FINAL EXAMS – please read carefully!!!!

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Final written exams are administered via Moodle, at: https://elearning.unito.it/lingue/course/view.php?id=1524
ONLY after you pass BOTH written exams (part 1 and 2), you can take the oral exam.

PLEASE NOTICE: Midterm (“esoneri”) scores 18 and higher remain valid until the January 2024 written exam. After that date, my course (and exam) syllabus will change and scores will no longer be valid.
This means that if you passed one, but not two, midterm exams, you will be able to take the missing exam in May 2023, September 2023 or January 2024 WITHOUT re-taking the one you already passed.
On the other hand, if you did not take or pass either midterm, you will need to take and pass BOTH PARTS in May, September or January. In this case, if you fail one part, you will have to retake BOTH PART at the next session.

Exam details are now on Moodle. Review all instructions and make sure you have Moodle access WELL BEFORE the exam. Exam scores are available on Moodle 7-10 days after the exam.

BEFORE AN EXAM, make sure you review my written exam instructions, here.

A. Carosso

CLASS PRESENTATIONS, April 13th 2023

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On April 13th, the following students present to the class on topics that have not been addressed during the course.

PRESENTATIONS, in order of appearence, include:

Sara CRISTOFORI, “Swing Low: the Harriet Tubman Memorial in Harlem”
This presentation discusses the ties between the Harriet Tubman Memorial in Harlem – a monument remembering civil rights activist Harriet Tubman – and the Underground Railroad, was a secret network of people offering shelter and aid to slaves who tried to escape from plantations in the South in the 18th and 19th centuries. Harriet Tubman was a prominent “conductor” in the Underground Railroad and helped saving more than 200 slaves throughout her life. This Memorial stands as a perfect depiction of Harriet’s selflessness and resilience .

Susanna GIACCIO, “Words of Wisdom by Tupac Shakur”
This presentation discusses the song “Words of Wisdom” written by Tupac Shakur. The song, released in 1991, discusses themes such as racism, the N-Word and its connotations, police brutality, the American Dream, and many others. This presentation focuses in particular on 2Pac’s discussion of education for black minorities in American society. He is one of the most influential rappers of all time, and his childhood in NYC has taught him many life experiences which pushed him to become the activist that he was, and to be an advocate for minorities through songwriting. Tupac never stopped fighting for justice since he lived all his life in discrimination, in the NYC of the 90s.

Rebecca BARBALATO, “The Controversial History of the Riverton Housing Project”
In this presentation I discuss the Riverton housing project, a housing development built in Harlem in 1947, which is a topic that the writer James Baldwin dealt with in his essay titled “Fifth Avenue, Uptown”– published in the July 1960 issue of the Esquire magazine. Baldwin takes a very harsh stand regarding this housing project, arguing that the RIverton houses were seen as a further example of white hatred. I’ll also be providing an historical background of the Riverton houses, which I drew from an article written by Eliza Fawcett and published in the Spring 2021 issue of the Site/Lines magazine. Lastly, I’ll address some controversial points regarding the reception of Baldwin’s essay by some Riverton tenants and employees, whose testimonies were reported in the article published in the Spring 2021 issue of the Site/Lines magazine and an article published in the New York Times in March, 1985, and written by Carlyl Douglas.

Alice BECCATI “Homelessness in New York City”
In this presentation I discuss homelessness in the metropolis and its relation with mental illness. Using the book Homelessness in America by Stephen Eide, and several articles by The New York Times and The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene as main references, I outline the conditions of the phenomenon for each borough, clarifying the specific geographical areas and districts that are involved. I try to understand what solutions NYC has tried to put in place, through its most recent administrations.

Martina FERRANDO, “The LGBT community in Brooklyn”
In this presentation I discuss the LGBT community in New York City, with a particular focus on Brooklyn. Using the book “When Brooklyn was queer” by High Ryan as a reference, I outline the queer history of the borough, clarifying the specific geographical areas and districts that are involved. During my presentation I give a picture of the ups and downs that the queer community had to go through starting from the 1850s, and I mention important events such as the 1969 Stonewall riots, or the struggles of Brooklyn’s queer community after the war.

Martina ARENA, “Do the Right Thing by Spike Lee”
This presentation discusses Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing, a 1989 American comedy-drama film focusing on racial violence in Brooklyn, NY. The film follows the lives of an Italian American family who owns a pizzeria in the African-American neighbourhood Bedford-Stuyvesant. The climax of the film is reached when racial tensions between these two communities become insults and physical violence, leading to the death of an African-American young man due to police intervention.


ADMISSIONS TO MIDTERM EXAM

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Students need at least 70% attendance (6 sessions) to be admitted to the midterm exam (esonero). Therefore, all students with less than 5 sessions at the end of week 4 have been temporarily suspended from Moodle, since they will not be allowed to take the midterm.

If you only attended 5 sessions as of Feb 24th, you are still on Moodle but you will need to attend the review session of March 2nd. Based on my records, students in this situation are the following:
954938
917679
985328
986473
1011811

If you realize you have been suspended by mistake, please write to me asap, listing all the sessions you have attended so far: I will check your statement against my attendance sheet and immediately reinstate you if I find an error.

Students who have been suspended from Moodle, may ask to be re-admitted after the midtem (just send me an email).

Best wishes,

A. C

WEEK 3. New York as immigrant haven

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Here are some additional links and materials relating to Week 3.

  1. Chasing the Ghost of the Lung Block: the documentary can be viewed HERE. Use this link if you missed it or would like to watch it again.
  2. The Lung Block digital exhibition (co-curated by one of the documentary’s authors) is available here.
  3. Am online recreation of NYC’s Barnum Museum is available here.

Thanks to Ilaria for these great links.

A.C.

COURSE SYLLABUS and CALENDAR

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This course is taught in-person AND focuses on student participation and class interaction.

ALL CLASSES are 2 to 5 pm on Thursdays AND Fridays, 6 hours a week for 10 weeks. ALL SESSIONS are held at Centro Aldo Moro, room S3.

COURSE STRUCTURE:
This course is structured is part as a LECTURE COURSE, in part as a DISCUSSION SEMINAR. Students are expected to READ texts BEFORE CLASS an INTERACT ON them in class.

FULL COURSE CALENDAR & WEEKLY READING LIST: This is the OFFICIAL, CONFIRMED COURSE CALENDAR and indicates in detail the weekly discuss topics. Do not email me asking confirmation of the course calendar: this is it.

WEEKDATEweek’s TOPICweek’s texts (from course reader)week’s books & screenings
1Feb 2-3Mapping New YorkCourse introduction
MAFFI, Mappe, da “Sotto le torri di Manhattan: mappe, nomi, storie”
SANDERSON, Mannahatta (ch 1 and 3)
BALLON, ed., The Greatest Grid (excerpts)
NYT, The Grid at 200
NYT, How many people can Manhattan Hold?
KAZIN, ALFRED, A Walker in the City		this week’s screening:
– Città Segrete, New York (Rai, 2023);
– New York, a documentary, by Ric Burns
2Feb 9-10Building the Empire City: the 19th centuryGLEASER, Urban Colossus, part 1
ABU-LUGHOD, Developments, 1820s-1870s
JAMES, from The American Scene
OLMSTED, Public Parks and the Enlargement of Towns

week’s novel: Theodore Dreiser, Sister Carrie, part 1

this week’s screening: “New York, a documentary film”, by Ric Burns (1999-2003) , excerpts
3Feb 16-17“The wretched refuse of your teeming shores”: the Melting PotLAZARUS, The New Colossus
ROTH, Call it Sleep
GLEASER, Urban Colossus, part 2
MAFFI, Una città alternativa (Lower East Side)
GABACCIA, Tenements (From Sicily to Elizabeth Street)
RIIS, How the Other Half Lives
FWP, The Italians of New York
HAMILL, The Capital of Nostalgia		this week’s novel: Theodore Dreiser, Sister Carrie, part 2

this week’s screening: “Chasing the Ghost of the Lung Block” a documentary by Stefano Gabbiani, Stefano Morello e Maria Ilaria Tonelli (2022, 97 min) – LINK HERE
4Feb 22-23 The Vertical CitySULLIVAN, The Tall Office Building
WILLIS, The Skyscraper City in the 1920s
LE CORBUSIER, A Contemporary City
WILLIS, Form Follows Finance: The Empire State Building		this week’s novel: Theodore Dreiser, Sister Carrie, part 3

this week’s screening:
– “New York, a documentary film”, by Ric Burns (1999-2003), ch 5, LINK HERE (approx from min 60 to min 90)
– a.C.d.C. “Amsterdam, London, New York, 23.2.22 – LINK HERE.
5March 2-3REVIEW and EARLY EXAM 1March 2 at 2 pm: REVIEW SESSION

March 3 at 2.00 pm, Aula Informatica 1, Aldo Moro: EARLY EXAM n. 1 (esonero – covering materials for weeks 1 through 4 – – only for students who have attended at least 70% of sessions in the 1st part of the semester).		 
6Mar 9-10Cosmopolis: Boom and Bust in the 1920s and ’30sH.L. GATES, “Harlem of Our Minds”
G. HUTCHINSON, Introduction to The Cambridge Companion to the Harlem Renaissance
ABU-LUGHOD, “New York, A New Deal”, part 1		this week’s novel: . F. S. Fitzegrald, The Great Gatsby, part 1
and
N. Larsen, Passing part 1

this week’s screening:
– “New York, a documentary film”, by Ric Burns (1999-2003), ch 5, LINK HERE (approx from min 25 through min 45)
– Britannica.com: The Harlem Renaissance – LINK HERE
– Black American history – The Harlem Renaissance – LINK HERE

7Mar 16-17Multicultural MetropolisABU-LUGHOD, “New York, A New Deal”, part 2
BERMAN, Robert Moses: The Expressway World
LARUFFA, Monte Carmelo : an Italian-American community in the Bronx
GARCIA, New York’s multilinguism: world languages and their role in a s U.S. city (pp. 3-21 & 30)		this week’s novel: . F. S. Fitzegrald, The Great Gatsby, part 2 and
N. Larsen, Passing part 2

this week’s screening:
– Smithsonian.org: The American Suburbs – LINK HERE
– Vox TV: Highways and US cities – LINK HERE
– West SIde Story (R. Wise-G. Robbins, 1961), Prologue – LINK HERE
Mar 23-24INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCEInfrastructures of Racism and the Contours of Black Vitality and Resistance full program: bit.ly/Torino_IOR
8Mar 30-319/11 and Beyond: New York in the 21st CenturyTHE NEW YORKER, September 11
M. TOMASKY: “The World Trade Center: Before, During and After”
M. DAVIS, “The Flames of New York”
NEW YORK TIMES, “NYC’s Evolving Skyline”
TBA
NYRB, “Tenants under siege”		this week’s non fiction book: M. Bayoumi, How Does it Feel to Be a Problem?

this week’s screening:

excerpts from:
9April 13STUDENT PROJECTSthis week’s reading: M. Bayoumi, How Does it Feel to Be a Problem?
 
10Apr 14 & 20REVIEW and EARLY EXAM 2April 14 at 2 pm: REVIEW SESSION

April 20 at 2.00 pm, Aula Informatica 2, Aldo Moro : EARLY EXAM N. 2 (esonero – covering materials for weeks 6 through 9 – – only for students who have attended at least 70% of sessions in the 2nd part of the semester).		 
OFFICIAL WRITTEN EXAM(This test is ONLY for students who still need to take one – or both – written exams).
CHECK myunito for DATE AND VENUE:
@ 2pm: written exam n. 1
@ 4pm: written exam n. 2

This 4-hour exam is offered in May 2023, September 2023 and January 2024. I do NOT RECOMMEND postponing this to September or – even worse – January.
Exam syllabus WILL CHANGE after January 2024. No exceptions!
 

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND REQUIREMENTS

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If you are a student of this class, you should return to this blog at least once a week beginning in mid-January 2023. Class materials, announcements and course information will be posted HERE.

Before emailing me, please read this course blog carefully in its entirety!! I MEAN everything I write here (and elsewhere): please do not email to confirm things I have already written. Ignorance of the course rules and syllabus is NOT an excuse for not following the Syllabus/Rules. Each student is responsible for understanding and following the intent of every rule.


STUDENTS WISHING TO TAKE AND COMPLETE THIS COURSE MUST READ AND FULLY UNDERSTAND ALL INFORMATION BELOW. THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THESE RULES. THANK YOU.

COURSE TITLE: “Empire City: New York in American Culture”

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
From its pre-Colombian inception as Manna-hatta, its colonial roots as New Amsterdam, its explosive skywards development and making as a global city in the 20th century, to its attempted undiong of 9-11-2001 and beyond, students in this course will study New York City as the quintessential global metropolis.

This course will explore some of the central tropes connected with the making of America’s quintessential urban hub, its Empire City – urban grid, vertical city, the immigration haven, multicultural metropolis – through some of its crucial cultural representations in literature, visuality, music, and critical/cultural theory. 

REQUIREMENTS:
Good proficiency in written and spoken English, a desire to learn and participate in classroom activity, and a curiosity for all things American highlight the ideal profile of students in this course.

This course is fully taught in English.

SEMINAR SESSIONS, SCHEDULE, VENUE 
This course is taught in the second semester of 2022-23, 6 hours per week, beginning in February. The course calendar in the post above provides a week by week breakdown of the course materials. Please review this course blog on updates on the publication of lectures and discussion sessions.

COURSE REGISTRATION
Students attending this course MUST sign up using the link in one of the posts above. Unregistered students will not be admitted to the Moodle materials nor to the final examinations.

REQUIRED TEXTS:
A. STUDENTS MUST PURCHASE and study
– Theodore Dreiser, Sister Carrie
– F.S. Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
– Nella Larsen, Passing
– Moustafa Bayoumi, How does it feel to be a problem
THIS READING LIST IS NOT YET FINAL AND WILL BE FINALIZED BY DECEMBER.
Any full edition (in English) of the above novels will do.
PLEASE NOTICE: E-books are not suitable for university study. Students must own PRINT COPIES of these books BEFORE the start of classes. Attending students (read below for definition) are not required to study Larsen’s novel.

B. STUDENTS MUST DOWNLOAD and study a course reader (parts 1 and 2, available from the course blog at the start of weeks 1 and 6) containing essays and other materials relevant to the course.

C. STUDENTS MUST WATCH films and other video excerpts. These will be presented during class and will be included in the examination questions.

STUDENT EVALUATION AND GRADING: 
Course syllabus is the same for ALL students and consists of 2 written tests (mandatory for all) and one oral interview. Students must pass both written tests in order to be admitted to the oral interview. The oral interview is waived for those students giving a CLASSROOM PRESENTATION during week 9. Written tests are offered during the course (as “esoneri”) to students with a regular IN PERSON attendance record (minimum attendance: 70%) or as official written exams, once per examination session (May, September, January). Both tests are taken at the same time – except for “esoneri”, when tests are taken one at a time. After the January 2024 session, examinations for this course will NO LONGER BE OFFERED and my syllabus will change.

NON ATTENDING STUDENTS:
A non attending is ANY student who has not attended AT LEAST 70% of IN PERSON sessions. Non attending students MUST:

1. meet with the professor during office hours at least one month before taking the written exam (and preferably BEFORE the start of classes) AND

2. attend at least TWO CLASSROOM SESSIONS during the semester.

Students who do not comply with these two, simple requirements are not admitted to take the final written and oral exams.

EXCHANGE STUDENTS wishing to complete this course must attend regularly and must request to be admitted to the course by writing to me BEFORE the start of the course.

HAVE A GREAT SEMESTER
A. Carosso

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