Professor Timothy Libretti has been teaching at NEIU since January 1996. He was originally hired as a part-time instructor and in the fall of 1996 became a full-time instructor of American literature. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, which he described as an “extraordinary experience,” and explains he studied under some of the best the university had to offer. Libretti mentions specifically Robin Kelley and Alan Wald among those he studied under, the latter which he characterizes as a great researcher who showed originality in his reconstruction of the experience of the U.S. ‘literary left.’
Wald no doubt influenced Libretti in his own research, which has a strong emphasis on defining working-class literature in the U.S. ‘Proletarian literature’ is typically associated with the 1930s, and Libretti says that he is “interested in studying proletarian literature outside that context and in different times.” His research is also concerned with working-class writers of color whose work is typically not studied in its working-class dimensions. In general, Libretti’s literary focus is on studying working class narratives in order to develop a more complex and historical understanding of class and class cultures.
Currently, Libretti is on the faculty senate. He says, “It is an interesting time to be in that position.” He is on the senate now because he is motivated to “direct energies towards cultivating a culture of academic freedom at the university.” He wants to “foster good working relationships between the faculty and the administration based on mutual respect for each other’s integrity.” Libretti is focused on helping to create a positive atmosphere for everyone at NEIU, and adds, “We need a culture of openness and free communication. Academic quality should be a priority.”
Libretti has recently been invited to the Consortium of Latin American Studies at Duke University and University of North Carolina. They asked him to speak about post-movement literature (referring to the Chicano movement of the 1960’s) Chicano and its relationship to Latin American indigenous literatures. He is in the process of guiding two books through publication; “The Making of an American Working Class Culture and Consciousness,” and an edited volume, “Exterminating Narratives: Identifying and Resisting the Cultural Logics of Genocide.” Libretti typically teaches American literature survey courses as well as a range of American literature and theory courses at the graduate and undergraduate level. At the moment, he is teaching the undergraduate course, Readings in Classic American Literature.
Anyone interested in contacting Dr. Libretti may do so by email at: T-Libretti@neiu.edu or drop by his office in the English Department, which is located in the Classroom Building, room number 2023.