In high school, I had a friend from band who was a year ahead of me. My junior year, his senior year, we would pass each other in the hall almost every day between fourth and fifth period, and almost every day he'd stop to give me a hug. He wasn't more than a few... Continue Reading →
The Princess Bride is a Greek Novel: Part Two
Another full-length blog post on the Greek novels and The Princess Bride?? Inconceivable! Last week we talked about the frame narrative, historical past setting, pirate encounters and fake deaths, false identities and disguises, and the episodic plot that are all common to both this late 80s favorite and the ancient Greek romance novels. Today we finish... Continue Reading →
The Princess Bride is actually an ancient Greek novel.
Lest any of you think I am trying to stir drama: I am not saying that William Goldman, author of The Princess Bride, plagiarized his whole delightful book. I am saying that the general story, as laid out by Grandpa in the opening of the 1987 movie adaptation, has been around forever: "fencing, fighting, torture,... Continue Reading →
Half a Bee, Philosophically*
*must, ipso facto, half not-bee. Minoan bee-goddess Melissa/Mellona, Wikimedia Commons If you have studied much Egyptian, Greek, or Roman literature, you've probably noticed that the ancient Mediterranean folks loved bees. Like, really loved bees. The earliest evidence of apiculture (bee-keeping) comes from ancient Egypt, circa 2500 BCE, where honey was produced at temples and the... Continue Reading →
Grad School in the Time of Corona
Pardon my French, but what a shit storm of a week it's been. The spread and severity of COVID-19 has taken many of us, as individuals and as institutions, by surprise. Here in the Heartland, far from the coasts where infection rates are higher, we thought we'd be insulated for a while. Spoiler alert: we... Continue Reading →
With A Little Help From My Friends
My cohort rejoiced last Spring when all three of us passed our PhD comprehensive exams. We were ABD! We were finally free to read only what we wanted to read! But that joy quickly turned to melancholy as the Fall semester plodded on and we saw each other less and less, each of us immersed... Continue Reading →
Ancient Exchanges is here!
If you translate and/or teach ancient literature and/or create original artwork, I have news for you! Here at the University of Iowa, my friend Adrienne Rose has spearheaded the creation of a new journal devoted to literary translations of ancient texts: Ancient Exchanges. Each issue will feature side-by-side English translations and translator's notes, as well... Continue Reading →
Your Holiday Gift Guide for that Special Graduate Student in Your Life
It's that time of year again: along with all the delights of holiday treats and festive music and tacky sweaters come awkward conversations with your family and friends who don't know how to ask you how your graduate program is going, but still feel obligated to do so. In an ideal world, Uncle Tim will... Continue Reading →
Living on a Grad Student Budget
"Three to five weeks" - originally published 4/13/2011 It is all too easy for graduate students to reach a financial breaking point. No matter our field, we are all overworked and underpaid, even those of us who are lucky enough to be funded with assistantships and covered by university health insurance (thanks, union!). Focusing on... Continue Reading →
These Words Are Why English Can’t Have Nice Things
It is a truth generally acknowledged that English, as a second language, is both easy and impossible. The simplistic structure and minimal inflection of English make it easy to string together basic sentences without much training or practice. But English is also a mish-mash of different language families, which makes for frequent confusion for learners... Continue Reading →
Medea Palatina 