On Shame

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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