FORBIDDEN BOOKS? CENSORSHIP AND THE CIRC

In the first eight months of 2023, the American Library Association (ALA) reported a staggering 1,915 attempts to censor library materials. This marks a 20% increase from the same reporting period in 2022, which saw the highest number of book challenges since ALA began compiling the data more than 20 years ago. This stark increase calls for a serious reflection on censorship in its present and past forms. In this course, we will delve into book censorship examining its mechanisms in one of the most infamous historical instances: Fascist censorship in Italy (1922-1945), focusing in particular its effects on the circulation of U.S. literature. By delving into these historical instances of censorship, the course aims to provide critical tools to interpret the present.

While it is true that censorship may have disastrous effects on cultural life and the social fabric – stifling ideas and impacting creativity – at times it also inspires resistance, elicits acts of defiance, and transforms forbidden books into sought-after cultural objects. In this course we will discuss the intended and unintended effects of censorship from the vantage point of the circulation of American literature under Fascism. We will examine the measures taken by the Fascist regime to implement censorship in Italy, analyze specific instances of banned books, along with cases of redactions or re-framing of publications. Additionally, we will explore the translation of U.S. texts, discussing cases of self-censorship by translators and exploring the potential for resistance embedded in the act of translating. Finally, we will describe the effects of censorship on writing practices in Italy. We will explore the counterintuitive effect of prestige that arises due to censorship and the consequent imitation of American models by young Italian-speaking writers.

To engage with these topics we will discuss a diverse range of primary sources including archival documents, legislation, short stories, novels, and poems by prominent Italian and U.S. writers such as Cesare Pavese, Elio Vittorini, Gertrude Stein, and Ernest Hemingway. In addition, we will listen to musical pieces, watch original newsreels, and read letters between Italian and American authors.