italian-studies: Scholarly discussions in any field of Italian studies
Dear Everyone,
Thank you for your attention and also for the endorsements to my
position. Indeed, there is much more in Italian culture than the
stereotypes to which the English-speaking cultural (so to speak)
industry keeps subscribing. Even considering their point of view, it
is evident to me that rehashing formulas all the time is suicidal.
Tthink about most of Italian cinema in the 1970s: "Il piu' brutto del
mondo", as Paolo Bertetto entitled one of his books. We are still
suffering from it.
My take is that scholars need to RESIST. After all, scholarship can
provide space for deeper and more probing "texts." It would be a major
disservice to our profession to cherish banalities, I think. Some of
the most original work that Italian intellectuals have produced could
be a crucial contribution to international culture. It is time to make
our culture relevant and to translate ourselves for real, I think.
As for Sciltian Gastaldi's observation: "just joking" does not cut it.
There is indeed a diasporic community of Italians abroad, who left the
country quite recently, and who are more oriented towards the left.
One might easily argue that the current government is trying to get
rid of its opposition making democratic life impossible in the "paese
reale." Probably, promoting some serious Italian texts could help
reclaiming some fertile land from Italy's present swamp. It might be
wishful thinking; but as long as we keep thinking...
Grazie ancora
Andrea Malaguti
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