Carla A. Simonini received a Ph.D. in Italian Studies from Brown University. Her research interests include 20th century and contemporary Italian literature and constructs of italianità in American and Italian American literature, which was the subject of her doctoral dissertation. She has taught at Brown University, the University of Rhode Island and Skidmore College and Youngstown State University, where she coordinated the Italian program and taught courses on Italian language, culture, and literature as well as courses on Italian American literature. She is currently the founding director and Paul and Ann Rubino Associate Professor of Italian American Studies at Loyola University Chicago.