Literature Talk: The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio

Join University of San Diego Professor Brittany Asaro for a stimulating discussion of "The Decameron" written in 1348 by Giovanni Boccaccio and set in Florence, Italy during the Black Death (1346-1353) which killed 75 to 200 million in Europe and Asia. In the book, ten young Florentines retreat into self-isolation for two weeks in the countryside and pass the time by telling stories, resulting in 100 stories. Many of the stories are amusing. Some are sad. None are about the plague.

What does a 700-year-old book set during the deadliest pandemic recorded in human history have to say about the Covid-19 pandemic and the social upheavals it has brought about? Why does "The Decameron" resonate so powerfully during our own current moment in time?

Click HERE to also attend the Book Launch of the San Diego Decameron Project Anthology on March 21.