Contemporary Italian Literature
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
The course aims to provide a thorough training in contemporary Italian literature from critical and methodological as well as historical and cultural points of view. A reconstruction of the XX century Italian literary system will be therefore proposed, aware of the changes in relationships between authors, genres, movements, editorial mediation and public, accompanied by monographic insights, functional to the improvement of critical analysis and to the interpretation of single works.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge: 1) Dynamics of the Italian literary system from the XX century to the present day: movements, poetics, personalities and key works, articulation by genres and styles, relationship with publishing and cultural institutions. 2) Understanding of the basic elements to set up an analysis of contemporary Italian literary texts (narrative structures & stylistic, rhetorical, metrical strategies).
Skills: 1) Ability to identify the specific expressive textual features and recognize authorial choices and modalities of the pact with the reader. 2) Ability to place chronology, historical contextualization and genre attribution of the texts. 3) Ability to examine critical texts, understanding their structure, concepts, arguments. 4) Ability to identify and control documentary sources and bibliographic tools in the context of contemporary Italian literature.
Skills: 1) Ability to identify the specific expressive textual features and recognize authorial choices and modalities of the pact with the reader. 2) Ability to place chronology, historical contextualization and genre attribution of the texts. 3) Ability to examine critical texts, understanding their structure, concepts, arguments. 4) Ability to identify and control documentary sources and bibliographic tools in the context of contemporary Italian literature.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
Course title: "Forms of unease in contemporary Italian literature"
Unit 1 proposes a reconstruction of the Italian literary system since Unification, focusing on the evolution of the relationships between authors, genres, movements, publishers and readers.
Monographic sections (Units 2 and 3) insist on some crucial representations of unease in contemporary Italian literature. First we turn on poetry, analyzing two collections that focus on the problematic relationship between the individual and modern society: a classic of the second half of the 20th century (Giovanni Giudici La vita in versi, 1965) and one of the most interesting recent proposals (Francesco Targhetta, La colpa al capitalismo, 2022). Afterwards, the gaze turns to fiction, to dwell on two works that focus on the theme of Italian emigration: the short story collection Gli zii di Sicilia, by Leonardo Sciascia (1958), and Melania Mazzucco's novel Vita (2003).
Students interested in acquiring 6 cfu will prepare part 1 and part 2 or 3 (your choice); students interested in acquiring 9 cfu will prepare the complete syllabus.
The course will be taught in Italian. The course programme is valid until February 2026.
Unit 1 proposes a reconstruction of the Italian literary system since Unification, focusing on the evolution of the relationships between authors, genres, movements, publishers and readers.
Monographic sections (Units 2 and 3) insist on some crucial representations of unease in contemporary Italian literature. First we turn on poetry, analyzing two collections that focus on the problematic relationship between the individual and modern society: a classic of the second half of the 20th century (Giovanni Giudici La vita in versi, 1965) and one of the most interesting recent proposals (Francesco Targhetta, La colpa al capitalismo, 2022). Afterwards, the gaze turns to fiction, to dwell on two works that focus on the theme of Italian emigration: the short story collection Gli zii di Sicilia, by Leonardo Sciascia (1958), and Melania Mazzucco's novel Vita (2003).
Students interested in acquiring 6 cfu will prepare part 1 and part 2 or 3 (your choice); students interested in acquiring 9 cfu will prepare the complete syllabus.
The course will be taught in Italian. The course programme is valid until February 2026.
Prerequisites for admission
Students should have: - an essential knowledge of Italian history, culture and literature since Unification; - a mastery of basic tools for the analysis of the literary text and the reading of critical essays; - a good command of written and spoken Italian language.
Teaching methods
Teaching takes place through lectures, supported by the vision of images and videos.
Teaching Resources
Attending students
Unit 1. «The Italian literary system (1861-today)»
Texts: V. Spinazzola, L'egemonia del romanzo, Milano, il Saggiatore, 2007, pp. 7-69; F. Brioschi, C. Di Girolamo, M. Fusillo, Modi della poesia, in Introduzione alla letteratura, Carocci, Roma 2003, pp. 81-134.
Unit 2. «Those who stay. Poets of alienation»
Texts: Giovanni Giudici, La vita in versi, Scalpendi, 2021 (also in Id., Tutte le poesie, Mondadori e Poesie 1953-1990, vol. 1, Garzanti); Francesco Targhetta, La colpa al capitalismo, La nave di Teseo, 2022.
Bibliography: P. Giovannetti, Modi della poesia italiana contemporanea, Carocci, 2005, pp. 41-71 (cap. 2); L. Neri, I silenziosi circuiti del ricordo. Etica, estetica e ideologia nella poesia di Giovanni Giudici, Carocci, 2018, pp. 33-57; Aa.Vv., recensioni a F. Targhetta, La colpa al capitalismo (link e file pdf verranno resi disponibili sul sito Ariel del corso)
Unit 3. «Those who leave. Recounting emigration»
Texts: L. Sciascia, Gli zii di Sicilia, Adelphi; M. Mazzucco, Vita, Einaudi.
Bibliography: P. Audenino, M. Tirabassi, Migrazioni italiane. Storia e storie dall'Ancien régime a oggi, Bruno Mondadori, 2008, pp. 21-38, 67-77. M. Onofri, Storia di Sciascia, Laterza, 1994, pp. 57-78; F. Baldasso, New York come archivio della rimozione: "Vita" di Melania Mazzucco e l'epopea dell'emigrazione italiana, in «Scritture migranti», 3, 2009, pp. 1-15.
Non-attending students
In addition to the texts indicated above, non-attending students should study the book by A. Casadei, Il Novecento, Il Mulino, Bologna 2024.
The book is also recommended to attending students who need to acquire a more solid historical and cultural background in the field of contemporary Italian literature.
Part of the Bibliography will be uploaded on Ariel.
Unit 1. «The Italian literary system (1861-today)»
Texts: V. Spinazzola, L'egemonia del romanzo, Milano, il Saggiatore, 2007, pp. 7-69; F. Brioschi, C. Di Girolamo, M. Fusillo, Modi della poesia, in Introduzione alla letteratura, Carocci, Roma 2003, pp. 81-134.
Unit 2. «Those who stay. Poets of alienation»
Texts: Giovanni Giudici, La vita in versi, Scalpendi, 2021 (also in Id., Tutte le poesie, Mondadori e Poesie 1953-1990, vol. 1, Garzanti); Francesco Targhetta, La colpa al capitalismo, La nave di Teseo, 2022.
Bibliography: P. Giovannetti, Modi della poesia italiana contemporanea, Carocci, 2005, pp. 41-71 (cap. 2); L. Neri, I silenziosi circuiti del ricordo. Etica, estetica e ideologia nella poesia di Giovanni Giudici, Carocci, 2018, pp. 33-57; Aa.Vv., recensioni a F. Targhetta, La colpa al capitalismo (link e file pdf verranno resi disponibili sul sito Ariel del corso)
Unit 3. «Those who leave. Recounting emigration»
Texts: L. Sciascia, Gli zii di Sicilia, Adelphi; M. Mazzucco, Vita, Einaudi.
Bibliography: P. Audenino, M. Tirabassi, Migrazioni italiane. Storia e storie dall'Ancien régime a oggi, Bruno Mondadori, 2008, pp. 21-38, 67-77. M. Onofri, Storia di Sciascia, Laterza, 1994, pp. 57-78; F. Baldasso, New York come archivio della rimozione: "Vita" di Melania Mazzucco e l'epopea dell'emigrazione italiana, in «Scritture migranti», 3, 2009, pp. 1-15.
Non-attending students
In addition to the texts indicated above, non-attending students should study the book by A. Casadei, Il Novecento, Il Mulino, Bologna 2024.
The book is also recommended to attending students who need to acquire a more solid historical and cultural background in the field of contemporary Italian literature.
Part of the Bibliography will be uploaded on Ariel.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam consists of an oral interview on the topics of the syllabus, whose purpose is to ascertain the knowledge of the main issues, the acquisition of the basic methodological tools for the interpretation of literary texts and the ability to apply them appropriately and autonomous to the scheduled texts.
Attendance at lessons is strongly recommended for better exam preparation. However, the syllabus already includes additions for non-attending students.
There are no intermediate tests, nor partial exams. Students must register through the appropriate links on the University website: only in this case the exams can be regularly registered.
Attendance at lessons is strongly recommended for better exam preparation. However, the syllabus already includes additions for non-attending students.
There are no intermediate tests, nor partial exams. Students must register through the appropriate links on the University website: only in this case the exams can be regularly registered.
Unita' didattica A+B
L-FIL-LET/11 - CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN LITERATURE - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Unita' didattica C
L-FIL-LET/11 - CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor(s)