Writing in Italy - summer at the Umbra Institute

Perugia, Italy

Dates and Deadlines

Term:

Summer

Start Date

5/18/2023

End Date

6/24/2023

Deadline

3/1/2023

Note from Advisor:

PLEASE CONTACT FACULTY LEADER FOR APPROVAL BEFORE APPLYING ON THIS SITE. Students will need to complete an application through the UMBRA institute before moving forward.

Information

Area of Study:

Creative Writing, English, History

Program Type:

Faculty-Led

Language of Instruction:

English

GPA:

2.0

Language Prerequisite:

No previous language experience required (classes offered in English)

Advisor Name:

Sara Gutierrez

Faculty Name:

Teresa Cutler-Broyles

Advisor Email:

flip@unm.edu

Faculty Email:

teresa_cutler@comcast.net

Overview

ENG / FSST 358: Writing Italian Food

Course Description

This exciting, 3-credit class combines the history and customs of food, olive oil, and wine in Perugia and the surrounding region, with food writing and travel. We’ll start by exploring a small portion of the history of Italian food and wine, with a specific focus on Perugia and the wider Umbrian area. Through readings, discussions, participant observation, conversations and interviews with local food producers, tour operators and writers, we will learn how the world is interconnected via our traditions and culture around food. Additionally, we will discuss the effects of globalization, and how that all is reflected back into daily life, food (and other consumable) choices, as we examine subjects as diverse as the origin of pasta and how it carries with it cultural identity, the tradition of the aperitivo, the arrival of coffee in Italy along with its subsequent growth in popularity and its effect on religion and education, the slow food and natural food movements, and more.

In conjunction with this historical approach, the class includes visits to restaurants, vineyards, cheese-makers, and olive groves in and near Perugia.

The writing portion of the class will focus on: the elements of good writing; the crafting of an effective and compelling article; techniques and special skills specific to writing about food; techniques and approaches to research papers; and the areas of publication for online and print venues for those who are interested.

Course Objectives

The purpose of this class is to introduce you to the intricate and surprising history of regional foods in Italy as you learn the importance of food as a mode of identity-formation in Perugia, Italy, and, by extrapolation, your own families. Our focus on writing and the analysis of others’ written word will teach you how to become not just great food writers, but informed and discerning writers in general.

Vertical Tabs

Academics

This course will ask students to:

Develop writing skills on a number of levels to include: basic grammar, syntax, punctuation, tense and voice, style, reader engagement, the hook, the conclusion; focusing written work to a particular market;
Develop skills in magazine and article analysis;
Read, critically explore, and write about aspects of Italian history;
Learn new ways to visit historical sites that are informed by historical knowledge and others’ insights, and that generate questions as well as appreciation;
Demonstrate how history and tradition inform many of today's Italian customs, food production, consumption and expectations.

Students can receive UNM credit. Transcripts are provided from Umbra and will be applicable to a number of areas: English, International Studies, Food and Sustainability Studies, or an elective.

Course Material Available electronically, and as a course reader for those interested; links will be provided in the course syllabus.

Location

Location/Itinerary

This class will take place in Perugia, Italy. Perugia is in the center of Italy, with easy access to cities such as Rome, Florence, Venice and more via train or bus.

There are no planned or scheduled trips outside of Perugia.

The class will run for five weeks, two days each week.

Each class period will start with a short lecture, a discussion of the theories and ideas presented in the readings you will have done for that day, and some writing.

Part two of each class will be an adventure in town such as a visit to a local cafe, a walk to a local community garden, a trip on the mini-metro to visit one of the local food markets, a visit to a museum, cathedral, or otherwise specified.

You will keep a food blog for the five weeks, and your final project will be a research paper and an interview of a local farmer, restaurant owner, chocolate maker, olive grove owner or other person of your choice.

We will show two films during the five weeks.

We will visit DiFilipp winery for a required field trip.

We will have one guest lecturer

All lectures and in-class work will be in the classroom at the Umbra Institute

Topics will include:

What is Food Writing and Why is it Important?

Why We Write What We Eat.

Food Myths/Food Traditions/Invented History.

Food as Community/Distinguishing Flavors/Your Sweet is my Sour.

Food as Health/Food as Pleasure.

Beauty and Food/Food as Divider.

Food as Identity/Methods of Eating/We Are What We Eat?

Markets/Shopping/Slow Food/Why it Matters.

The final week you will bring a draft of your final paper to class where discussion will focus on your concerns with your project.

Housing

Housing is included in the price and is provided by the Umbra Institute based on student questionnaire. Students will be housed with two or three other students from UNM in an apartment in the center of town, less than 15 minutes walk from the school. The apartments will have access to washing machines, and will have linens and towels, dishes and so on provided. Students will be given keys to their apartments on the first full day after their arrival. The first night students will spend in a hotel where a welcome dinner will be provided.

Links

The Umbra Institute main page is here: http://www.umbra.org/

On this site you will find a number of videos starring students from around the country, including many from UNM.

Costs

Program Cost

The cost will be approximately $4000 to the Umbra Institute. This will cover your class tuition and registration, transfer of credits to UNM, housing, and laundry facilities.

This cost does not cover airfare or meals.

A definitive budget is difficult to calculate based on the fact that much of it is based on student habits. A rough budget for the 5 weeks follows:

Food - this is entirely dependent on spending habits of students and whether they cook or go to restaurants, and which kind of restaurants they go to. Food is less expensive that it is in Albuquerque in general, so a food budget should take that into account.

Travel to Italy: This also is dependent on student choices. Flights to Rome are typically $800-$1600, depending on when they are purchased, how long the trip is and how many layovers it includes.

Travel in country: Trains to Rome or Florence are approximately 50 euros round trip for a day trip. Flights to various locations, should a student choose to visit England or France, for instance, are inexpensive from the Rome or Perugia airport, i.e., between 20 - 120 euros.

Class expenses - included in the tuition except for a 90 euro field trip fee.

Scholarships are available: http://studyabroad.unm.edu/section/funding-and-scholarships. Specifically the Regents' Internatonal Study Grant.

Student Payments

Deposit of $500 will be due by April 30, 2022

Final payment is due to the Umbra institute by May 15, 2022

Students will make payments via a link sent from the Umbra Institute upon registration