'Conglomerati. Andrea Zanzotto's
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‘Conglomerati. Andrea Zanzotto’s Poetic Clusters’ An Interdisciplinary Conference University of Oxford 8–9 March 2021 Andrea Zanzotto’s poetry (Pieve di Soligo, 1921–Conegliano, 2011) stands out both in Italy and internationally for its intellectual rigour and stylistic inventiveness. According to Zanzot- to, poetry is a very peculiar alphabet whereby poets can question the world well beyond the limits of writing. While celebrating the centenary of the poet’s birth, this conference seeks to elicit discussion on the multi-faceted importance of Zanzotto’s writing and thought, and on the numerous strands of its legacy, both within and beyond the intellectual European canon. Not only is Conglomerati the title of his last published collection, but it also represents a central and recurring metaphor in his work. In geological terminology,‘conglomerate’ refers to composed fragments of pre-existing rocks that have cemented together. For Zanzotto, it designates a mixture of various elements clustered in one single linguistic entity without making a coher- ent whole. Such elements derive from various disciplines, languages, and traditions. Each element remains individual while also gaining a new metaphorical significance within the all-encompassing structure. The ensuing spectrum of gnoseological options is encyclopaedic, bringing forward a never-ending idea of modernity. Zanzotto’s vast production reveals a unique connection with the present. According to his interpretation, poetry is not only a linguistic medium but must also be read as an ‘event’. On the one hand, this characteristic of Andrea Zanzotto’s poetic thought has a deep connection with the past and the roots of modern thought; on the other hand, it provides an instrument for exploring the future, propelling the reader to investigate seemingly unpoetic fields, such as ecology, psychology, and sociology. Poetry, in this sense, is able to live anchored with solid roots in the past while it also aspires to act as an instrument apt for the investigation of the future. Papers may address, but are in no way limited to, the relationship between Andrea Zanzotto’s thought and the following areas: • Languages and Literatures (presence, heritage, and function of Classical, Eastern, and Modern literatures in Zanzotto’s work; Zanzotto’s translations); • Linguistics and Semiotics (Mikhail Bakhtin, Roman Jakobson, Noam Chomsky; Zanzotto’s multilingualism) • Psychoanalysis and Psycho-criticism (Sigmund Freud, Charles Mauron, Jacques Lacan, Jean Laplanche, Jean-Bertrand Pontalis, Cesare Musatti, Ronald Laing, Stefano Agosti); • Continental and Analytic Philosophy (Friedrich Nietzsche, Ernst Bloch, Ludwig Wittgen- stein, Martin Heidegger); • Sociology, Ecology, and Eco-criticism (Pierre Bourdieu, André Leroi-Gourhan, Georges Bataille, Pierre Francastel); • Cinema and Media Studies (Pier Paolo Pasolini, Bernardo Bertolucci, Nelo Risi, Domenico Naldini, Federico Fellini, Stanley Kubrick); • Arts and Applied Arts (Armando Pizzinato, Guido Guidi, Antonio Zancanaro, Giuseppe Zigania, Augusto Murer, Emilio Vedova, Mirco De Stefani, Giosetta Fioroni). Confirmed Keynote speakers Prof Gian Maria Annovi (University of Southern California) Prof Stefano Dal Bianco (University of Siena) Prof John P. Welle (University of Notre Dame) Prof Nicola Gardini (University of Oxford) The poet Giovanna Frene will be reading a selection of Andrea Zanzotto's poems at the end of the conference Organising Committee Dr Adele Bardazzi (Laming Research Fellow at The Queen’s College, University of Oxford) Roberto Binetti (DPhil Candidate in Medieval and Modern Languages and Graduate Development Scholar at St Anne’s College, University of Oxford) Prof Nicola Gardini (Professor of Italian and Comparative Literature at Keble College, University of Oxford) Scientific Committee Prof Gian Maria Annovi (University of Southern California) Prof Andrea Afribo (University of Padua) Prof Alberto Bertoni (University of Bologna) Prof Stefano Dal Bianco (University of Siena) Prof Nicola Gardini (University of Oxford) Dr Francesco Giusti (Bard College, Berlin) Prof Peter Hainsworth (University of Oxford) Prof Thomas Harrison (University of California, Los Angeles) Prof Lucia Re (University of California, Los Angeles) Prof Jennifer Scappettone (University of Chicago) Prof Emanuela Tandello (University of Oxford) Prof John P. Welle (University of Notre Dame) Prof Emanuele Zinato (University of Padua) We encourage proposals for presentations of twenty minutes in English. Those interested in participating in this conference should send an abstract of 300 words, including title, and, on a separate file, the presenter’s name and contact details, along with a brief biographical profile to [email protected] and [email protected] by 15 June 2020. Abstracts will be evaluated by the scientific committee and results of acceptance will be communicated by August 2020. We will be pursuing options for a publication of proceedings from this conference. Updates about the conference will be shared through its Twitter account: https://twitter.com/AndreaZanzotto With all best wishes, The Organisers Adele Bardazzi, Roberto Binetti, and Nicola Gardini.