I teach undergraduate and graduate courses on translation and medieval Italian literature, as well as basic and advanced Italian language courses.
My colleague Jennifer Newman (Hunter College Libraries) and I received the 2022 MLA-EBSCO Collaboration for Information Literacy Prize, given for coursework developed in collaboration between department faculty members and academic librarians in literature, language, or related disciplines. Together we designed a series of library lesson plans for a BA/MA course on Dante’s Inferno.
On this page I’m sharing several course websites and open-access editions I’ve created, and some sample activities. Click on the images to access the resources.
Course websites
Dante’s Works
A website providing zero-cost readings and resources for a course on Dante’s prose works. Supported by a CUNY Academic Commons OER Fellowship.
Petrarch’s Poetry in Motion
Complete course website for a seminar on Petrarch’s Canzoniere, including open-access edition of selected poems created by the instructor.
Advanced Italian Composition
The course website for an advanced Italian language class, centered around (writing about) art.
Selections from Petrarch’s Canzoniere
A selection of 75 poems from Petrarch’s Canzoniere with additional audiovisual and other resources. A Manifold edition created by the instructor.
Translating Nuova York
A website showcasing student writing on Italian and Italian American history and culture in New York City.
Sample Activities
Reciting Dante
Students practice reading passages from Dante’s Divine Comedy and receive feedback from the instructor. Assignment in an Italian literature seminar.
Found Poetry
Students created and recited “found poems” based on an excerpt from Giorgio Vasta’s novel Il tempo materiale. Assignment in an advanced Italian language class.
A virtual “giro d’Italia”
A “giro d’Italia” or tour of Italy through student presentations on Italian cities and its famous inhabitants. Final project in an intermediate Italian language class.
Dante at the Met
An assignment focusing on art inspired by and related to Dante’s Inferno in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Assignment for literature seminar, that can be completed at the museum or using the Met website.
Bilingual magazine
A semester-long group translation project resulting in the publication of a bilingual magazine. Final project in translation class.
Library lessons
A series of library activities, developed together with Jennifer Newman, to focus student attention on elements of knowledge production in Dante’s time and our own. Sample lesson plans on pp. 8-11.
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