"The New Avant-Garde in Italy provides a comprehensive analysis of the theoretical tenets that inform the works of the neoavanguardia and shows how they are applied to the poetic practices of its authors. The neoavanguardia cannot, Picchione argues, be defined as a movement with a unified program expressed in the form of manifestos or shared theoretical principles. Irreconcilable internal conflicts within the movement resulted in a split between two main blocs - one tied to the project of modernity, the other to postmodern aesthetic postures. This study explores some of the contentious views proposed by the neoavanguardia and demonstrates how they anticipated a wide range of issues that are of continuing importance today."--BOOK JACKET.