Bringing In Experts From Around the World

During Fall 2012, Charles Klopp, professor of Italian, invited several renowned authors and professors to join his seminar course and to give open lectures.

Professor Fulvio Senardi of Trieste spoke from Paris via Skype on October 22 to Professor Klopp’s Italian 8224 Italian seminar, “Studies in Italian Literature: Place.” The topic for the seminar this year was “Trieste porta/porto: Frontiere, nostalgia, e la città di carta.” In his conversation from Paris with students in Columbus, Professor Senardi answered questions about the literary culture of Trieste, especially as described in the writings of Umberto Saba, about whom he has just published a book that he shared with seminar participants via e-mail.

On November 5, Professor Giuseppe O. Longo, author of L’acrobata (1994) and some twenty other books provided a lecture via Skype. Professor Longo was Professor of Information Theory at the University of Trieste for many years and is now a full-time writer and cultural commentator. In addition to his scientific publications, Longo has written short stories, novels, and reflections on the impact of technology on life today. His talk focused on L’acrobata and on his relationship with Trieste and the literary culture of that city. Among the topics considered were the relationship between the body and the brain, desire and reason, the porosity of human identity, and the efficacy of writing in a world increasingly dominated by technology.

Sponsoring these professors (and several more scheduled for Spring 2013) was made possible by funding from FRIT and matching funds from the eLearning Professional Development Grant.