Professor:Antonella Valoroso - Ph.D.
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This is most recent syllabus. Your final syllabus will be given during your first day of class
Note: This course was formerly CWIT 340.
Course Description
This course will explore the process of transforming sensory impressions, individual feelings, personal experiences, and factual information into engaging and effective works of creative fiction and non-fiction. Students will read from a cross-section of Italian authors dealing with a wide range of topics and issues. They will also generate their own writing through a series of exercises designed to help the writer tap into new levels of awareness and creative energy. Class time will be devoted to a discussion and analysis of the assigned readings, and to the exploration of writing strategies and techniques. Students will also be involved in a series of ‘literary walks’ aimed at enhancing their ability to gather information from the exploration of Italian natural and urban landscapes.
Students will be required to produce seven compositions of two to three pages. By the end of the term, they will also complete a special project that will be published in a literary anthology together with some of the compositions written throughout the term.
Course Objectives/Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will have:
- became acquainted with the voices and visions of relevant Italian writers of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries;
- explored the main peculiarities of literary genres such as the novel, the short story, the historic nonfiction, the investigative journalism, the newspaper and magazine article;
- explored the writing process in general and personal strategies for generating effective work;
- produced fresh and engaging personal essays;
- reviewed the mechanics of writing and honed editorial and proof-reading skills;
- learnt how to effectively present their work in a public setting.
Course Materials
The required textbook is:
– Collodi, Carlo, The Adventures of Pinocchio, translated by Ann Lawson Lucas, London: Oxford University Press, 1996.
A course reader is also available at the local copy shop