Transcultural Studies – Interdisciplinary Literature and Humanities for Sustainable Societies – serie

Questa antologia internazionale focalizza l’opera letteraria di Giovanni Verga puntando sul suo potenziale «caleidoscopico» e transculturale. Le innovazioni del grande Verista siciliano, il respiro europeo del suo pensiero, le numerose sinergie estetiche e la sensibilità della sua denuncia sociale rivelano un autore pronto a dialogare attraverso la sua arte con i più squisiti scrittori della «letteratura mondo».This international collection focuses on the literary work of Giovanni Verga pinpointing its «kaleidoscopic» and transcultural potential. The innovations of the leading Sicilian «verista», the European drive of his thought, the many aesthetic synergies and the sensitivity of his social denunciation show an author ready to interact through his art with top writers in World Literature.Award: Premio Antonello da Messina 2022 | Antonello da Messina Award 2022 (University of Messina, November 2022)

Visual images and imagery, optical metaphors and iconic quotations are common features in the literary work of Antonio Tabucchi, along with references to the world of painting, photography, and cinema. This book explores the «iconic temptation» of the Italian author, pointing out his visual strategies of representation and poetic thought. By focusing on the visual intertextuality of his fiction, it discusses questions of style and content whilst also emphasizing the role of images as a privileged means of narrative knowledge and philosophical insight. Drawing on the visual studies and on postmodernist theory and criticism, this study offers a comprehensive inquiry into the visual poetics of one of Europe’s most innovative writers.

Questo volume mette insieme le voci dei massimi esperti internazionali di Dacia Maraini (n. 1936). Nato come un laboratorio collettivo sull’opera omnia della scrittrice cosmopolita italiana, a partire dalle tracce che le sue traduzioni hanno lasciato negli ultimi 60 anni, raccoglie 13 saggi critici, nuovi materiali letterari, schede e foto che accompagnano le traduzioni in numerose lingue: dall’inglese al tedesco e giapponese, dallo spagnolo al francese, polacco, olandese, e altre.Il libro offre, per la prima volta, un inventario del numero esatto dei testi marainiani tradotti nel mondo, visualizzando le loro relazioni culturali e evidenziando la funzione chiave delle traduzioni e dei traduttori, troppo spesso sottovalutata. Accentuando i parametri di ibridizzazione, scambio e network, l’analisi comparatistica editoriale svela come si riesce a misurare il potere transculturale delle traduzioni e quanto la socialità transfrontaliera stessa corrisponda a un perenne atto di traduzione sui generis.Fondamentale contributo alla diffusione dell’opera di Dacia Maraini nelle tante lingue in cui la scrittrice è stata tradotta – oltre che strumento utilissimo di studio – questo volume affronta i complessi meccanismi della traduzione, illuminando nel contempo anche la vicenda creativa del traduttore. Grazie a una sorta di ponte ermeneutico la sua opera, tesa a infondere un’energia profondamente misteriosa, riesce davvero a far rivivere un testo in un’altra lingua.Professore Pietro Frassica PhD, University of PrincetonPer me Dacia Maraini ha sempre incarnato l’Italia delle avanguardie: grazie a questo mix unico di cosmopolitismo e consapevolezza culturale, ha dato voce alle donne quando ancora non ne avevano e ha preso posizione contro la mafia quando era ancora considerata buona educazione nasconderla. Come giornalista e scrittrice, è un modello da seguire. Nella sua letteratura c’è la Sicilia, che – come suggeriva Goethe – è la chiave di tutto.Petra Reski, giornalista e autrice di impegno anti-mafiosoQuella di Maraini è una voce certo garbata, ma rigorosa e irremovibile; lucida, ma mai distaccata sui grandi temi civili e sociali, sempre tesa a riaffermare il senso della parola “Giustizia”. L’impegno pluridecennale, specialmente attento alle trasformazioni della nostra società, alla condizione della donna e dei più deboli, fa dell’opera prolifica e proteiforme della Maraini, a ragione, una tra le più conosciute e tradotte della letteratura italiana contemporanea. Annamaria Di Giorgio, direttrice dell’Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Barcellona

Dieses Buch präsentiert erstmals das Werk des Kurators, Kunstkenners und Kulturvermittlers Claus Friede als proaktiv schreibenden, überraschend vielseitigen und versatilen Autor. Ein Textkorpus von 85 repräsentativen Beiträgen aus den vergangenen 30 Jahren (1990-2020) illustriert Friedes breit angelegtes Themenspektrum aus den Bereichen Kunst, Musik, Film, Literatur und Kultur. Prägnant zeichnen sie seine intellektuelle und mediale Wende von der analogen zur digitalen Welt nach. Der zweite Buchteil lenkt den „fremden" Blick auf Friedes Schaffen aus der Perspektive diverser Kollegen und Freunde. Ein ausführlicher biobibliographischer Anhang sowie reichhaltiges Bildmaterial runden den prismatischen Einblick in die transkulturellen Wirkungskreise von Claus Friede ab.Award: Prix Erica - European Media, Culture and Science Award (May 2022)

In Zeiten zunehmender Bedrohungen für das aktuell gelebte Europa stellt dieser Band mit Beiträgen internationaler Forscher(Innen) aus multidisziplinärer Perspektive literarische Konzepte für eine europäische Idee vor. Kontinuitätslinien und Brüche zwischen stark divergierenden Ansätzen, die sich zu einem Selbstverständnis Europas ergänzen, werden darin anhand literarischer und publizistischer Werke untersucht, da diese auch gewagte Experimente durchzuführen und im Einsatz zu zeigen vermögen. Dabei werden auch aktuellste Themen berührt, die demonstrieren, dass Europa sich selbst ständig neu erfindet, um sich an neue Bedingungen anzupassen, was den europäischen Raum zu einem deutlich größeren Gebilde als die Summe seiner Teile macht.

Les principales caractérisations de la littérature mondiale supposent, implicite-ment ou explicitement, le dessin de centres et de périphéries littéraires. Loin de tenir un tel dessin pour figé, les essais ici regroupés l’appréhendent comme une construction relative, qui autorise bien des variations. Ils proposent des modèles alternatifs qui recomposent ou dépassent les répartitions usuelles entre centres et périphéries de la littérature mondiale. Ils explorent également les dynamiques et les poétiques à travers lesquelles une série de littératures ou d’auteurs dits périphériques construisent leur mondialité en mobilisant et en figurant consciem-ment leur interdépendance avec tous les autres espaces littéraires.

Il libro contiene gli atti di una sessione trilingue svoltasi nell’ottobre 2021 all’interno del Romanistentag (il convegno annuale della Società tedesca di studi romanzi) organizzato dall’Università di Augsburg, con un saggio introduttivo di Massimo Montanari. Il cibo è indubbiamente un bisogno materiale per l’esistenza umana, plasmando così non solo la quotidianità, ma anche le identità culturali. Ciò che gli esseri umani mangiano e il modo in cui lo servono veicolano significazioni pluristratificate di storie private e collettive, che sono rigorosamente esaminate dagli studiosi tramite diverse metodologie.

This volume is the result of transdisciplinary studies conducted by professors and researchers of the Department of Education and Human Sciences at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. It cross-applies neuro-scientific, aesthetic, linguistic and rhetorical methods to focus on the concept of argumentation, much studied during the 20th century and then forsaken. The common thread that links the essays is the concept of figurative language intended as an argumentative tool, while throughout the 20th century it was believed that in every field of human knowledge formal approaches should prevail: only the form, it was thought, constitutes the purest essence, the “net weight” of things. In contrast to this, “Forms and Uses of Argument” intend to demonstrate that the figurative language - and first of all the metaphors – are in fact rather an archetypal “propellant” for the most widespread argumentative logics.

What happens in our brain when we create a story? Based on neuro-cognitivism, the study of narratives – ranging from novels to “life-stories”, which relate to interstitial topics – has become more rigorous. In fact, an unparalleled panorama of constants, cemented since the Upper Palaeolithic, has been added to an unprecedented awareness of how each cultural habitat shapes the narratives of its inhabitants. This occured according to a particular neuro-cognitive style, thus limiting the so-called “authorial” freedom. Narratives – whether they originate from the Muses or from the voice of a completely illiterate individual – are like compressors that can zip together all the most crucial elements in our existence: time, space, intentions, purposes, agents and instrumental actions. For this reason, they represent an inexhaustible object of research.

This study makes "other voices" the point of departure, aiming to find common ground amidst polarized assumptions about the relationship between Italian Americans and African Americans. Through the contemporary literary works of three authors – Kym Ragusa’s memoir The Skin Between Us, Mari Bucci Bush’s novel Sweet Hope, and Louisa Calio’s poetry collection Journey to the Heart Waters – the Italian-African American micro-history of these ethnic minorities, is revisited and analyzed. Thus, transcultural shades and cross-over synergies emerge, shedding light on a literary mixture all too often overlooked in mainstream historical accounts so far.By transcending the conventional boundaries associated with Italian American literature and African backgrounds, Ragusa, Bucci Bush, and Calio delve into multifaceted themes such as race, belonging, gender, and class. Their exploration not only challenges and reshapes the hybrid discourse that surrounds Italian-African American identity but also enriches it, fostering a deeper understanding that reflects the inherent diversity of American society and the intricacies of multicultural coexistence. The book’s comparative approach offers distinctive perspectives on the Italian American diaspora and the assimilation process in the United States. It demonstrates how American literature, particularly women’s literature, is expanding its horizons beyond its own community, embracing African and Italian culture, thereby crafting a new narrative of the multiethnic experience in America between and beyond literary genres.

In times of rapid change, social pressure, and instability in both physical and digital realms, the need for transcultural approaches to managing stress and achieving a harmonious work-life balance has never been more vital. This book explores how mindfulness and creativity can transform individual and collective trauma into growth, blending step-by-step mindful practices, creative expression, and the timeless narrative of the "hero’s journey".Through personal storytelling, practical exercises, and reflections on coping, this book offers tools for self-discovery and resilience. QR codes provide access to meditations and exercises, enhancing the reader’s journey towards deeper transformation. Art therapists will find innovative methods to incorporate into their practice, embracing the art of feeling at home within oneself and fostering a renewed sense of inner peace and belonging. «The Art of Feeling at Home is a uniquely exciting manuscript inspired by the personal journey of the author that also weaves in the old wisdom of mindfulness and compassion with current psychological practices and creative expression. The book offers valuable tools for practitioners, particularly art therapists seeking to integrate mindfulness and creativity in their work. I thoroughly enjoyed it and happily recommend it to anyone struggling with everyday life’s ebbs and flows.» Dr. Rony Berger, Educational Director, Center for Compassionate Mindful Education, Tel Aviv University