Dear Roman Writers,
Welcome to the official launch of the Writing Rome blog. Despite all of the hoopla, you'll find it looks and feels exactly the same as the Reading Rome blog. (That's not a bad thing, actually.)
This means the URL for the blog is the same as it ever was: http://readingrome.blogspot.com/
While we're on the subject, the URL for the official course website is: http://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/writingrome/
Currently the site contains a spare syllabus and the tentative (but likely) itinerary for our trip. As noted in class, we'll be adding to the website in the coming days, and we'll alert you to major updates and changes on the blog (and, hence, via your Skidmore email).
Do note that the website and the blog are interlinked: you can reach one from the other, and vice versa.
Finally, one new item on the blog is the blogroll, or list of your and your peers' blogs, on a long menu on the left side of the page. The index consists not of your first names, but of your initials (more or less). The motivator is a semblance of privacy, but it's a lot of fun to say, for example, "ATHoc" and "EASto." Try it at home!
Those of you who have yet to send us a URL, we've sent an email pestering you. Please set up a blog as soon as possible.
Onward,
DC/gs
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Extra-credit Quizzes for the Exam Period
Dear Roman Readers,
Welcome to what might be the last post before this blog changes its name to Writing Rome.
Appropriately, this post is about the extra credit quizzes Dr. Spinner and I have decided to offer from now until the end of the exam period. Please read it carefully so that you can make an informed choice about whether or not you want to participate.
We've looked at the averages for all the multiple choice quizzes this term. Not counting the tragedy that was quiz 25, which is too fresh to permit any kind of retake, these three quizzes had the lowest overall averages:
However, to earn the points, you have to beat the class average on any given quiz. So, if you take quiz 7, you need to score a minimum of 28 in order for the points to count; quiz 20, 21 points; quiz 21, 30 points. We've put this condition in place to help ensure that the retakes are thoughtfully done.
When you take the quiz, all protocols and procedures are the same as they were during the regular term. You may access any quiz as often as you like, but you may only submit one set of answers; and you'll get an email confirming your score.
If that score beats the class average, your total will be increased by that number of points. If your score meets or falls below the average, the points will not be counted.
Note that there will be no penalty to your current totals for wrong answers. You can only earn points, not lose them. And, this opportunity is optional: if you're happy with your current totals, you needn't do anything at all.
Good luck, and please let us know if you have questions.
DC/gs
Welcome to what might be the last post before this blog changes its name to Writing Rome.
Appropriately, this post is about the extra credit quizzes Dr. Spinner and I have decided to offer from now until the end of the exam period. Please read it carefully so that you can make an informed choice about whether or not you want to participate.
We've looked at the averages for all the multiple choice quizzes this term. Not counting the tragedy that was quiz 25, which is too fresh to permit any kind of retake, these three quizzes had the lowest overall averages:
- Quiz 7: Advanced Roman Topography (avg. 27 pts. / 32 total);
- Quiz 20: Popes & Pilgrims (avg. 20 pts. / 25)
- Quiz 21: Medieval & Renaissance Rome (avg. 29 pts. / 34)
However, to earn the points, you have to beat the class average on any given quiz. So, if you take quiz 7, you need to score a minimum of 28 in order for the points to count; quiz 20, 21 points; quiz 21, 30 points. We've put this condition in place to help ensure that the retakes are thoughtfully done.
When you take the quiz, all protocols and procedures are the same as they were during the regular term. You may access any quiz as often as you like, but you may only submit one set of answers; and you'll get an email confirming your score.
If that score beats the class average, your total will be increased by that number of points. If your score meets or falls below the average, the points will not be counted.
Note that there will be no penalty to your current totals for wrong answers. You can only earn points, not lose them. And, this opportunity is optional: if you're happy with your current totals, you needn't do anything at all.
Good luck, and please let us know if you have questions.
DC/gs
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Practice Presentations: Revised Guidelines
Dear Roman Readers,
This is the first of our posts outside of class to alert you to important developments.
We're happy to announce that the revised guidelines for the site report dry runs are now available on our website. You'll find them at the very bottom of this page under Milestones > Practice presentation:
Please read them and follow them scrupulously: to do so will significantly increase your chances of success on the site-reports portion of your grade in Reading Rome, not to mention in Writing Rome, too.
Please let us know if you have questions.
DC/gs
This is the first of our posts outside of class to alert you to important developments.
We're happy to announce that the revised guidelines for the site report dry runs are now available on our website. You'll find them at the very bottom of this page under Milestones > Practice presentation:
http://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/rome/sites.html
Please read them and follow them scrupulously: to do so will significantly increase your chances of success on the site-reports portion of your grade in Reading Rome, not to mention in Writing Rome, too.
Please let us know if you have questions.
DC/gs
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Quizzes for Week 15
Dear Readers of Rome,
Our last round of quizzes — due Tuesday, April 28, at 11:59 p.m. — are now up and running:
Quiz 1 brings us back to the start, now with a timer at 90 seconds. Can you do it?
Our last round of quizzes — due Tuesday, April 28, at 11:59 p.m. — are now up and running:
- Quiz 1: Basic Roman Topography (17 pts., 90 seconds)
- Quiz 25: Modern Rome (37 pts., 8 min.)
Quiz 1 brings us back to the start, now with a timer at 90 seconds. Can you do it?
Please remember that the due date is Tuesday, the last day of classes, not Wednesday.
Good luck!
Good luck!
DC
Assigment for Monday, 04-27-15
Dear Readers of Rome,
For our last Reading Rome class on Monday, April 27, please do the following:
(1) Download, print, and read Alessandra Bava's poem, "In the Shadow of Giordano Bruno." In lieu of a factsheet about Alessandra, who is too modest for such things, I'll say a few words about her in class. For now, it's enough to note that she is a Roman passionate about Rome and that we'll spend some time with her during our residency in the city.
(2) (Re)download, (re)print, and (re)read "City Imaginaries" by Gary Bridge and Sophie Watson, the essay with which we began the semester. IMPORTANT: As you revisit this piece, write down one way in which you feel Rome has fit into the Bridge-Watson range of imaginaries in any of our four units. We will invite everyone to share their examples in class on Monday.
(3) If you haven't done so already, create a blog and share the URL with all three members of the instruction team. Guidelines for doing this have already been published previously.
(4) If you missed it in class, download the narrative timeline of modern Rome. As I noted yesterday, you should read it at least twice: once, just to get a sense of its scope; a second time, after a break but before before taking the quiz to be based on it (on which more in a follow-up post).
Finally, please bear in mind that Monday's class will be packed to the gills with both concluding remarks about Reading Rome and reminders about Writing Rome. I urge you in the most violent and animated language possible to be on time.
We look forward to receiving your giornali by noon on Sunday.
DC
For our last Reading Rome class on Monday, April 27, please do the following:
(1) Download, print, and read Alessandra Bava's poem, "In the Shadow of Giordano Bruno." In lieu of a factsheet about Alessandra, who is too modest for such things, I'll say a few words about her in class. For now, it's enough to note that she is a Roman passionate about Rome and that we'll spend some time with her during our residency in the city.
(2) (Re)download, (re)print, and (re)read "City Imaginaries" by Gary Bridge and Sophie Watson, the essay with which we began the semester. IMPORTANT: As you revisit this piece, write down one way in which you feel Rome has fit into the Bridge-Watson range of imaginaries in any of our four units. We will invite everyone to share their examples in class on Monday.
(3) If you haven't done so already, create a blog and share the URL with all three members of the instruction team. Guidelines for doing this have already been published previously.
(4) If you missed it in class, download the narrative timeline of modern Rome. As I noted yesterday, you should read it at least twice: once, just to get a sense of its scope; a second time, after a break but before before taking the quiz to be based on it (on which more in a follow-up post).
Finally, please bear in mind that Monday's class will be packed to the gills with both concluding remarks about Reading Rome and reminders about Writing Rome. I urge you in the most violent and animated language possible to be on time.
We look forward to receiving your giornali by noon on Sunday.
DC
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Setting up Your Writing Rome Blogs
Dear Readers of Rome,
As mentioned in class today, between Friday and Monday please set up your Writing Rome blogs, which you will use to submit your writing assignments during the travel seminar.
Below I'll offer some guidance on setting up a blog, if blogging is new to you. But no matter what your level of experience, your blog should observe the following requirements:
DC
First of all, the term blog is an abbreviation of web-log, or a diary kept on the web. Now you know.
The three most common blogging services are Blogger (which hosts this blog), WordPress, or Tumblr. All are free, though you will need to register to use them; if you already have a Google account, then you can begin using Blogger. Generally speaking, neither one of these services is far superior to any other, though each has its advantages and disadvantages -- and its own loyalists and detractors.
All of them permit a high degree of personalization, but don't worry about perfecting the look and feel of your blog just yet. You can tinker with it after the semester is over and before the trip begins. The important thing is to get your blog set up so we can create our blogroll (roster of blogs) in preparation for Writing Rome.
You will, however, have to name your blog. For all sorts of reasons, it's probably advisable not name it something like, "[Your name] Spanks Rome's Booty," not least because a future employer might find it. But do be appropriately creative. And no, "Roman Roaming" and its variations are NOT creative, in case you were wondering.
As noted, make sure that your blog is publicly viewable on the web. It's up to you whether you want comments to be enabled. We will not use them to offer feedback (we'll do that by sitting down and talking with you in Rome). If you do allow comments, take care to guard your privacy and to set some restrictions on who may comment, lest your posts get spammed.
If you need help setting up a blog, your instructors or your peers will be delighted to help you.
As mentioned in class today, between Friday and Monday please set up your Writing Rome blogs, which you will use to submit your writing assignments during the travel seminar.
Below I'll offer some guidance on setting up a blog, if blogging is new to you. But no matter what your level of experience, your blog should observe the following requirements:
- It should be, at the very least, accessible to those with the URL (no passwords or special accounts required for access). We'll be posting the links to your blogs on a sidebar of the Writing Rome blog, so it's important that access be open.
- If you already have a blog, make a new one just for Writing Rome -- a nod to our blogging as an educational endeavor.
- Email all three members of the instruction team with the name and URL of your blog once you have it.
DC
* * * * *
First of all, the term blog is an abbreviation of web-log, or a diary kept on the web. Now you know.
The three most common blogging services are Blogger (which hosts this blog), WordPress, or Tumblr. All are free, though you will need to register to use them; if you already have a Google account, then you can begin using Blogger. Generally speaking, neither one of these services is far superior to any other, though each has its advantages and disadvantages -- and its own loyalists and detractors.
All of them permit a high degree of personalization, but don't worry about perfecting the look and feel of your blog just yet. You can tinker with it after the semester is over and before the trip begins. The important thing is to get your blog set up so we can create our blogroll (roster of blogs) in preparation for Writing Rome.
You will, however, have to name your blog. For all sorts of reasons, it's probably advisable not name it something like, "[Your name] Spanks Rome's Booty," not least because a future employer might find it. But do be appropriately creative. And no, "Roman Roaming" and its variations are NOT creative, in case you were wondering.
As noted, make sure that your blog is publicly viewable on the web. It's up to you whether you want comments to be enabled. We will not use them to offer feedback (we'll do that by sitting down and talking with you in Rome). If you do allow comments, take care to guard your privacy and to set some restrictions on who may comment, lest your posts get spammed.
If you need help setting up a blog, your instructors or your peers will be delighted to help you.
Monday, April 20, 2015
Assignment for Wednesday, 04-22-15
Dear Roman Readers,
On Wednesday, April 20, we move into the 1980s with two Roman essays from esteemed travel writer, Paul Hofmann. Please do the following:
(1) Read Hofmann's 2008 obituary in the New York Times, which will also serve as a factsheet.
(2) Download, print, and read the two essays from Hofmann's 1983 memoir, Rome: The Sweet, Tempestuous Life: "Coffee and Ice Cream" and "Time in an Eternal City." Not only will you enjoy these, but they'll offer you something aspirational for your own writing in May and June.
DC
On Wednesday, April 20, we move into the 1980s with two Roman essays from esteemed travel writer, Paul Hofmann. Please do the following:
(1) Read Hofmann's 2008 obituary in the New York Times, which will also serve as a factsheet.
(2) Download, print, and read the two essays from Hofmann's 1983 memoir, Rome: The Sweet, Tempestuous Life: "Coffee and Ice Cream" and "Time in an Eternal City." Not only will you enjoy these, but they'll offer you something aspirational for your own writing in May and June.
DC
Quizzes for Week 14
Dear Readers of Rome,
Our quizzes for next week are now up and running. Due Wednesday, April 22, at 11:59 p.m., they are:
Quiz 24, a short-answer quiz, asks you to select and discuss two paragraphs from the Roman letters of Nightingale and Petigru Carson.
Our quizzes for next week are now up and running. Due Wednesday, April 22, at 11:59 p.m., they are:
- Quiz 19: Basic Roman Basilica (11 pts., 3 min.)
- Quiz 23: Grand Tourism (15 pts., 4 min.)
- Quiz 24: Women in Rome (10 pts., untimed.)
Quiz 24, a short-answer quiz, asks you to select and discuss two paragraphs from the Roman letters of Nightingale and Petigru Carson.
Good luck!
DC
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Assignment for Monday, 04-20-15
Dear Readers of Rome,
For Monday, April 20, please do the following:
(1) Read the last section of the Historical Sketch in the Blue Guide, "Rome, the Secular Capital" (pp. 29–30).
(2) Download, print, and read the excerpts from Borden Painter's excellent book, Mussolini's Rome: Rebuilding the Eternal City (Palgrave-MacMillan, 2005).
(3) Download, print, and read Alexander Stille's essay, "The Double-Bind of Italian Jews."
All of our readings will speak to both the continuing transformation of Rome into a modern capital, and the costs that come with that transformation.
DC
For Monday, April 20, please do the following:
(1) Read the last section of the Historical Sketch in the Blue Guide, "Rome, the Secular Capital" (pp. 29–30).
(2) Download, print, and read the excerpts from Borden Painter's excellent book, Mussolini's Rome: Rebuilding the Eternal City (Palgrave-MacMillan, 2005).
(3) Download, print, and read Alexander Stille's essay, "The Double-Bind of Italian Jews."
All of our readings will speak to both the continuing transformation of Rome into a modern capital, and the costs that come with that transformation.
DC
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Assignment for Friday, 04-17-15
(NOTE: This assigment is missing one of the readings, which will be available tomorrow. You can expect to see this post again in completed form.)
Dear Roman Readers,
As noted, Friday's class was to have been a Skype conversation with previous Romekids about travel in Rome and Italy; but it's been posponed until next Friday, April 24.
For April 17, please do the following:
(1) Read the following sections of the Blue Guide:
(2) Download, print, and read the factsheet on the Great Synagogue of Rome, which includes a description of synagogue rituals.
(3) Download, print, and read the annotated timeline, From Napoleon to Mussolini, which will take us from the 18th to the 20th centuries. (Coming soon!)
(4) Download, print, and read the packet on Albany, the Empire State, and the Nelson E. Rockefeller Plaza in preparation for our trip on Saturday.
As noted, the reading for item 3 will be available tomorrow, along with a new version of this post.
DC
Dear Roman Readers,
As noted, Friday's class was to have been a Skype conversation with previous Romekids about travel in Rome and Italy; but it's been posponed until next Friday, April 24.
For April 17, please do the following:
(1) Read the following sections of the Blue Guide:
- "Revolution" in the Historical Sketch (pp. 27–9); and
- "History of the Vatican City" (p. 472).
(2) Download, print, and read the factsheet on the Great Synagogue of Rome, which includes a description of synagogue rituals.
(3) Download, print, and read the annotated timeline, From Napoleon to Mussolini, which will take us from the 18th to the 20th centuries. (Coming soon!)
(4) Download, print, and read the packet on Albany, the Empire State, and the Nelson E. Rockefeller Plaza in preparation for our trip on Saturday.
As noted, the reading for item 3 will be available tomorrow, along with a new version of this post.
DC
Monday, April 13, 2015
Assignment for Wednesday, 04-15-15
Dear Roman Readers,
The assignment for Wednesday, May 15, is not large, but it is multifacted. Use this post to help you keep track. Please do the following:
(1) Download, print, and read the factsheet on Piranesi, the premier 18th-century illustrator of Rome and its ruins;
(2) View the Piranesi prints of Rome through the special View-o-matic program I've written for you (instructions below);
(3) Download, print, and read the factsheet on Florence Nightingale, British nurse extraordinaire and (before that) intrepid Roman traveler;
(4) Download, print, and read Nightingale's letters from Rome, which detail her adventures in the city during her Grand Tour;
(5) Download, print, and read the factsheet on Caroline Petrigru Carson, South Carolina socialite turned expatriate artist in Rome; BONUS: her obituary in the New York Times on p. 2;
(6) Download, print, and read Petrigru Carson's letters in Rome, which span the time of her first arrival until her death; and
(7) View Petrigru Carson's paintings of Italy, which are as valuable to understanding her time in Italy as her letters.
Sure, seven items — but manageable ones. The factsheets won't take you long; and the two collections of letters are together about as long as many of the readings we've given. As for the images, Carson's paintings are assigned to give you a sense of her as an artist; Piranesi's will require a little more time to get through, but they are exquisite and ought to fuel your imagining of Rome...as they were meant to do.
Regarding the View-o-matic: When you access the first page, you'll have the choice of (a) downloading the images, (b) viewing them at random or (c) viewing them in sequence. Choose only (a) or (c) at this point; (b) will be for testing your recall later on.
If you choose option (a), you can download the images as one big .ZIP file and (once unzipped) view them in your favorite image viewer.
If you choose option (c), you'll stay within the View-o-matic program. Click the arrows at left and right to scroll through the images, which will be clearly labeled. Click on an image to enlarge it and savor it in a higher resolution.
We'll look forward to our last student-led discussion of Nightingale and Petigru Carson with Team F.
Go in peace, children, and beware of Roman procuresses!
DC
The assignment for Wednesday, May 15, is not large, but it is multifacted. Use this post to help you keep track. Please do the following:
(1) Download, print, and read the factsheet on Piranesi, the premier 18th-century illustrator of Rome and its ruins;
(2) View the Piranesi prints of Rome through the special View-o-matic program I've written for you (instructions below);
(3) Download, print, and read the factsheet on Florence Nightingale, British nurse extraordinaire and (before that) intrepid Roman traveler;
(4) Download, print, and read Nightingale's letters from Rome, which detail her adventures in the city during her Grand Tour;
(5) Download, print, and read the factsheet on Caroline Petrigru Carson, South Carolina socialite turned expatriate artist in Rome; BONUS: her obituary in the New York Times on p. 2;
(6) Download, print, and read Petrigru Carson's letters in Rome, which span the time of her first arrival until her death; and
(7) View Petrigru Carson's paintings of Italy, which are as valuable to understanding her time in Italy as her letters.
* * * * *
Sure, seven items — but manageable ones. The factsheets won't take you long; and the two collections of letters are together about as long as many of the readings we've given. As for the images, Carson's paintings are assigned to give you a sense of her as an artist; Piranesi's will require a little more time to get through, but they are exquisite and ought to fuel your imagining of Rome...as they were meant to do.
Regarding the View-o-matic: When you access the first page, you'll have the choice of (a) downloading the images, (b) viewing them at random or (c) viewing them in sequence. Choose only (a) or (c) at this point; (b) will be for testing your recall later on.
If you choose option (a), you can download the images as one big .ZIP file and (once unzipped) view them in your favorite image viewer.
If you choose option (c), you'll stay within the View-o-matic program. Click the arrows at left and right to scroll through the images, which will be clearly labeled. Click on an image to enlarge it and savor it in a higher resolution.
We'll look forward to our last student-led discussion of Nightingale and Petigru Carson with Team F.
Go in peace, children, and beware of Roman procuresses!
DC
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Quizzes for Week 13
Dear Readers of Rome,
Our quizzes for next week are now up and running. Due Wednesday, April 15, at 11:59 p.m., they are:
Quiz 22, a short-answer quiz, asks you to select and compare two works from our trio of Renaissance Roman artists.
Our quizzes for next week are now up and running. Due Wednesday, April 15, at 11:59 p.m., they are:
- Quiz 1: Basic Roman Topography (17 pts., timer now at 100 seconds!)
- Quiz 21: Medieval and Renaissance Rome (34 pts., 7 min.)
- Quiz 22: Masterpieces (10 pts., untimed.)
Quiz 22, a short-answer quiz, asks you to select and compare two works from our trio of Renaissance Roman artists.
Good luck!
DC
Friday, April 10, 2015
Assignment for Monday, 04-13-15
Dear Readers of Rome,
As we embark upon our last full unit, Modern Rome, please do the following for Monday, April 13:
(1) Read the following sections in the Historical Sketch of the Blue Guide:
(3) Download, print, and read the factsheet on Edith Wharton.
(4) Download, print, and read Wharton's short story, "Roman Fever."
As we embark upon our last full unit, Modern Rome, please do the following for Monday, April 13:
(1) Read the following sections in the Historical Sketch of the Blue Guide:
- "Years of Decline" (pp. 26–7); and
- "Napoleon in Rome" (p. 27).
(3) Download, print, and read the factsheet on Edith Wharton.
(4) Download, print, and read Wharton's short story, "Roman Fever."
* * * * *
Our concern on Monday will be making sense of tourism in Italy, which although not exclusive to modernity, is nonetheless a fixture of it. Who participated in the Grand Tour and why? Were the experiences of men different from those of women? How do their experiences and expectations differ from those of modern tourists? How are they the same?
We'll look forward to your outlines on Sunday, noon.
DC
PS: The PDFs for Monday will look quite long in terms of page length, but I assure you, this is because they are generously spaced.
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Assignment for Friday, 04-10-15
Dear Readers of Rome,
On Friday, we'll have a student-led discussion focusing on the controversial figure of Giordano Bruno, a Renaissance polymath who was burned at the stake in the Campo de' Fiori in 1600. We'll use Bruno's example to engage some broader issues in how the Counter-Reformation constructs the category of heresy.
Please do the following:
(1) Read the section on Bruno and the Campo in the Blue Guide, p. 211.
(2) Download, print, and read the sketch of Bruno's life and work.
(3) Download, print, and read the excerpts from Imerti's translation and discussion of The Expulsion of the Triumphant Beast.
Bruno is not an easy read, but Imerti's introduction explains what the wily Nolan is up to, giving you a good sense of how to read this satirical, allegorical dialogue.
gs
On Friday, we'll have a student-led discussion focusing on the controversial figure of Giordano Bruno, a Renaissance polymath who was burned at the stake in the Campo de' Fiori in 1600. We'll use Bruno's example to engage some broader issues in how the Counter-Reformation constructs the category of heresy.
Please do the following:
(1) Read the section on Bruno and the Campo in the Blue Guide, p. 211.
(2) Download, print, and read the sketch of Bruno's life and work.
(3) Download, print, and read the excerpts from Imerti's translation and discussion of The Expulsion of the Triumphant Beast.
Bruno is not an easy read, but Imerti's introduction explains what the wily Nolan is up to, giving you a good sense of how to read this satirical, allegorical dialogue.
gs
Monday, April 6, 2015
Assignment for Wednesday, 04-08-15
Dear Readers of Rome,
(I am re-sending this message, as the third link was inactive the first time it was mailed.)
On Wednesday, our topic is "Ghetto Life." While we have touched upon the contested relations between Church and Synagogue previously, we will now analyze that dynamic more carefully, to better follow that story into the modern period.
Please do the following:
(1) Download, print, and read the overview of the Roman Ghetto (historical map included). The papal bull Cum Nimis Absurdum created a ghetto within Rome, thereby altering patterns of city life for both Jews and Gentiles, and profoundly impacting the Jewish community that had lived there since before the time of Jesus.
(2) Download, print, and read the excerpt from Ruderman, Preachers of the Italian Ghetto. Ruderman not only places Italian ghettos into a larger historical context, but he summarizes scholarly arguments in which Jewish culture is "paradoxically" furthered by Christian discrimination - - a perverse dialectic of repression and expression.
(3) Download, print, and read the excerpts from Raz-Krakotzkin, The Censor, The Editor, and the Text, which focuses on the burning of the Talmud. Raz-Krakotzkin also sets this incident into a larger context, examining the wider role of the papacy in censorship.
(I am re-sending this message, as the third link was inactive the first time it was mailed.)
On Wednesday, our topic is "Ghetto Life." While we have touched upon the contested relations between Church and Synagogue previously, we will now analyze that dynamic more carefully, to better follow that story into the modern period.
Please do the following:
(1) Download, print, and read the overview of the Roman Ghetto (historical map included). The papal bull Cum Nimis Absurdum created a ghetto within Rome, thereby altering patterns of city life for both Jews and Gentiles, and profoundly impacting the Jewish community that had lived there since before the time of Jesus.
(2) Download, print, and read the excerpt from Ruderman, Preachers of the Italian Ghetto. Ruderman not only places Italian ghettos into a larger historical context, but he summarizes scholarly arguments in which Jewish culture is "paradoxically" furthered by Christian discrimination - - a perverse dialectic of repression and expression.
(3) Download, print, and read the excerpts from Raz-Krakotzkin, The Censor, The Editor, and the Text, which focuses on the burning of the Talmud. Raz-Krakotzkin also sets this incident into a larger context, examining the wider role of the papacy in censorship.
* * * * *
How do these sources inform our understanding of Rome? We are very much interested in your own responses, but allow me to highlight some aspects we might consider:
As noted earlier, Roman Jews played a part in the ceremony for crowning a new pope, in which they hand the pontiff a Torah scroll that he lets fall to the ground. Samuel Gruber argues this exemplifies "selective inclusion," for Jews were being acknowledged as denizens of the City even while they were being ritually humiliated and subjected to papal authority. This pattern of selective inclusion continues on and deepens, perhaps darkens, in the Counter-Reformation, when certain popes authorized new forms of discrimination against the Jews. So Jews are simultaneously forced to be Other, physically set aside from Christians and marked as "outside" of proper society, and yet (as Raz-Krakotzkin argues) Jews are increasingly included within the purview of the Church, as their sacred texts and very persons are treated more and more akin to those of Christian heretics.
gs
Friday, April 3, 2015
Assignment for Monday, 04-06-15
Dear Roman Readers,
On Monday, April 6, we proceed past Renaissance Rome to the Baroque. Our representative artists are the sculptor, Bernini, and the painter, Caravaggio.
Please do the following:
(1) Read these sections in the Blue Guide's Historial Sketch:
(2) Download, print, and read these overviews:
(3) Spend some time with the following image groups on Artstor:
We'll be anxious to hear your reactions to these artists and their works, which are found far and wide in the Eternal City.
DC/gs
On Monday, April 6, we proceed past Renaissance Rome to the Baroque. Our representative artists are the sculptor, Bernini, and the painter, Caravaggio.
Please do the following:
(1) Read these sections in the Blue Guide's Historial Sketch:
- Rome and the Counter-Reformation (pp. 23–25); and
- Baroque Rome (p. 25).
(2) Download, print, and read these overviews:
- "Bernini and Rome"; and
- "Caravaggio and Rome".
(3) Spend some time with the following image groups on Artstor:
- Bernini; and
- Caravaggio.
We'll be anxious to hear your reactions to these artists and their works, which are found far and wide in the Eternal City.
DC/gs
Quizzes for Week 12
Dear Readers of Rome,
Three "maintenance" quizzes for you next week, all on ancient Rome and due Wednesday, April 8, at 11:59 p.m.:
Quiz 7, multiple-choice, digs into the text portions of the Basic Roman topography page.
Quiz 10, a map quiz, asks you to locate key features of Roman infrastructure. Use the best browser you can, and a large monitor.
Three "maintenance" quizzes for you next week, all on ancient Rome and due Wednesday, April 8, at 11:59 p.m.:
- Quiz 2: Hills of Rome (a two-parter) (20 pts., 3 min.)
- Quiz 7: Advanced Roman topography (32 pts., 6 min.)
- Quiz 10: Basic Roman Infrastructure (19 pts., 6 min.)
Quiz 7, multiple-choice, digs into the text portions of the Basic Roman topography page.
Quiz 10, a map quiz, asks you to locate key features of Roman infrastructure. Use the best browser you can, and a large monitor.
Good luck!
DC
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Assignment for Friday, 04-03-15
Dear Roman Readers,
On Friday, we proceed into the Renaissance on display in Rome. Our representative artist for this period is Michelangelo, though we'll also glance briefly at Donatello, Botticelli, Raphael, and DaVinci.
Please do the following:
(1) Read these sections in the Blue Guide's Historial Sketch:
(2) Download, print, and read the overview, "Michelangelo and Rome."
(3) Spend some time with the following image groups on Artstor:
As mentioned above, the various works by the Renaissance masters (only two of which can be seen in Rome) are there for context and contrast with Michelangelo. Into this group a few images of works from the ancient world have been mixed in, works that were touchstones for Renaissance artists. Can you spot them without looking at the captions?
The overview on Michelangelo is, as these things go, very brief; it focuses only on his Roman works, and the Artstor image group (with the exception of David) follows suit.
The last thing we'll do on Friday is learn about the layering of St. Peter's Basilica, from the Circus of Nero, to the Necropolis, to the Constantinian Basilica, to the current Basilica, in which Michelangelo had a hand.
DC/gs
On Friday, we proceed into the Renaissance on display in Rome. Our representative artist for this period is Michelangelo, though we'll also glance briefly at Donatello, Botticelli, Raphael, and DaVinci.
Please do the following:
(1) Read these sections in the Blue Guide's Historial Sketch:
- Renaissance Rome (pp. 21–22); and
- The Reformation and the Sack of Rome (p. 23).
(2) Download, print, and read the overview, "Michelangelo and Rome."
(3) Spend some time with the following image groups on Artstor:
As mentioned above, the various works by the Renaissance masters (only two of which can be seen in Rome) are there for context and contrast with Michelangelo. Into this group a few images of works from the ancient world have been mixed in, works that were touchstones for Renaissance artists. Can you spot them without looking at the captions?
The overview on Michelangelo is, as these things go, very brief; it focuses only on his Roman works, and the Artstor image group (with the exception of David) follows suit.
The last thing we'll do on Friday is learn about the layering of St. Peter's Basilica, from the Circus of Nero, to the Necropolis, to the Constantinian Basilica, to the current Basilica, in which Michelangelo had a hand.
DC/gs
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