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The J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board awarded University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa English Professor Cristina Bacchilega with a Fulbright teaching-research award to Naples, Italy, beginning in February. Bacchilega will teach a course, titled The Fantastic in Contemporary American Literature, at the Università di Napoli Orientale and conduct research on a recent fairy-tale film, The Tale of Tales. Most of her time will be devoted to masters-level students at LʻOrientale who, as part of the Dipartimento di Studi Letterari, Linguistici e Comparati, pursue American literature/studies within broader literary, linguistic and comparative frameworks.
During her four month stay, Bacchilega will also serve as a speaker and seminar leader at the OASIS-Orientale American Studies International School, a one-week summer institute at Università Orientale’s conference center on the island of Procida, off the coast of Naples. She has been invited to give lectures in Padova (Italy), Lausanne (Switzerland), Munich (Germany) and London (UK).
Bacchilega’s disciplines include fairy tale studies, folklore and literature, and cultural studies. In her teaching of American folklore, literature and film, she takes a transnational and interdisciplinary approach, seeking to open up an understanding of the fantastic that is not devoid of historical and political significance.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to share my work with students and colleagues in Europe,” said Bacchilega. “I am humbled by the honor and hope to represent the university, my department and my college with the distinction they richly deserve. My thanks to Jeff Carroll, LLL dean and former chair of English, and Laura E. Lyons, chair of English, for supporting me.”
Commented Dean Carroll, “Cristina and I have been colleagues for over 25 years. She has earned the respect of students and peers alike. Università di Napoli Orientale will thoroughly enjoy hosting her on both a personal and professional level. Ciao, Cristina.”