Since its appearance in the 8th century BCE, “The Odyssey” has always been profoundly entertaining, a fascinating tale that illuminates the human condition in multiple ways. In our lifetimes, though, it had settled into the male-generated “canon” of Western literature most of us experienced only in school. When Emily Wilson’s translation appeared in 2017, the first in English by a woman, it kindled an excitement well beyond the classroom. What might be revealed about the world of the poem — and thus about our own world — when it was re-created with a scholar’s precision but with a female sensitivity about what and who matters? We will explore together “The Odyssey” in Wilson’s translation and, hopefully, “arrive where we started/ And know the place for the first time.”
NOTE: “The Odyssey,” translated by Emily Wilson, is a required text. Because the course will be almost entirely discussion, students will be expected to read the assigned portions prior to each class.