On this page you will find three of my written assignments from the class Music, Art, & Thought in Medici Florence.  As with my writing assignments in English 101H, I believe they get significantly better over time.  The first short essay required us to compare the patronage of the Medici family in Florence, Italy to the patronage of the arts in Cincinnati due to the Big Pig Gig in 2000.  I think that I brought up several good points, but I needed to develop each idea a little more fully and connect the ideas differently. The second short essay attached compares the cults of Savonarola in Florence to the Jim Jones cult of the 1970s.  I think I did a much better idea of developing my thesis and connecting my thoughts.  I found this topic to be very interesting and I believe that shows in my writing.  The final attached document is the research paper.  We were required to write a 10 page research paper on any topic relating to the class.  I choose to write about the food of Italy and how the unification and identity of Italy started from the massive food culture that grew out of the Renaissance.   I actually enjoyed doing the research and writing this paper.  I thought I would not be able to write anywhere near 10 pages about food, but it all came surprisingly easy.  I probably could have written more if time or the assignment had permitted.   The main issue I had with the research paper was making sure that my ideas always connected to one another and to my thesis; it is a difficult thing to do in a paper of that length.  Overall these writing assignments reflect my work from this class and the knowledge I gained while taking this very enjoyable class.  

 

• Comparing Medici Patronage and the Cincinnati Pig Gig

• Savanarola vs. Jim Jones

• Food and Unity in Italy March 2011