PhD, New York University. Tamis-Nasello's research area is Italian colonial cinema, with a focus on the ethnographic component in 1930s feature films. Her article, entitled “Kif tebbi: visions of colonial Libya in novel and film,” appeared in the Journal of Romance Studies. “Re-Imagining the Colonial Landscape: Notions of Faith, Healing, and Prestige in Goffredo Alessandrini’s Abuna Messias” was published in Italica. Her review of “If Only I Were That Warrior,” Valerio Ciriaci’s award-winning documentary film on Italian colonial war crimes, was published in Italian American Review.Tamis-Nasello is an adjunct associate professor of Italian at the Fashion Institute of Technology, SUNY. She recently taught a course at FIT, entitled “Rome: the eternal city,” in which students explored varying perspectives of the city of Rome—from its founding to the present day—through history, literature, cinema, art, tourism, fashion, and the like. She also led the short-term study abroad program in Florence, Italy, for five years; served as a member of FIT’s Diversity Council & Outreach Subcommittee; and is an LGBTQ+ Safe Zone Ally. SLC, 2023–
Previous Courses
Italian
Beginning Italian: Viaggio in Italia
Open, Seminar—Year
This course, for students with no previous knowledge of Italian, aims at giving the student a complete foundation in the Italian language with particular attention to oral and written communication and all aspects of Italian culture. The course will be conducted in Italian after the first month and will involve the study of all basic structures of the language—phonological, grammatical, and syntactical—with practice in conversation, reading, composition, and translation. In addition to material covering basic Italian grammar, students will be exposed to fiction, poetry, songs, articles, recipe books, and films. Group conferences (held once a week) aim at enriching the students’ knowledge of Italian culture and developing their ability to communicate. This will be achieved by readings that deal with current events and topics relative to today’s Italian culture. Activities in pairs or groups, along with short written assignments, will be part of the group conference. In addition to class and the group conferences, the course has a conversation component in regular workshops with the language assistant. Conversation classes are held twice a week (in small groups) and will center on the concept of viaggio in Italia: a journey through the regions of Italy through cuisine, cinema, art, opera, and dialects. The Italian program organizes trips to the Metropolitan Opera and relevant exhibits in New York City, as well as the possibility of experiencing Italian cuisine firsthand as a group. The course is for a full year, by the end of which students will attain a basic competence in all aspects of the language.
Faculty
Intermediate Italian: Modern Italian Culture and Literature
Intermediate, Seminar—Year
Prerequisite: one year of college-level Italian or equivalent
This course aims at improving and perfecting the students’ speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills, as well as their knowledge of Italy’s contemporary culture and literature. In order to acquire the necessary knowledge of Italian grammar, idiomatic expressions, and vocabulary, a review of all grammar will be carried out throughout the year. As an introduction to modern Italian culture and literature, students will be introduced to a selection of short stories, poems, and passages from novels, as well as specific newspaper articles, music, and films in the original language. Some of the literary works will include selections from Umberto Eco, Italo Calvino, Natalia Ginzburg, Gianni Rodari, Marcello D’Orta, Clara Sereni, Dino Buzzati, Stefano Benni, Antonio Tabucchi, Alberto Moravia, Achille Campanile, and Elena Ferrante. In order to address the students’ writing skills, written compositions will be required as an integral part of the course. All material is accessible on MySLC. Conferences are held on a biweekly basis; topics might include the study of a particular author, literary text, film, or any other aspect of Italian society and culture that might be of interest to the student. Conversation classes (in small groups) will be held twice a week with the language assistant, during which students will have the opportunity to reinforce what they have learned in class and hone their ability to communicate in Italian. When appropriate, students will be directed to specific internship opportunities, in the New York City area, centered on Italian language and culture.