BETWEEN JOURNALISM AND LITERATURE
Week of Italian language
The feminine condition (both contemporary and historical), autobiography, female psychology, and family history and relationships are among the insistent themes of the remarkable number of accomplished women writers active in journalism and literary writing in Italy throughout the 19th and the 20th century. Despite the range and high quality of their work, Italian women writers have only recently begun to receive the critical attention outside of Italy they deserve. The women writers who will be discussed in this panel include Matilde Serao (1856-1927), Anna Maria Ortese (1914-1998), Gina Lagorio (1922-2005) and Oriana Fallaci (1929-2006). The topics they address range from love, disillusionment, friendship, and family life to social issues, political engagement, the condition of women in Italy, and the impact of feminism on Italian culture. What emerges is a series of portraits that reflect the variety, dynamism, and creativity of women writers in modern-day Italy.
SPEAKERS:
Andrea Baldi (Rutgers University)
Teresa Fiore (Montclair University)
Pietro Frassica (Princeton University)
Gabriella Romani (Seton Hall University)