Newsletter - International Gramsci Society

3. “Cara Tania, Cara Julca, Caro Censore: Censorship and the Writing Strategy in Gramsci’s
Lettere dal carcere”
Barbara Zaczeck (University of Oregon; Dept. of Comparative Literature)
This paper examined how the ubiquitous presence of the censor affected Gramsci’s
correspondence, and what strategies Gramsci applied to make his letters conform to the
guidelines of censorship and thus to ensure their smooth passage through the intricate
machinery of the prison system. The paper studies also the hypothesis that Gramsci
occasionally used the censor as a scapegoat, a writing device that allowed him to justify
omissions and inexplicable silences in the correspondence with his wife.
4. “The Analysis of Feelings in Gramsci’s Prison Letters”
Frank Rosengarten (Queens College—City University of New York)
This paper dealt with six of Gramsci’s prison letters from the years 1929, 1930, and
1931for the purpose of illustrating some of the ways in which he tried to make his feelings
known to his wife Giulia, his sister-in-law Tania Schucht, and his mother Giuseppina.
Professor Rosengarten concludes that Gramsci’s letters are extraordinarily revealing not only
for their intellectual content but also in their emotional color, their analysis and expression of
feelings through a wide gamut of rhetorical strategies.
*
The program of the volksuni ’93 held on 28-31 May 1993, as usual, in Berlin (this
was the 14th year of the Berliner volksuniversität and all its activities took place at Humboldt
University) included a number of presentations and discussions centred on Gramsci’s thought
and work. One entire session was devoted to a discussion on the topic: “Was ist Tot, was
Lebendig am Denken von Antonio Gramsci?”—chaired by Wolfgang Fritz Haug with the
participation of Giorgio Barattta, Joseph Buttigieg, and Georges Labica. A large crowd
attended the ceremony at which the Wolfgang Abendroth Prize was awarded to
editors/translators of the German critical edition of the Prison Notebooks. The speakers on
that occasion included Walter Jens, Frank Deppe, and Joseph Buttigieg, in addition to the two
principal co-ordinators of the edition of the Gefängnishefte, Klaus Bochmann and Wolfgang
F. Haug. Also during the volksuni, Giogio Baratta presented his new documentary film on
Gramsci “New York e il mistero di Napoli.” In addition, Joseph Buttigieg delivered a lecture
on ”Philology and Politics in the Interpretation of the Quaderni” and Renate Holub spoke
on “Differenzpragmatik und Gramsci.”
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