Italy Reads is John Cabot University’s community-based reading and cultural exchange program that began in 2009 with a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for
The Big Read Rome.
The Big Read Rome was a great success; students from nearly 20 Italian public and international high schools in Rome read Harper Lee’s
To Kill a Mockingbird, viewed the film at JCU’s “Cinema Mockingbird,” attended theater productions by the
English Theatre of Rome, and actively participated in book discussions with JCU students.
The success of
The Big Read Rome led John Cabot University to expand this American cultural exchange program to a wider Italian high school community and create our own program which we called
Italy Reads.
We are pleased to announce that the book for
Italy Reads 2011 is Carson McCullers's
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. The official edition of the book is the Penguin Modern Classics edition (ISBN 978-0-141-18522-4).
Please see our
Calendar of Events for a complete list of
Italy Reads activities.
To register as an official
Italy Reads 2011 participant, or to receive more information about
Italy Reads, please e-mail us at
italyreads@johncabot.edu or speak with Ms. Gina Spinelli at +39-06-68191223.
Participating teachers, students, libraries and book groups can attend a
Keynote Address by an expert on Carson McCullers and
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, watch the film adaptation of
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, attend a production of the stage adaptation of the novel by the
English Theatre of Rome, participate in
Student Exchanges, and compete in a
Student Video Contest.
Participating teachers can also attend a day-long
Italy Reads training workshop.
The Project Director for
Italy Reads 2011 is
Dr. Carlos Dews, Associate Professor of English and Chairperson of the Department of English Language and Literature.
ITALY READS ACTIVITIES
•
Keynote Address -- Participating teachers and their students will be invited to the Italy Reads Keynote Address delivered by Cathy Fussell, former Director of the Carson McCullers Center for Writers and Musicians, based at Columbus State University, in Carson McCullers's hometown of Columbus, Georgia. See the
Calendar of Events for details.
•
Film Screenings -- Participating teachers and their students will be invited to free screenings of the 1968 film adaptation of
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, starring Alan Arkin. See the
Calendar of Events for details.
•
Play Performances -- Participating teachers and their students will receive discounted tickets to the
English Theatre of Rome’s production of the stage adaptation of
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. See the
Calendar of Events for details.
•
Student Video Contest -- Students participating in
Italy Reads 2011 can enter a video contest to compete for significant cash prizes. See
Student Video Contest for details.
•
Student Exchanges -- John Cabot University students will be available to visit schools to lead discussions of the play in a student exchange program. Students of participating
Italy Reads 2011 teachers will also be invited to participate in discussions of the novel at the John Cabot University campus. Contact
Italy Reads 2011 at
italyreads@johncabot.edu or call Ms. Gina Spinelli at +39-06-681-91223 for details.
•
Teacher Training -- Participating teachers can take part in a day-long workshop about the novel and the use of the teaching materials gathered by
Italy Reads 2011. Contact
Italy Reads 2011 at
italyreads@johncabot.edu or call Ms. Gina Spinelli at +39-06-681-91223 for details.
•
Teaching Materials -- Through the
Italy Reads 2011 website and the JCU Frohring Library, teachers participating in
Italy Reads have access to a wealth of supplemental electronic materials related to the novel. See
Resources for details. Contact
Italy Reads 2011 at
italyreads@johncabot.edu or call Ms. Gina Spinelli at 06-681-91223 for details.
•
Books for Libraries -- Participating libraries can receive a limited number of free copies of
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. Contact
Italy Reads at
italyreads@johncabot.edu or call Ms. Gina Spinelli at 06-681-91223 for details.