Serenella Iovino's 'Gli animali di Calvino' explores Italo Calvino's ecological thought
Serenella Iovino, a professor at the University of North Carolina, has released 'Gli animali di Calvino. Storie dall'Antropocene' (Treccani, 2023), which explores Italo Calvino's views on ecology. Iovino posits that Calvino foresaw modern discussions surrounding antispeciesism and the Anthropocene, referencing his 1946 articles in L'Unità that highlighted humanity's obligations to animals. Additionally, Calvino tackled issues of environmental decline in his pieces for Il Politecnico and Corriere della Sera, particularly during the 1976 'summer of disasters.' His literary works, such as 'Il barone rampante' and 'Le città invisibili,' delve into themes of sustainability and the agency of non-human entities. Iovino characterizes Calvino's approach as 'non-anthropocentric humanism' and examines concepts of the Anthropocene, asserting that his writings confront 'othering' practices. The discussion was led by Edoardo Pelligra.
Key facts
- Serenella Iovino is professor of Italian and Environmental Studies at the University of North Carolina
- Book 'Gli animali di Calvino' published by Treccani in 2023
- Calvino wrote about animals and environment in 1946 on L'Unità
- Calvino commented on 1976 disasters (Seveso, Friuli earthquake) on Corriere della Sera
- Works analyzed include 'Il barone rampante', 'La speculazione edilizia', 'La nuvola di smog', 'Marcovaldo', 'La giornata d'uno scrutatore', 'Le città invisibili', 'Le Cosmicomiche'
- Iovino defines Calvino's humanism as 'non-anthropocentric'
- Chthulucene term coined by Donna Haraway
- Interview conducted by Edoardo Pelligra
Entities
Artists
- Italo Calvino
- Serenella Iovino
- Donna Haraway
- Franco Cassano
- Edoardo Pelligra
Institutions
- University of North Carolina
- Treccani
- L'Unità
- Il Politecnico
- Corriere della Sera
- Artribune
Locations
- Sanremo
- Italy
- Seveso
- Friuli
- Turin
- Catania
- London
- Rome