An Evening with Emily Wilson, translator of Homer’s Odyssey

The first great adventure story in the Western canon, The Odyssey is a poem about violence and the aftermath of war; about wealth, poverty, and power; about marriage and family; about travelers, hospitality, and the yearning for home.

Emily Wilson’s new translation — the first by a woman — captivates readers from the opening sentence: “Tell me about a complicated man.” Professor Wilson captures the beauty and enchantment of this ancient poem as well as the suspense and drama of its narrative. Its characters are unforgettable, from the cunning goddess Athena to the awkward teenage son, Telemachus; from the cautious, clever, and miserable Penelope, to the complicated hero himself.

Beginning this fall, students in four Maryland high schools will create new theater work, artwork, and history projects using this new, accessible translation of the Odyssey. To celebrate this academic milestone, the Pratt will host a conversation open to the public with translator Emily Wilson, Professor of Classical Studies and graduate chair of the Program in Comparative Literature and Literary Theory at the University of Pennsylvania. Professor Wilson will be joined by:

Lillian Doherty, Professor & Chair, Dept. of Classics, University of Maryland.

Shirley Basfield Dunlap, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Fine & Performing Arts at Morgan State University.

Thomas Falkner, Professor of Classics at McDaniel College.

Emily Hayman, Ph.D., Instructor in Literature, Bard High School Early College.

A reception with light refreshments will follow the program.

The Ivy Bookshop will have copies of the book for sale at a book signing following the program.

This program is made possible with generous support from Maryland Humanities, the Society for Classical Studies, the Onassis Foundation USA, and the Mitzvah Fund for Good Deeds.