Annelise Brody received her laurea from the University of Bologna and her Ph.D. from The Johns Hopkins University. Her main area of interest is in the literature of the Middle Ages, with a specific focus on Petrarch, Dante, and Boccaccio. In particular, she investigates the relationships between literature, ethics and religion, extending her research to the writings of the Church fathers and how their influence has shaped such texts as the Canzoniere and the Decameron. She also has a second area of specialization in Italian cinema and has taught courses on Italian Neorealism and modern Italian cinema. She is a native of the Emilia Romagna region of northern Italy.