These animals speak directly to us, the human readers, stir us up with the denunciation of our destruction of the environment, move us with their resemblance to us and humble us with their superior wisdom and self-mockery.

Animals have always understood that mankind is not fully at home in the world. Bestiaries, hoping to teach, send out warnings. This one, of course, aims at doing the same.

This supplementary text for elementary to intermediate courses in Italian is structured around stimulating discussions of ten contemporary Italian films, among them Cinema Paradiso, La vita e bella, Mediterraneo, and Il postino. With a chapter devoted to each movie, the book effectively fosters a deeper understanding of both Italian language and culture, and it is adaptable for any level of language instruction. Italian Through Film features: Films that are easily available from school video libraries or from video stores; Pre-viewing, viewing, and post-viewing activities appropriate to the various films in each chapter; Grammar review, vocabulary in context, listening comprehension, cultural and historical background, and discussion questions for language practice; Exercises ranging in difficulty from elementary to highly sophisticated that are designed to enhance students' vocabulary and cultural awareness as well as oral and written skills; Boxed sections that provide information about the movie, director, plot, and certain cultural aspects specific to each movie; Lists of Internet-based activities that expand aspects of each movie by exploring Italian websites.

Guittone d'Arezzo (ca. 1230-1294) was the most important, prolific, and influential poet and prose writer of the thirteenth century. Unfortunately, his work has been overshadowed by his successor; the more learned and gifted Dante Alighieri. The poems and prose included in this volume are emblematic of the two phases of Guittone's career: he first achieved fame as a secular love poet but following his conversion in the 1260s he became a renowned religious poet. Guittone's artistic reputation commanded the highest respect. Even Dante's beloved Guinizzelli and Cavalcanti never enjoyed any such fame in their lifetime. Antonello Borra presents a critical introduction to Guittone's works with a selection of his poems and letters in facing-page Italian and English translation. While Dante repeatedly condemned Guittone, recent scholarship has re-evaluated his importance and placed his work in the context of his predecessors, the Proven al troubadours and the poets of the Sicilian school. This latest volume in the Lorenzo Da Ponte Italian Library contains the first significant edition of Guittone's works available in English translation.

"Trame: A Contemporary Italian Reader" brings together short stories, poems, interviews, excerpts from movie scripts and novels, and other works by 33 renowned authors. The readings cover familiar themes--youth, family, immigration, politics, women's voices, identity--from the fresh perspective of a new generation of Italian writers. By presenting a rich array of materials and many points of view, "Trame"highlights the cultural complexity of contemporary Italy. Each text is accompanied by a diverse selection of activities and exercises that help students read authentic texts and build their language skills. These include: - pre-reading activities that introduce important themes;- vocabulary lists with definitions in Italian;- writing exercises;- post-reading activities in discussion and analysis. With its range of readings and exercises, "Trame" is designed to be easily adaptable to instructors' different needs and class levels. It is ideally suited to high-intermediate and advanced Italian language and culture courses.