Leonardo F. Lisi

Leonardo F. Lisi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Comparative Thought and Literature at Johns Hopkins University. His research focuses on European literature and philosophy from the 18th to early 20th centuries, emphasizing the interplay between literary forms and philosophical aesthetics. He is the author of two major books: Marginal Modernity: The Aesthetics of Dependency from Kierkegaard to Joyce (2013) and Modern Tragedy and the End of Worlds: Lillo, Leopardi, Ibsen (forthcoming 2026). His work examines how modernist texts challenge conventional aesthetic frameworks through dependency-based structures, tracing influences from Scandinavian authors like Kierkegaard and Ibsen to Joyce. Lisi’s scholarship bridges literary analysis with philosophy, addressing themes of tragedy, modernity’s materialist foundations, and the Anthropocene’s existential challenges. He has published extensively on figures such as Ibsen, Kierkegaard, Strindberg, and Leopardi, exploring topics including nihilism, existential doubt, and the evolution of tragic form. Lisi currently serves as executive editor of the comparative literature issue of MLN and has held leadership roles in academic societies like the Ibsen Society of America. His teaching spans courses on comparative literature, modern drama, and the philosophy of tragedy.