Heather Renee Sottong - Böcker

Opens the field of Dante Studies to further transnational studies of the Divine Comedy's circulation, translation, and global influenceThis fascinating book examines how Dante was repurposed by Argentine politicians and authors who were concerned with the construction of Argentine national identity in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Sottong's work is informed by the theories of Eric Hobsbawm, Benedict Anderson, and Nicolas Shumway, who coined the concepts of "invented traditions," "imagined communities," and "guiding fictions," respectively. Sottong has applied these notions to the case of Argentina, which, after the War of Independence from Spain (1810–1818), had to develop its own national cultural identity.In this volume, she investigates Dante's transnational influence in Argentina: Why did Argentine authors consistently call upon Dante in their attempts to develop Argentine literature? What are the textual and thematic characteristics of Dante's Divine Comedy that make it an ideal vehicle for literary appropriation? What are the historical and cultural factors that account for Dante's enduring popularity in Italy and beyond? How did the strong presence of Italians in Argentina influence cultural production in the developing nation? And how are the re-writings of Dante in the Argentine canon in dialogue with one another?What Sottong found, remarkably, was that rewriting Dante was a way for Argentine authors to voice their views on the direction that should be taken to develop Argentine letters; Dante became something of a literary guide as Argentine intellectuals navigated the complex labyrinth of their national identity. The consistent rewriting of the Divine Comedy in the Argentine context testifies to the fact that great works of literature can be revived during different periods and even reappropriated by various peoples to foster mythologies of inclusion or exclusion related to national identity.

Opens the field of Dante Studies to further transnational studies of the Divine Comedy's circulation, translation, and global influenceThis fascinating book examines how Dante was repurposed by Argentine politicians and authors who were concerned with the construction of Argentine national identity in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Sottong's work is informed by the theories of Eric Hobsbawm, Benedict Anderson, and Nicolas Shumway, who coined the concepts of "invented traditions," "imagined communities," and "guiding fictions," respectively. Sottong has applied these notions to the case of Argentina, which, after the War of Independence from Spain (1810–1818), had to develop its own national cultural identity.In this volume, she investigates Dante's transnational influence in Argentina: Why did Argentine authors consistently call upon Dante in their attempts to develop Argentine literature? What are the textual and thematic characteristics of Dante's Divine Comedy that make it an ideal vehicle for literary appropriation? What are the historical and cultural factors that account for Dante's enduring popularity in Italy and beyond? How did the strong presence of Italians in Argentina influence cultural production in the developing nation? And how are the re-writings of Dante in the Argentine canon in dialogue with one another?What Sottong found, remarkably, was that rewriting Dante was a way for Argentine authors to voice their views on the direction that should be taken to develop Argentine letters; Dante became something of a literary guide as Argentine intellectuals navigated the complex labyrinth of their national identity. The consistent rewriting of the Divine Comedy in the Argentine context testifies to the fact that great works of literature can be revived during different periods and even reappropriated by various peoples to foster mythologies of inclusion or exclusion related to national identity.

The first volume of essays in English on one of the most renowned contemporary Italian Philosophers.Remo Bodei (1938–2019) was one of Italy's most influential philosophers of the past half-century. His intellectual influence was wide-reaching as he guided the search for rational explanations of seemingly irrational phenomena and the philosophical underpinnings of poetry. Diverse both in their disciplinary approach and theoretical style, yet following a logical and coherent progression, the essays within Geometries of Experience begin with an exploration of Bodei's methodology followed by an analysis of his interest in the crisis of subjectivity in modern culture; his engagement with Spinoza, especially in his work Geometria delle passioni; his treatment of the body, framed as a "materialistic spirituality"; and his engagement with the relationship between philosophy and poetry. Overall, the book provides a rich and nuanced view of Bodei's intellectual legacy, demonstrating his distinctive approach to philosophy and literature.