%0 Book
%A Alberica Bazzoni
%D 2018
%C Oxford, United Kingdom
%I Peter Lang Verlag
%@ 2235-4123
%@ 9781787077843
%T Writing for Freedom
%B Body, Identity and Power in Goliarda Sapienza's Narrative
%R 10.3726/b11486
%U https://www.peterlang.com/document/1055884
%X Sicilian writer Goliarda Sapienza (1924–1996) is increasingly regarded as a central figure in modern Italian literature, especially with the international success of her masterpiece L’arte della gioia [The Art of Joy]. This book offers an in-depth analysis of Sapienza’s major works, identifying their main themes and central poetics, and establishing her originality and significance within the context of twentieth-century Italian literature. The study follows Sapienza’s autofictional journey from the painful reconstruction of the self in Lettera aperta [Open Letter] and Il filo di mezzogiorno [Midday Thread], to Modesta’s rebellious adventure in L’arte della gioia, to the playful portrayal of childhood in Io, Jean Gabin [I, Jean Gabin] and, finally, to the representation of prison life and queer desire in L’università di Rebibbia [Rebibbia University] and Le certezze del dubbio [The Certainties of Doubt]. Themes of freedom, the body, nonconformist gender identities and sexuality, autobiography and political commitment are explored in connection to a variety of philosophical discourses, including Marxism, feminism, psychoanalysis and queer theory. From a position of marginality and eccentricity, Sapienza gives voice to a radical aspiration to achieve freedom and social transformation, in which writing and literary communication are conferred a fundamental role. This book was the winner of the 2015 Peter Lang Young Scholars Competition in Women’s Studies.
%K Goliarda Sapienza, freedom, autobiography and fiction, autofiction, Italian literature, women’s writing, gender and sexuality studies, queer studies
%G English