Conversation: “Epic in Our Times”
Emily Wilson, University of Pennsylvania; Sophie Gee, English; Pasquale Toscano *24, Vassar College
Tue, 2/17 · 6:30 pm—7:30 pm · Princeton Public Library
Princeton Public Library; Department of Classics; Department of English; Humanities Council
Classicist and translator Emily Wilson is joined in conversation by Sophie Gee and Pasquale Toscano to explore how epic confronts rising populism, nation-building and authoritarian rule.
Why does epic—the most ancient of all genres—seem to be everywhere right now? And why is it especially needed in this moment of rising populism, nation-building, and authoritarian rule? These are the questions Sophie Gee and Pasquale Toscano discuss with Emily Wilson, a classicist and renowned translator of Homer. Please join us to grapple with how this unmodern form helps us confront the challenges of today.
In Conversation:
Emily Wilson is the College for Women Class of 1963 Term Professor in the Humanities at the University of Pennsylvania, an award-winning translator of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, and a MacArthur Fellowship recipient.
Sophie Gee is a professor of English at Princeton University, the Vice-Chancellor Fellow at the University of Sydney, and a co-host of the hit podcast “The Secret Life of Books.”
Pasquale Toscano (*24) is an assistant professor of English at Vassar College who’s written about epic, Milton, and disability for a range of venues, both academic and public-facing.
Presented in partnership with the Princeton Public Library, Princeton Classics, the Princeton University Department of English, and the Princeton University Humanities Council. Public Humanities programs are presented with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this programming do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
