About

Pietro Frassica, a native of Italy, earned his Ph.D. in Italian literature from Boston College in 1976 and has taught at Princeton University since that year. His academic interests include Italian literature of the Renaissance, interdisciplinary relations between literary and visual traditions in the eighteenth century, contemporary literature, theater, and gastronomy in literature. He is the author of more than eighty published articles covering every century of Italian literary history, and his books include critical editions and studies such as Chroniche de la città de Anchona, A Marta Abba per non morire, Romanzo europeo tra Otto e Novecento, Caro Maestro, and Varianti e invarianti dell’evocazione. Additionally, he has edited several volumes on Italian literary figures and themes, including Primo Levi as Witness, Studi di filologia e letteratura italiana, and La Cucina Futurista. Frassica has been recognized with the 2006 Val di Comino Prize for his work and has been appointed by the Italian government as an editor of the Edizione Nazionale of the works of Parini. His teaching includes seminars on courtly literature of the Italian Renaissance, major authors of fiction in the 20th century, and Pirandello’s theater. Recently, he has expanded his cultural studies to include literary texts related to gastronomy, teaching courses such as 'The Literature of Gastronomy' and 'Italy: The Land of Slow Food.' His current projects include a forthcoming book on Pirandello’s collaboration with Marta Abba and her career in America, as well as a long-term project examining the relationship between Parini’s poetry and the visual arts.

Research topics

• Art
• Humanities
• Geography
• History
• Philosophy

Selected publications

• Aleramo-Pirandello, un'amicizia non proprio fortunata

  2019-01-01

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Ulysses’ fantastic voyage, from Dante to Walcott

  2019-07-23

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding

  According to Plato, the first things we tell children are myths, and this job falls to mothers and nurses. A myth is comprised of information shared by both the narrator and the audience, and very often, the role of the narrator is passed down to the audience. This role reversal is essential to the passing down of myths. Therefore, every story is “authentic” because the act of narration confers authority. To modern times, the Greek myths have been able to take on different shapes and even different divinities, acquiring many different forms in each culture. The gods and heroes have thus provided us with a store of metaphors and allegories that find their way into the arts, poetry, and music. When Virgil invites Ulysses to reveal his story, Ulysses recounts the last feat that led to his death. The reality of poetry is not that of the facts, but that of vision.

  PublisherDOI

• Pinocchio e Geppetto, nuove voci dei media americani

  Rivista di letteratura italiana · 2018-01-01

  article1st authorCorresponding
  Publisher

• CHAPTER 1. Authors, Texts, and Innovat ive Movements: An Overview of the Italian Theatrical Canon

  Yale University Press eBooks · 2017-12-31

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Soggetti per artisti

  2016-01-01

  article1st authorCorresponding
  Publisher

• I linguaggi del futurismo : atti del convegno internazionale di studi, (Macerata, 15-17 dicembre 2010)

  2013-01-01

  book
  Publisher

• I soggetti per pittori : qualche riscontro

  2011-01-01

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Gli 'alleati' di Saba

  Rivista di letteratura italiana · 2008-01-01

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Picnic in pineta

  2007-01-01

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• La cucina futurista

  2007-01-01 · 4 citations

  bookOpen accessSenior author

  La cucina futurista / F. T. Marinetti e Fillìa - Milano : Sonzogno, stampa 1932 - 267 p., [2] c. di tav. : ill. ; 19 cm.

  OA PDF

Frequent coauthors

• Antonio Carrara

  3 shared

• Charles Klopp

  The Ohio State University

  1 shared

• Brooke Holmes

  1 shared

• Kelly Eggers

  1 shared

• Mary Harper

  1 shared

• J. F. Stephens

  1 shared

• Luigi Pirandello

  1 shared

• Florent It

  1 shared

Awards & honors

• 2006 Val di Comino Prize for Varianti e invarianti dell’evoc…
• Appointed by the Italian government as an editor of the Ediz…