February 25, 2022
We are sad to report that Professor Emeritus Leo Bersani died on February 20, 2022.
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Leo was first appointed to the Berkeley faculty in 1973, after having taught at Wellesley College (1957-1967) and Rutgers University (1967-1973). Already famous as a literary critic when he arrived at Berkeley, Leo elevated the French Department to international renown during his first term as Chair, from 1973 to 1982. He was the person responsible for inviting intellectuals such as Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida, Jean Laplanche, Gérard Genette, Tzvetan Todorov, and Monique Wittig for extended visits at the department. These years are affectionately known to many as the "Bersani years."
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