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The Great American Novel? Rethinking Moby-Dick in the 21st Century with Dr. Joseph Luzzi

The Great American Novel? Rethinking Moby-Dick in the 21st Century with Dr. Joseph Luzzi


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Herman Melville’s classic nineteenth-century novel, Moby-Dick, is often mentioned as a candidate for the “Great American Novel,” a term created by the critic John William DeForest in 1869. In this seminar, Joseph Luzzi, the Asher B. Edelman Professor of Literature at Bard College, will explore the key qualities of Melville’s epic novel, including his remarkable use of language, riveting meditations on the natural world, and groundbreaking experiments in literary form. Overall, we will see how and why Moby-Dick remains as essential today in rethinking the “American experience” as it was when it first appeared more than a century and half ago.

Joseph Luzzi received his Ph.D. from Yale University and is a Professor of Comparative Literature and Faculty Member in Italian Studies at Bard College, where he has taught since 2002 after being a visiting faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania. A frequent contributor to publications including the New York Times, TLS, and Chronicle of Higher Education, he is the author of 5 books, including "My Two Italies," a New York Times Editors' Choice selection and "In a Dark Wood: What Dante Taught Me About Grief, Healing, and the Mysteries of Love," a Vanity Fair “Must-Read” selection. His work has been translated into multiple languages and his many awards include a Yale College Teaching Prize, Dante Society of America Essay Prize, and Wallace Fellowship at Villa I Tatti, Harvard's Center for Italian Renaissance Studies. In 2017 he was named Cittadino Onorario/Honorary Citizen in Acri, Calabria, his Italian parents' birthplace. His next book is "Botticelli's Secret: The Lost Drawings and the Rediscovery of the Renaissance," which will be published by W. W. Norton. Professor Luzzi is the founder of the Virtual Book Club, an online community of readers dedicated to exploring some of the best books ever written. Learn more at JosephLuzzi.com.

This conversation is suitable for all ages.

90 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.

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Customer (Boston, US)
Trying to reach the unreachable

Dr. Luzzi gave a lively and inciteful presentation on this iconic work. His analogies and references brought the work to life.

Customer Reviews

Based on 1 review
100%
(1)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
C
Customer (Boston, US)
Trying to reach the unreachable

Dr. Luzzi gave a lively and inciteful presentation on this iconic work. His analogies and references brought the work to life.