Brian Tholl

Brian Tholl received his doctoral degree in Italian and a certificate in cinema studies from Rutgers University in 2020, where he focused on literary and filmic representations of antifascist exiles under Mussolini’s regime. His other research interests include biopolitics, political philosophy, and dystopia. At Penn State, he has taught both language courses and literature/culture courses. In the past, he served as the Director of the Penn State summer study abroad program in Todi, Italy.

Recent Publications:

• “Il mondo è meglio non vederlo che vederlo: Naples as Urban Dystopia in “Un paio di occhiali.” Interpreting Urban Spaces in Italian Culture, edited by Andrea Scapolo and Angela Porcarelli, Amsterdam University Press, 2022.
• “Italy Must Be Defended: Surveillance and Biopolitics in Una giornata particolare.” The Cinema of Ettore Scola, edited by Edward Bowen and Remi Lanzoni, Wayne State University Press, 2020.