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.

What does a diaspora sound like? What does Italy sound like? What does the Italian diaspora sound like? In this course, we will listen to Italy and its diaspora in the United States to understand the influence of sonic and listening practices enacted by the millions of Italian immigrants and their descendants both on Italian American communities and on U.S. society and culture at large. We will read, see, and listen to how some sonic practices have favored processes of settlement, experiences of mobility, power relations, and the emergence of both national and transnational identities. This is a writing-intensive course that fosters skills in literary analysis, including close reading, critical thinking, and articulate writing. In this class, you will use your critical reflections on the texts as starting points for writing a diagnostic essay and developing three longer papers. Essential to the writing process will be workshopping one another’s work through peer review. You will also complete shorter weekly reading responses and assignments devoted to specific elements of essay writing. This course fulfills the university’s first-semester Reading and Composition requirement. No prior knowledge of Italian is required, and students from all majors are welcome. After completing this course, you should have an analytical toolkit that allows you to analyze primary texts, draft essays in clear and elegant academic prose, and provide your peers with constructive feedback on written assignments. One of our major goals in this class is to reflect on who we are as writers, how we present our ideas, and how we can gain a sense of pride in both the writing process and the product. To that end, all activities—formal and exploratory writing, active reading, peer feedback, classroom discussion, etc.—are designed to encourage awareness and reflection in the cultivation of our academic voices. Preliminary texts (subject to change): Gennari, John. 2017. Flavor and Soul: Italian American at its African American Edge. University of Chicago Press. Cialente, Fausta. 1976. Le quattro ragazze Wieselberger. Milano, Mondadori. Films/Documentaries Badham, John. 1977. Saturday Night Fever. Lee, Spike. 1984. Do the Right Thing. De Martino, Ernesto. 1952. La Taranta. (Ethnographic field research in the Apulia region, Italy)

Requisites

• Satisfaction of the Entry Level Writing Requirement.

Repeat Rules

Course is not repeatable for credit.

Requirements class fulfills