A series of lectures and discussions entitled “Conversations in Italian Studies” will take place at New York University’s Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò, located at 24 W. 12th Street, during November and December. The events are free and open to the public; for further information, call 212.998.8730 or visit www.nyu.edu/pages/casaitaliana.
A schedule follows:
Tues., Nov. 15, 6 p.m. Lecture/slide presentation: “Palimpsest” by photographer Nancy Goldring. She presents her new book on Parma. Arts writer David Levi Strauss discusses her work with her.
Mon., Nov. 21, 6 p.m. Lecture: “Genio Perpetuo? The 51st International Art Exhibition of the Biennale di Venezia” by Gianni Sirch, NYU in Venice. Sirch offers a critical outline of the major artworks exhibited at the 51st Venice Biennale, for the first time characterized by a strong female presence.
Tues., Nov. 22, 6 p.m. Conversation: “Women at Work: An Economic Perspective” with the book’s editors Tito Boeri, Bocconi University, and Daniela Del Boca, Università di Torino; with contributor Claudia Olivetti, Boston University, and with Nadia Urbinati, Columbia. Covering employment and wage gender gaps, the participation of women, fertility, and the welfare of children, this book discusses how the greater participation of women in labor markets interacts with gender differences in pay.
Tues., Nov. 29, 6 p.m. Conversation: “Mission Italy: On the Front Lines of the Cold War” with the author Richard N. Gardner, Mario Platero, Il Sole 24ore, and Irwin Wall, NYU. This compelling memoir of Gardner’s years as U.S. ambassador to Italy (1977-1981) offers fascinating insights into the Carter administration as well as into a critical turning point in Italy’s history.
Thurs., Dec. 1, 6 p.m. Lecture: “Metaphor, Loss, and the Fragile Absolute in the Italian and French Fin-de-Siècle” by Laura Wittman, Stanford. This discussion concerns a particular understanding of metaphor and the work of a number of symbolist, decadent, and modernist writers, from Mallarmé to Montale.
Mon., Dec. 5, 6 p.m. Conversation: “Between Salt Water and Holy Water: A History of Southern Italy” with author Tommaso Astarita, Gerogetown University, John Davis, University of Connecticut, and Nelson Moe, Columbia. A native of Naples, Astarita draws upon the deep traditions of the region to produce a popular history of the land and its people from its first heyday as a playground for the Roman Republic to the complicated politics and changing fortunes of our present time.