Italy has long occupied a central place in the collective imagination of the English-speaking world. From the medieval period to today, ‘The Land of the Arts’ has inspired authors to pen an array of literary and nonfictional texts, including poems, novels, essays, and travelogues. Through a range of reading assignments and writing prompts, this course introduces students to this rich inheritance of travel writing, while guiding them through their own writing process, from scribbling down notes to polishing their final submission. Along the way, students will learn to identify the key elements of compelling narrative nonfiction (such as voice, narrative structure, setting and the use of figurative language) and begin to develop these qualities in their own writing. Since travel writing must be factual as well as creative, students will also learn how to add nuance to their writing through research. Writing workshops will be a place to test out ideas and receive feedback from peers and the instructor. Further practical information for those wishing to take their travel writing forward to publication will be given. Although Italy will provide students with ample material for their writing assignments, the skills they will develop on this course will stay with them far beyond their time in Florence.
- Professor: Maureen McCue
- Professor: Ted Metcalfe
This course will offer students a foundation in one of the most diffused media of the contemporary world:
photography.
Students will be immersed in the world of imagery by walking tours in the Florentine landscape including
urban sites and historical monuments. Florence is an ideal city for photographic imagery. Apart from hosting
some of the most precious artworks, it is blessed with a variety of buildings and the unforgettable Tuscan
landscape. Relying on these unique features, students will focus on beginning digital photographic
techniques including professional portfolio presentation and creative thinking.
During class time there will be theoretical lectures, technical demonstrations, slide shows, practical work,
critiques and photo-shooting field trips. Since photography is an art and this is a practical course, students
are expected to be creative and to actively participate in class critiques and photographic practices.
- Professor: Alessandro Galatoli