Joseph Luzzi

Joseph Luzzi is a scholar and author specializing in Italian literature, art history, and cultural studies. He holds a PhD from Yale University and teaches Comparative Literature and Italian Studies at Bard College. His acclaimed works include "Botticelli’s Secret: The Lost Drawings and the Rediscovery of the Renaissance," named one of the New Yorker’s Best Books of 2022, and "In a Dark Wood: What Dante Taught Me About Grief, Healing, and the Mysteries of Love," a Vanity Fair "Must-Read" translated into multiple languages. His debut book, "Romantic Europe and the Ghost of Italy," won the MLA’s Scaglione Prize for Italian Studies, while "My Two Italies" was selected as a New York Times Editors’ Choice.

Luzzi’s writing explores themes of Renaissance art, Dantean scholarship, and personal narratives intertwined with Italian cultural history. His public-facing essays have appeared in prominent publications such as the New York Times, TLS, and Los Angeles Times. Recognized for his contributions to humanities scholarship, he has received a National Endowment for the Humanities Public Scholars Award, a Wallace Fellowship at Harvard’s Villa I Tatti, and a National Humanities Center Fellowship. His forthcoming works include a new translation of Dante’s "Vita Nuova" and the study "Dante’s 'Divine Comedy': A Biography," slated for publication in 2024.