What is evil? Is it a force that lives outside us? Or something that dwells within? And how do we recognize it? Professor Rebecca Messbarger joins Jacke to discuss the problems of seeing evil and the particular ways that post-Fascist Italian writers dealt with the dilemma. We also hear the story of how a mild-mannered Italian professor’s scholarly research eventually led to her roaming the Internet in an attempt to purchase a cadaver.

Books Discussed:

The Lady Anatomist: The Life and Work of Anna Morandi Manzolini by Rebecca Messbarger

Alabama Moon by Watt Key

Mr. Palomar by Italo Calvino

That Awful Mess on the Via Merulana by Carlo Emilio Gadda

Todo Modo by Leonardo Sciascia

Family Sayings by Natalia Ginzburg

Show Notes:

You can find more literary discussion at jackewilson.com and more episodes of the series at historyofliterature.com.

Contact the host at jackewilsonauthor@gmail.com or by leaving a voicemail at 1-361-4WILSON (1-361-494-5766).

Music Credits:

“Handel – Entrance to the Queen of Sheba” by Advent Chamber Orchestra (From the Free Music Archive / CC by SA).

“Spy Glass” and “Bushwick Tarantella Loop” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

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43 Seeing Evil (with Professor Rebecca Messbarger) 01:13:57 Share

The History of Literature

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43 Seeing Evil (with Professor Rebecca Messbarger)