2023 Fall

ITALIAN R5A 003 - LEC 003

Reading and Composition

The Adventure of a Writer

Rachel K Cook

Aug 23, 2023 - Dec 08, 2023

Tu, Th

12:30 pm - 01:59 pm

Anthro/Art Practice Bldg 115

Class #:30698

Units: 4

Instruction Mode: In-Person Instruction

Offered through Italian Studies

Current Enrollment

Total Open Seats: 0

Enrolled: 17

Waitlisted: 0

Capacity: 17

Waitlist Max: 3

No Reserved Seats

Hours & Workload

3 hours of instructor presentation of course materials per week, and 9 hours of outside work hours per week.

Other classes by Rachel K Cook

Reading and composition course based on works by Italians and foreigners about Italy and its culture and by Italians about their distinctive experiences of other cultures as tourists and emigrants. Works studied will be primarily chosen from among fiction and non fiction narratives, both originally in English and translated into it. R5A satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition Requirement and R5B satisfies the second half.

Class Description

In the age of TikTok and ChatGPT, many are coming to view the written word as an increasingly obsolete medium. Why, then, are writing courses (like this one) still considered essential to a student’s education? After all, if AI can generate pages of text in a matter of seconds, why should we, as humans, still bother reading and writing texts of our own? This course delves into the joys and the struggles of becoming a writer, taking a close look at what motivates authors and readers alike to engage with the written word. Through works by Gabriella Ghermandi, Elena Ferrante, Italo Calvino, and Jhumpa Lahiri, we’ll explore writing as a tool, a discipline, a creative outlet, a craft, and an adventure. Goals: This course uses writing to grapple with difficult concepts, to clarify complex ideas, and to cultivate original insights. Over the course of this semester, we’ll develop our skills as both readers and writers through the analysis of literary texts and through the composition of persuasive academic essays. We’ll use close reading strategies, class discussions, structured and unstructured writing assignments, peer feedback, and revisions to learn how to present our ideas with precision and confidence. Preliminary Texts (subject to change): “The Adventure of a Reader” by Italo Calvino In the Margins by Elena Ferrante In Other Words by Jhumpa Lahiri Queen of Flowers and Pearls by Gabriella Ghermandi

Class Notes

Due to the high demand for R&C courses we monitor attendance very carefully. Attendance is mandatory the first two weeks of classes, this includes all enrolled and wait listed students. If you do not attend all classes the first two weeks you may be dropped. If you are attempting to add into this class during weeks 1 and 2 and did not attend the first day, you will be expected to attend all class meetings thereafter and, if space permits, you may be enrolled from the wait list. show less