ONLINE LITERATURE COURSE | “Dante’s Inferno for the 21st-Century Reader” with Dr. Kristin Stasiowski LIVE COURSE

Details

ONLINE LITERATURE COURSE
Dante’s Inferno for the 21st-Century Reader

Course Description:

Discover why Dante’s Divine Comedy has inspired writers and readers for nearly 700 years in this engaging, interdisciplinary discussion of some select canti (sections of poems) from the Inferno. We will delve into the fantastical world of Dante’s imagined afterlife and discuss his writing not only in its medieval context but also with an eye to its enduring relevance to modern-day readers. We will explore the literary, political, theological, and philosophical concerns of the poem to understand Dante’s work within the intellectual and social context of the Middle Ages. Some of the central topics of the course will include Dante’s relationship to Florence, his relationship to the people he encounters in Hell, and the unique aspects of his vision of the afterlife, including a variety of thematic concerns such as Dante’s understanding of poetry, grace, love, and divine justice.

Instructor:

Kristin Stasiowski, Ph.D is the Assistant Dean of International Programs and Education Abroad for the College of Arts and Sciences and is also an Assistant Professor of Italian Language and Literature in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages at Kent State University. She received her Ph.D from Yale University in Italian Language and Literature and has taught Italian language, literature, cinema, history and culture in both Florence, Italy and at Kent State. She recently published a chapter entitled A Divine Comedy for All Time: Dante’s Enduring Relevance for the Contemporary Reader in Italian Pop Culture: Media, Product, Imageries. Rome, Italy: Viella Editrice s.r.. Her current research is focused on Dante, Boccaccio, and the modern poet Clemente Rebora.

Course Objectives:

• CULTURE AND HISTORY: Students will develop a deeper appreciation of the historical, literary, and theological context of the Divine Comedy.
• CRITICAL APPROACH: Students will gain the ability to read works of literary, rhetorical, and cultural criticism and will work on their own critical, active reading and writing skills through directed reading.
• SENSE OF GENRE: Students will be able to identify formal elements of Dante’s use of language and poetry and how those shape the overall meaning of his poem.
• ORAL COMMUNICATION: Students will learn productive and relevant modes of discourse to speak thoughtfully and in an informed way about moral, philosophical, ethical, and theological concerns in the Divine Comedy.

Virtual Classroom: Full access to an online educational platform with discussion forum, videos of recordings, syllabus, and reading list.

Location: LIVE INTERACTIVE ON-LINE LITERATURE LECTURES

Optional Readings:
Readings to be provided to students in PDF format prior to the beginning of course.

Complete syllabus will be provided upon registration.

• ALL LECTURES WILL BE RECORDED AND AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING AT YOUR CONVENIENCE IN OUR VIDEO LIBRARY FOR THE DURATION OF THE COURSE

Schedule

LECTURE 1 – THE DARK WOOD

– Thursday, April 15

This lecture will cover Canti I-III of the Inferno and will introduce the major themes and issues of the Divine Comedy.

LECTURE 2 – LOVE, LUST, AND READING FOR PLEASURE

– Thursday, April 22

This lecture will cover Canto V of the Inferno with a retrospective look at select parts of the Vita Nova.

LECTURE 3 – POETRY OF DIS AND DISCORD

– Thursday, April 29

This lecture will feature a discussion of Canto XIII and Canto XXVIII, as both canti feature poets that are central to understanding Dante’s vision of the role and function of poetry in society.

Instructor

Kristin Stasiowski, Ph.D is the Assistant Dean of International Programs and Education Abroad for the College of Arts and Sciences and is also an Assistant Professor of Italian Language and Literature in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages at Kent State University. She received her Ph.D from Yale University in Italian Language and Literature and has taught Italian language, literature, cinema, history and culture in both Florence, Italy and at Kent State. She recently published a chapter entitled A Divine Comedy for All Time: Dante’s Enduring Relevance for the Contemporary Reader in Italian Pop Culture: Media, Product, Imageries. Rome, Italy: Viella Editrice s.r.. Her current research is focused on Dante, Boccaccio, and the modern poet Clemente Rebora.