 

Texts and resources marked above as "a.", "i.", "m.", and "p." are not mandatory for Overseas and Erasmus+ exchange students. 

 

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 focuses on the main theoretical matters approached throughout the class, and verifies the dominion of texts and essays that have been discussed throughout the lectures. It includes also a short inquiry upon the knowledge of the resource marked as "i." in the bibliography. Students could be invited to read and comment some samples in order to verify their initial ability towards an original interpretation.

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.

Students should 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 and photocopied transcripts.

Office hours

See the website of Stefano Colangelo