A Politics of Emotions in the Italian Left: Gender, Consumtion, and Intimacy in Lorenza Mazzetti's Advice Columns and Novels, 1961-1969

MAURO PASQUALINI

The Italianist

Maney Publishing

Lugar: Leeds; Año: 2012 vol. 32 p. 415 - 436

0261-4340

In November 1961 the Communist illustrated weekly Vie Nuove launched anew column titled Chi dice donna, written thereafter by novelist and filmmakerLorenza Mazzetti (1928-). Over the next several years, Mazzetti?s columnsaddressed a broad array of issues mainly concerning intimate and personal advice,but also encompassing polemics on religion, intellectual debates on philosophicaland psychological issues, pieces of art criticism, and even humorous, quotidiananecdotes related to the author?s personal life. By generally responding to theletters from her male and female readers, and deploying a flexible use of Marxism,psychoanalysis, and existentialism, Mazzetti managed to carry out a skilful andintuitive appeal to emotions in order to address issues of family and sexuality,create a sense of community and intimacy with her readership, and combineher ideological outlook with personal and private matters. This article arguesthat Mazzetti?s strategy represented an original ?politics of emotions? by whichshe intervened in the world of affect and feeling in order to attack repressiveCatholic morality, as well as what she considered the problematic expansion ofAmericanized consumer culture among Italians. Mazzetti?s columns thereforeconstituted an attempt to develop a ?sentimental education? of her readers, aimedat developing a new sensibility with strong gendered and political implications.