Dr. Catherine Ramsey-Portolano, associate professor and program director of Italian Studies at AUR, has published a new book, Performing Bodies: Female Illness in Italian Literature and Cinema (1860-1920).
This publication explores how female illness was portrayed in Italian literature and early cinema and makes the case that being sick had its advantages - sometimes even offering the female protagonist a way to become the master not only of her body but also of her story and destiny.
Ramsey-Portolano, who is American, joined the full-time faculty at AUR in 2008. This is her third book and continues her doctorate research in Italian literature, gender studies and cinema.