In Irresistible Signs, Paola Gambarota investigates the connection between Italian language and national identity over four hundred years, from late-Renaissance linguistic theories to nineteenth-century nationalist myths.

Paola Gambarota is an assistant professor in the Department of Italian at Rutgers University.

The MLA's Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione Publication Award for a Manuscript in Italian Literary Studies 2010 Selection Committee:
'A captivating dialogic approach invites the reader to consider the Italian discourse on language and the national body in relation to those by other European intellectuals from the 1600s through the 1800s, as well as to contemporary theories of the nation. Exhibiting an impressive command of theoretical work, Gambarota's discussions are exceptionally engaging and rich with insights that create new critical perspectives for a variety of fields of inquiry. This highly original work is a significant contribution within and beyond the sphere of Italian studies.'