The ancient Campo dei Fiori (field of flowers) is one of the most well-known places in Europe, where residents of Rome shop at booths and stores and socialize in the afternoons and evenings.

Morning life on the ancient Campo dei Fiori (field of flowers) is predominantly local as residents of Rome shop the canopied booths of flowers, vegetables, fresh fish and meat. Then the booths come down for the afternoons and evenings, when Romans and tourists from throughout the world converge on the Campo to drink, to eat gelato, to talk in English, European, and Asian languages, and to look each other over. It’s a multi-cultural terrarium the size of a football field. And looming over it is the dark statue of Giordano Bruno, burned here at the stake in 1600 for his heretical views.

The fall, 2007 course takes as its texts two movies, a novel, a memoir, and historical and cultural research sources to illuminate the human experience of multi-culturalism.

In four papers, students will explore these works:
1. The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (movie)
2. The Kite Runner (novel)
3. Lipstick Jihad (memoir)
4. Babel (movie)

A final paper, A Writer's Reflection, will introduce the portfolio