Sunday, May 31, 2015

Agenda for Day 15, 06-01-15

Dear Roman Writers,

Here are the most important things to know about our visit to the Vatican Museums on Monday, June 1:
  • We will leave at 9:00 sharp from the Common Room. Vatican reservations (ours is at 9:30) are very strict.
  • Please have your Skidmore ID (to verify your U.S. student status), your Blue Guide, and your tour equipment.
  • Be dressed for church: the Vatican likes appropriate dress in the museum and especially at the Sistine Chapel.
If you are late or do not have the appropriate gear, we will not wait for you. Although we won't be running to the Vatican, we'll need you to stay with the group, since we'll be using the audio devices to fill you in as we walk.

More tomorrow,

DC

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Agenda for Day 14, 05-31-15

Dear Roman Writers,

Our agenda for Sunday, May 31, are as follows:

Meet at the Common Room at 9:00. We'll take the Metro to Piramide, and then the regional rail to Ostia Antica.

Once at Ostia, you can explore the remains of Rome's ancient port city mostly on your own. This visit will help you envision what ancient Rome was like, before it was built up over the years. At a prearranged point we'll meet at the theater and from there move on to the ancient synagogue.

While at Ostia you'll do your Writer's Choice assignment (Ekphrasis, Momentary Blindness, Space & Place or Voyeur).

In the afternoon we'll head to the Lido di Ostia (Lido Centrale) and head to the beach. As noted, feel free to rent a chair from a private resort or to use the public beach (we'll show you both options).

Allegedly, the last train back to St. John's is 11:30 p.m. We'll try to confirm that during transit. If you miss the train, you'll have to get back via bus or taxi. I wouldn't stay out too late, though: we'll have a 9:00 start the next day at the Vatican Museums.

DC

Checking Out, 06-03-15

Dear Roman Writers,

Alas, it's time to start thinking about end-of-course matters, such packing up and leaving the St. John's Rome Center on June 3rd.

You might have noticed in the elevator a piece of paper detailing our check-out procedures. The salient information is here.

EVERYONE:
  • Bag up all trash and remove all personal items. You may leave one bag of trash per person outside your door in the red trash bin. If you leave excessive trash you might be charged an additional cleaning fee.
  • Leave all linens on the beds.
  • Return e-key to the security desk when you depart and sign the "Return e-key log." Failure to return the key will result in a 100-dollar fine.
THOSE DEPARTING FOR THE USA:
  • Pick-up by airport shuttle, 6:30 a.m. Drop off your key just before you leave.
THOSE WITH OTHER DESTINATIONS:
  • Check out of the center by 10:00 a.m. Drop off your key just before you leave.
  • Your bus passes will get you to the train station, where you can purchase tickets for other destinations (including the airport).
Please let us know if you have any questions.

DC/gs

Friday, May 29, 2015

Agenda for Day 13, 05-30-15

Dear Writers of Rome,

Tomorrow, May 30, we head to the Protestant Cemetery, where we'll see the remains of many Grand Tourists. Here's our agenda:

Gather in the Common Room at 8:30. Yes, this is early for a weekend, but we want to give you as much time the rest of the day to enjoy the city and make solo excursions.

We'll travel by Metro to the cemetery. The rules for admission call for polite behavior and respectful dress. They also ask us to break into two groups, but once we get into the older part of the grounds, we can stand together.

After our final site report, we'll make a quick jaunt to the Monte Testaccio itself, and admire from the sidewalk the artificial hill that gives the quarter its name. After that, you're on your own.

DC

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Agenda for Day 12, 05-29-15

Dear Writers of Rome,

Our agenda for Friday, May 29, is shaping up as follows:

We'll gather in the Common Room at 8:30 and take the Metro to the Circo Massimo stop, transferring at Termini. From there it's a short walk to the Baths of Caracalla, the best preserved ancient baths in Rome. Our principal guide for this excursion will be none other than our beloved Peer Mentor herself.

After the Baths, we'll board the infamous 118 bus and make our way out onto the Appian Way, or Via Appia Antica. We'll have a picnic at the Villa of Maxentius, and then learn about the road itself. Make sure you have, in addition to your must-bring items, some food to eat: facilities on the V.A.A. are both sparse and bleak.

We'll linger in the area, visiting the Tomb of Cecilia Metella (courtesy of our Baths of Caracalla ticket) until 2:00, the appointed hour for our tour of the Catacombs of San Sebastiano. Once the tour is over, we'll head home by bus and Metro.

As if all of this weren't enough, you are invited by our friend Alessandra to attend a reading from her New Anthology of American Poetry: several of the Romekids have volunteered to lend their voices to this event. The reading will take place at 7:00 p.m. at Libreria Caffe N'Importe Quoi, in the former Ghetto. It will be a unique opportunity to observe Roman literary culture in action.

http://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/writingrome/itinerary.html

DC

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Agenda for Day 11, 05-28-15

Dear Roman Writers,

Our itinerary on Thursday will be another double-header, but it is the second-to-last one of these. As before, we've build in rest and food breaks, and we promise much serenity to go around.

We'll gather in the Common Room at 8:30 sharp for an immediate departure. Please be on time. We'll grab the 70 or 87 bus to the Largo Argentina and walk from there to the Great Synagogue of Rome. There we'll meet our guide, David, who will give us a tour of the former Ghetto, which will also include a visit to the Museo Ebraico.

Lunch will be a group affair, with a tasting menu at Nonna Betta, one of the best restaurants in the Ghetto. The owner, Umberto, has offered to say a few words about the traditions of Jewish cuisine in Rome.

After lunch and a break, we'll hear a presentation on Tiber Island, then head up the Aventine Hill to hear about the Basilica of Santa Sabina. While on the hill we'll also visit the Giardini degli Aranci (the Orange Garden) and write our Momentary Blindness exercise.

DC


Dear Writers of Rome,

The forecast for this afternoon calls for 100% chance of precipitation (scattered showers), so please be prepared.

Beyond that, it looks as if we might not encounter anymore rain during our stay in Italy.

I hope everyone is feeling refreshed. See you soon,

gs

Monday, May 25, 2015

Agenda for Day 10, 05-27-15

Dear Writers of Rome,

Our agenda for Wednesday, May 27, looks like this:

We'll meet at 8:45 in the Common Room and walk over to Piazza San Pietro, where crowds will be arriving for the Papal General Audience. Here we'll do our Voyeur writing exercise. Once you're finished, you can stay for the audience (standing room only) or leave on other excursions.

We'll reconvene under the north colonnade in the Piazza at 1:00 p.m. Lines to get into the Basilica San Pietro may be long, so we'll have to be patient. Wear your best church clothes.

Once we've cleared security and are in the Basilica, we'll use our audio equipment to orient us inside the structure, and then let you explore it on your own. Bring your Blue Guides.

Admission to the Basilica is free. At your option you may pull a Florence Nightingale and pay to ascend to the cupola (an elevator will take the faint of heart half way up). The view of Rome from the top is unparalleled. Note that if you leave the Basilica through the official exit before you visit the top, you'll have to get back into the long line and enter the Basilica again in order to ascend.

We'll end our day by hearing about the Piazza itself.

Enjoy your day off; you've earned it.

DC

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Agenda for Day 08, 05-25-15

Dear Roman Writers,

Our agenda for Monday involves still more touring of the Campus Martius, but also a trip to the outskirts of the city. Here's the breakdown.

We'll gather in the Common Room at 8:30 and make our way to the Pantheon at 9:00. We'll spend some quality time there, studying it as a Roman icon, and then head for a coffee break at Tazza d'Oro (one of the two best coffee bars in Rome).

From there we'll move to Piazza Navona, after a brief stop at San Luigi dei Francesi to see Caravaggio's St. Matthew series, and the Basilica of Sant'Agnese in Agone.

Following a lunch break we'll meet at the statue of Giordano Bruno at 2:00 p.m. (14:00) in the Campo de' Fiori before moving on to Termini Station and the fragments of the Servian Wall. From there it's off to the Porta Maggiore before ending at Basilica San Giovanni in Laterano.

In and around these delights we'll visit our last two Talking Statues of Rome.

We know this will be as long a day as we'll have in Rome. But it's all good stuff. We'll take breaks, and by the end of it, we'll have earned our day of rest.

https://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/writingrome/itinerary.html

DC/gs

Agenda for Day 07, 05-24-15

Dear Writers of Rome,

Tomorrow's Pentecost Mass at the Pantheon begins at 10:30 a.m. It's a popular event, so if you plan to go, you should be there at least by 9:30, and make it clear that you mean to attend the mass (as opposed to simply being a tourist).

The mass will last about an hour and a half, and you'll very likely be standing for most of it. But when the petals drop at noon, you can say you've witnessed a singular Roman experience.

(If you miss it, you won't miss the Pantheon. We'll be back on day 08.)

In the afternoon, we'll convene at the top of the Spanish Steps at 1:00 p.m. (13:00), outside the church of Trinità dei Monti. After hearing about the Piazza di Spagna, we'll continue our tour of the Campus Martius, including the column of Marcus Aurelius, the Horologium of Augustus, the Area Sacra of the Largo Argentina, and (of course) more Talking Statues of Rome.

http://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/writingrome/itinerary.html

DC/gs

Agenda for Day 06, 05-23-15

Dear Roman Writers,

As noted, we're working on shuffling around the agenda of Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, while still keeping our free day of next Tuesday intact.

The upshot for Saturday is that we'll be moving the presentations on the Column of M. Aurelius, Piazza di Spagna, and  the Horologium of Augustus to either Sunday or Monday.

The itinerary for Saturday posted on the web is the correct one. Please meet Dr. Spinner at 8:30 a.m. in the Common Room, to arrive at the Villa Borghese in time for our 9:00 entry. The forecast is calling for scattered showers, so please be prepared.

http://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/writingrome/itinerary.html

DC

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Agenda for Day 05, 05-22-15

Dear Roman Writers,

Can you believe it's almost been a week since our tour began? We on the instruction team are very happy with how things have been going, and we hope you are, too.

Tomorrow we'll gather in the common room at 8:30 sharp. We'll keep the remarks to a minimum, because to get to the Capitoline Museum, we'll have to take the 70. A great bus — it makes far fewer stops than the 280 — but it can be a little uneven in service.

As noted at the end of today's session, you'll have to check large backpacks and bags in the checkroom. But please be ready to carry, at a minimum:
  • your audio equipment
  • Blue Guide
  • pencil (no pen) and notebook
You may take pictures without flash of the regular exhibits; you'll probably want to bring your phone, if only to help keep track of time.

I'll reinforce this idea at the morning, but we'll have at least one occasion during our visit when we'll reconvene as a group. So it will be important that you NOT exit the museum before that time. More on that tomorrow.

At the museum, we'll hear from Sarah Donovan about the Talking Statues of Rome; we'll also hear more about the statues later that day (and on Saturday and on Sunday).

In the evening we'll hear from our friend in Rome, the poet Alessandra Bava. Meet at the Piazza Farnese at 6:45 p.m. (18:45) for an interview and a poetry reading, followed by a fine dinner at Al Pompiere.

DC

Agenda for Day 04, 05-21-15

Dear Roman Writers,

Not much to say for tomorrow, when we tour the Palatine Hill and the Forum Romanum. Most important are these two items:

(1) Meet in the Common Room at 8:30 a.m. sharp.
(2) Please bring your Blue Guides with you.

The BG will fill in the details of the Palatine Hill, which (as you know) is a warren of structures, mostly from the Imperial period. There's no need for us to turn over every stone, but the Guide can help you understand the things you are interested in.

Again, our Itinerary: http://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/writingrome/itinerary.html.

DC/gs

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Agenda for Day 03, 05-20-15

Dear Writers of Rome,

As you have probably heard by now, we're gathering on Wednesday in the Common Room/Lounge not at 8:15 but at 8:35.

Our itinerary tomorrow includes a tour of the Colosseum, followed by a visit to the Basilica San Pietro in Vincoli. After lunch, we'll convene at the Basilica San Clemente for another stellar site report.

Given this itinerary, be prepared to enter two churches.

As always, our itinerary can be found at: http://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/writingrome/itinerary.html.

DC/gs

Agenda for Day 02, 05-19-15

Dear Writers of Rome,

Thank you for a splendid first day. I think I speak for Prof. Spinner when I say that we are very pleased with how things went, and we hope you have a sense of how Reading Rome has given you a context to appreciate the many things the city has to offer.

As noted, tomorrow morning you are on your own to either plan your site reports or make a solo excursion. As you know by now, the list of excursions is both on the Writing page of our website and in the libretto (little book) of site reports.

We'll meet at 1:00 p.m. (13:00) sharp outside the Colosseum Metro stop. Remember that the stop is on the Blue Line (Line B); so you need to take the Red Line (Line A) at Lepanto and transfer at Termini. Be sure, when you transfer, that you're heading in the right direction: to get to the Colosseum, follow the signs for Laurentina (the southern end of the line).

Also be sure to have your must-bring gear, including your audio equipment. And be dressed appropriately for the Basilica of Santa Maria in Ara Coeli. And if anyone runs across that extra set of batteries, let us know.

http://www.skidmore.edu/~dcurley/writingrome/itinerary.html

DC/gs

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Website PDF

Dear Roman Writers,

This is likely my last post until we reach Rome.

I've made a crude PDF of our website for you to have in case our wireless access is delayed:


The document contains the Syllabus, the Itinerary, the Writing guidelines, and Site Report guidelines. I strongly suggest that you save a copy on your laptop or other device, and perhaps even go so far as to print a hardcopy and bring it with you.

I've added this document your pre-departure review checklist.

Bear in mind, though, that the official syllabus is on the web and is subject to some changes as our tour proceeds.

Travel well!

DC

Agenda for Day 01, 05-18-15

Dear Roman Writers,

What follows is, so far as it is possible to determine, our agenda for day one. This post covers what will happen when we deplane, when we arrive at St. John's, and beyond.

Please take the time to read this post (which is part of your pre-departure review checklist), since not everyone is arriving on the same flight, and since it will not always be possible to speak with you individually or as a group during transit.

(NOTE: Not every post for every day of our tour will be this detailed: that's why we have an Itinerary posted on our website.)

*                    *                    *                    *                    *

AT LEONARDO DA VINCI AIRPORT

You might have heard that the International terminal at Rome's airport suffered a fire over a week ago. What this means for us is that the process of going through customs and getting our baggage will require some patience. Dr. Spinner tells me that lines were long and tempers short when he went through last Monday. It might be that the Italian authorities now have better workarounds in place. Regardless, our arrival will probably be the most variable part of our day.

Normally, one deplanes and takes the Skytrain to customs, and then to the baggage claim area. While there will be bathrooms along the way, wait until we're at baggage to heed the call of nature and freshen up. Help us keep our momentum through the airport by staying with the group.

Once through baggage we'll hopefully find our bus driver waiting for us; we'll board and head to Prati and St. John's. Along the way, you might contemplate what Rome is from the standpoint of size. You'll recall from our discussion of the modern city how the Regulatory Plans kept expanding outward from the historic center. This kind of concentric urbanization is what you can expect to see on the bus ride.

Those of you not arriving on the group flight are responsible for getting to St. John's on your own.

*                    *                    *                    *                    *

AT ST. JOHN'S

In a perfect world, we'll arrive at the St. John's Rome campus before noon, where Dr. Spinner will be waiting for us, looking relaxed and refreshed.

Here, too, there will be some variability. We know that the staff of St. John's wants to give us a brief orientation. We also know that in order to access the wireless internet, laptops have to be registered by St. John's IT personnel — a process that will require us to physically loan them our equipment so they can install the wireless protocols. If we get to the Rome Campus early enough, this will hopefully be done by the end of the workday. If not, we'll have to wait until Tuesday to have wireless.

At some point we'll be given our St. John's IDs, which we'll need when we return to campus from our excursions, and our passwords for the computer lab, where the computers are hardwired for internet access. And you'll want to get to your rooms, freshen up, explore the area, get money, and eat a little something.

All in all, there will likely be some down time between our arrival on Campus and when we convene in the late afternoon for our first excursion. It is strongly recommended that you avoid sleeping, if you can help it. The later you go to bed this first night, the more your internal clock will have a chance to reset itself.

*                    *                    *                    *                    *

OUR FIRST EXCURSION AND DINNER

For now it looks as though we'll convene in the St. John's Common Room at 2:30 (or 14:30 in European time). Prior to meeting up, be sure you have all the must-bring items on your excursion list (as noted on our Syllabus under "Class Participation."). If we haven't yet had a chance to distribute our tour equipment, bus passes, and booklets, we'll do so at this meeting. The instruction team will make some preliminary remarks, and then we'll be out the door.

Our destination will be the Janiculum Hill, by way of Trastevere, which we'll reach via bus. On this first ride, you'll validate your bus pass (which process we'll explain beforehand). Once we reach the summit of the hill and have had a chance to look out over the city, we'll hear our first report from our Peer Mentor on the Fontanone (Big Fountain) of the Acqua Paola.

Following the report and a little time to orient ourselves both on the Janiculum and within the larger cityscape, we'll descend again into Trastevere and have our welcome dinner at Dar Poeta, a wonderful and authentic Roman pizzeria. Our reservation is set for 6:30 (18:30), so we might spend some time in Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere beforehand — it all depends.

*                    *                    *                    *                    *

BACK TO ST. JOHN'S

One of Professor Curley's favorite things to do, especially on the first night, is meander along Rome's dusky streets and reacquaint himself with some old friends: the Campo de' Fiori, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, and many more. If you want to join him on the long walk back to St. John's for any or all of this experience, you are more than welcome. If you'd rather head back to St. John's directly we'll point you in the right direction and/or make sure you get on the right bus. If you'd rather do your own thing entirely, no problem.

Before we part ways, we'll have said something about Day 02. For now just remember that the following morning is reserved for solo excursions and site-report planning. We recommend that you rise as early as you can and make the most of it.

DC/gs

Friday, May 15, 2015

Pre-Departure Review Checklist

Dear Writers of Rome,

This is arguably the most important post I'll make before we touch Roman soil. Please read it carefully and let me know if you have any questions.

As our departure looms, the thought occurs that it would be helpful to put the essential Writing Rome information we've sent over the past two weeks in one place for your review.

You should go though the following posts and pages to make sure you know exactly what to expect on our study tour. Check them off as you proceed.

ESSENTIAL BLOG POSTS:
ESSENTIAL WEBSITE PAGES:
  • Syllabus (esp. the Textbooks and supplies section)
  • Writing (esp. the guidelines for the Giornali assignments and the schedule)
  • Sites (details on our site reports).
ESSENTIAL OCSE DOCUMENTS:
ESSENTIAL DOWNLOADS:
DC/gs

Grading Reading and Writing Rome

Dear Writers of Rome,

Spring 2015 grades will be officially released after Tuesday, May 19. Dr. Spinner and I were able to submit many of the CC 265 grades around the time senior grades were due; if that was the case, you've probably already seen your grade for Reading Rome on your unofficial transcript.

If you would rather not wait until Wednesday or Thursday of our tour to get your grade, please send me an email and I'll reply with a breakdown of your scores this past term.

Note also that on your transcripts, your grades for Writing Rome will be recorded as an "I" (for Incomplete), which is simply a consequence of our having a travel seminar at this time of year. No need for alarm.

Once the seminar is over and all work turned in, Dr. Spinner and I will award your grades for TX 200, well in advance of the "I" deadline (June 19).

DC

Website Update: Resources

Dear Roman Writers,

I'm happy to announce that the final page of the Writing Rome website, Resources, is now live:


The page contains information on the following:
  • Reading and Writing Rome, including travel information and our preparedness plan;
  • The St. John's Rome Center;
  • food and language; and
  • transportation in Rome.
Much of this material you have seen before, either in class or during our OCSE orientation. This page puts it all in one place.

And with that, the website for Writing Rome 2015 is complete.

DC

Website Update: Writing

Dear Writers of Rome,

I'm thrilled to announce that the Writing page of the Writing Rome website is now live:


Here you'll find the following:
  • objectives for the writing assignment;
  • assignment descriptions, including guidelines for the solo excursions of your Giornali;
  • a complete list of due dates; and
  • the familiar writing tips.
I cannot urge you strongly enough to familiarize yourself with this page before departure. Our course is called Writing Rome, after all, and the writing assignments themselves are worth 40% of your grade.

Our Itinerary has also been updated to include the writing assignments.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

DC

Monday, May 11, 2015

Last Call: "At-A-Glance"

Dear Writers of Rome,

Just an urgent note about the At-A-Glance handouts for the site presentations in Rome, which were called for several days ago in this blog post.

I'm missing seven of them: if I've emailed you, you know who you are. But please read on.

I won't waste your time and mine by calling this situation unacceptable: it clearly is, as is the fact that I have to badger some of you to submit your work.

A larger, more concerning issue is that I've heard from several of you that you had no idea that we need handouts and are making a booklet.

This news is worrisome because, as both Dr. Spinner and I noted before the end of the semester, this transitional time between Reading and Writing Rome is critical to the success of the travel seminar. We have posted and will continue to post notices up until departure and in Rome, so you must read everything that comes across your screen fully and carefully.

In the meantime, if those of you with outstanding At-A-Glance sheets could please get them to me by noon tomorrow (Tuesday), I'll have time to include them in the booklet: Office Services tells me that they can work with a truncated production schedule.

Please review the original At-A-Glance post and follow the formatting specs to the letter. I've spent the better part of the day deformatting many an improper handout, and time is running out.

If I don't receive a handout from you, the book will have to go to press as is, and you'll start TX 200 with red in your ledger. That's regrettable, but there's nothing else for it.

Thanks for your attention in this matter.

DC

Saturday, May 9, 2015

At the Airport, 05-17-15

Dear Roman Writers,

This post is for the many of you who will be on the group flight from JFK to Rome on May 17, and who have been asking about the general order of business prior to takeoff.

If you are on that flight, please take the time to read this post in its entirety.

As you should know by now, Dr. Spinner will have traveled ahead to Rome and gotten things ready for our arrival at St. John's. That means you should look only for me at the airport, where I'll be happy to greet you and your families and to hand off the audio equipment before we go through security.

I plan to take a series of trains to the airport starting mid-morning Sunday, departing from the Albany Rensselaer Amtrak station. If anyone wants to train it with me, they're welcome to join; just let me know in advance. Otherwise, I'll assume you're getting to JFK under your own steam, whether on the Albany airport shuttle or by other means.

I'm planning to arrive at the airport around 2:00 p.m. and to check in as early as possible. I'll linger in the check-in area, and that's where you'll be able to find me for a meet and greet with anyone of your family and/or friends. Hopefully you'll arrive around 2:00, too — within the three hours the airline recommends.

Meet and greet or no, please don't go through security without getting your audio device from me. As you know, it's probably not the best idea for one person to carry a slew of uncommon electronic equipment through the screening lines. Ideally, I'd like to have each one of us on the flight carrying on one device each, two at the maximum.

I'll probably go through security myself around 3:30 or so. Once I hand off the device to you, you're free to go through and proceed to our departure gate as you see fit. But, if you want to go through with me, that's fine.

If you arrive at the airport after 3:30, you should check in and proceed through security on your own. If you do plan to arrive that late, I'd appreciate a call or a text: I'll provide you with my number if you don't already have it.

If the catastrophic happens and you miss the flight, you should call our travel agent, Steve, who will work with you to find an alternate flight; his information should already have been provided to you. But the bottom line is, we cannot hold the flight if you are late.

I hope this all makes sense. In a future post I'll detail what to expect in the time after takeoff and on the ground in Rome when we land. In the meantime, please let me know if you have questions.

DC

Website Update: Site Reports

Dear Roman Writers,

Our Site reports page is now available on the official Writing Rome website. Please navigate on over and have a look.

The page offers, in addition to a rudimentary schedule of presentations, guidelines for successful reports as well as the evaluation form that the instructional team will use for grading purposes.

We suggest that you spend some time now looking over both the page and the form so you can begin, if only subconsciously, to plan ahead.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

DC/gs

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

What "Two Pages" Means...


"At-A-Glance"

Dear Readers and (soon-to-be) Writers of Rome,

Allow us to clarify what we are looking for in a site presentation handout, or what we are now calling "At-A-Glance."

We would like your (unannotated) bibliography, selected images, and major bullet points (not all your own talking points, but the most important names, dates, and themes you want to register with your audience). This information should occupy no more than 2 single-spaced pages. (See the additional technical requirements, below).

Some of you will have to edit down the handouts you've already shown us. You might be able to pare them down by using single-spacing, but avoid having huge blocks of text. Do use spacing to differentiate major blocks of information, and make the reading easier.

The technical:
  • MS Word document (no PDFs);
  • 2 single-spaced pages;
  • 12-point Times New Roman font;
  • one-inch margins;
  • no page numbers, headers, or footers.
As noted, we'll assemble the handouts into a booklet that all of us will consult on-site during the reports. As such, we might have to do some minor editing; the above technical requirements will hopefully keep that editing to a minimum. Bear in mind that your pages will be shrunk down 25% to fit the booklet format.

Please submit your "At-A-Glance" document no later than Sunday, May 10 (although earlier would be appreciated).

We are excited with how the site presentations are shaping up, and looking forward to hearing them in their full glory while in Rome.

DC/gs

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Share Your Voice in Rome!

Dear Roman Writers,

You should hopefully know that on two occasions we'll be meeting up with Alessandra Bava — poet, translator, and Rome enthusiast — whose poem on Giordano Bruno we discussed on the last day of Reading Rome.

Alessandra has written to me with yet another opportunity for us while we're in the Eternal City. She has recently completed translating and editing an anthology of American poetry, Nuova antologia di poesia americana (Ensemble, 2015). On Friday evening, May 29, she hopes to organize a reading of selections from the volume in the historic center.

She has issued a warm invitation to any and all of us to read from the volume (in English) for the audience of invitees — in other words, to inject some American voices into the proceedings. I hope to participate in this extraordinary opportunity, and I hope that some of you will join me.

If you're not sure at the moment, perhaps you'll change your mind after meeting Alessandra the week before. In any event, I wanted to put this chance to experience Rome's literary and artistic culture on your radar as soon as possible.

Please let me know if you're interested in participating, or if you have any questions.

DC

PS: I realize that not all of us are Americans, strictly speaking; and that America is (or the Americas are) much more than the United States. But, for the purposes of this event, we can be considered de facto Americans due to Skidmore’s location.

Monday, May 4, 2015

Website Update: Syllabus

Dear Writers of Rome,

This post is to alert you that the Syllabus page of the Writing Rome website is now complete.

Please browse on over and read the page carefully and in its entirety. Not only does it discuss the breakdown of your Writing Rome grade, it offers lists of essential gear — both the things you should not leave home without and the things you must bring on our daily excursions in the city.

Let us know if you have questions.

DC/gs