Letters from Prison

vember: Geography (30), November 12: Linguistics (30 with honors), Greek and Latin grammar (27).

1913 He applied himself to an intense life of study, attending numerous courses at the Faculty of Letters and Law during the 1912-13 academic year, taught by Arturo Farinelli, Pietro Toesca, Luigi Einaudi, Francesco Ruffini, etc. Due to his precarious health, however, he was unable to prepare for any exams.

October. From Ghilarza, G. sent his membership to the "Anti-protectionist Action and Propaganda Group" promoted in Sardinia by Attilio Deffenu and Nicolò Fancello. G.'s adherence appeared in Prezzolini's "La Voce" on October 9. In Sardinia, he witnessed the electoral battle in view of the first universal suffrage elections (October 26 - November 2) and was struck by the transformations produced in that environment by the participation of the peasant masses in political life. He wrote to his friend Tasca about it. In the following months, he had his first contacts with the Turin socialist movement, particularly with the youth of the "Fascio centrale," according to the testimony of Tasca himself. G.'s registration with the Turin section likely dates to this period.

1914 In the spring, he passed the following exams: March 28: Moral Philosophy (25), April 2: Modern History (27), April 18: Greek Literature (24). — He read "La Voce" by Prezzolini and "l'Unità" by Salvemini assiduously, and together with some friends, he planned to found a magazine of socialist life. He supported the initiative to offer Gaetano Salvemini the candidacy for the IV College (Borgo San Paolo) of Turin. G. stood alongside the advanced groups of workers and students (socialists, libertarians, etc.) who formed the revolutionary left faction in Turin and took active part in the great workers' demonstration of June 9, during the "Red Week."

October. He intervened in the debate on the position of the P.S.I. Italian Socialist Party regarding the war with the article (signed) Active and Operant Neutrality ("Il Grido del popolo," October 31), in polemic with Tasca, who favored "absolute neutrality." — On November 11, he passed the exam in Neo-Latin Literatures (27). In December, Professor Bartoli reported to the presidency of the Albertina Foundation that "the young man is periodically subject to nervous crises that prevent him from attending to his studies with the due alacrity."

1915 In the winter of 1914-15, he attended Annibale Pastore's course on Theoretical Philosophy, who also gave him some private lessons. On April 12, he took the exam in Italian Literature. It would be his last exam. From that moment on, G. abandoned the University, although at least until '18, he seemed not to renounce the intention of graduating in linguistics.