Contemporary Tuscan Writers: Vichi, Nesi, Genovesi - Readings and Cultural Walks

This course will introduce students to the work of three contemporary Tuscan writers: Marco Vichi, Edoardo Nesi, and Fabio Genovesi, who represent a new generation of novelists whose stories are set in Tuscany. In class, students will read, analyze, and discuss extracts from selected novels and short stories by these authors. The course will provide students with a general overview of the Italian historical context from the Sixties and Seventies to the present day, and introduce students to the social and political situation in Italy and Tuscany during the related periods. Students will learn about Florentine society during the post-war economic boom, examine the situation of the nearby industrial center of Prato and its textile factories, and experience the atmosphere and the contradictions of Forte dei Marmi, a trendy beach town located on the Tuscan coast. Cultural walks represent an important part of this course. Students will explore Florence and its surroundings and visit a number of locations mentioned in the books covered by the course. This course includes an Italian language component for intermediate language students. During each lesson, students will learn Italian vocabulary and usage relative to the topics discussed in class.