The Stupidity of Professors
Let's do away with the dumb "not-all" caveats. There are plenty of professors who are excellent, both in their craft and as teachers. But we also need to acknowledge that…
Wisdom in the Face of Authority in the Iliad
Among those who begin to read the Iliad thinking that they already have the gist of the plot, many are surprised to discover that the foremost warrior in the epic…
On Homer (Part 3): Connecting the Iliad and the Odyssey
In his book Why Homer Matters, Adam Nicolson pointed out how people seem to generally fall into two camps: those who like the Iliad, and those who like the Odyssey.…
On Homer (Part 2): What is the Iliad About?
In most stories, "what is it about?" refers to a question of the plot: what happened? In higher literature, there is -- in addition to the plot -- themes and…
On Homer (Part 1): What Makes Homer Special?
After reading Homer extensively over the past six years, in multiple translations and with the addition of a number of commentaries and analyses, I think it is time to begin…
Movie Review: The Phantom of the Opera
I have recently been relatively busy, and have had difficulty making the time to write new posts. To save on time, I decided to elucidate in video-format what I otherwise…
Stories Within Stories
I recently re-watched The Phantom of the Opera (2004). The film was excellent in many dimensions, and may warrant a more in-depth analysis for itself down the road. But what…
The Classical Paradox
As of late, I have spent considerable time with Gregory Nagy's The Ancient Greek Hero in 24 Hours. It is a phenomenal work of scholarship, a must-read on par with…
A Bailey-approved book
Review: The Spirit of Yule
I had originally purchased Thomas "Survive the Jive" Rowsell's The Spirit of Yule for my daughter, as the size and illustration-style suggested that the title was a children's book. Upon…
Patrokles Wasn’t Gay
And neither was Achilles. I have heard several times now someone assert that Patrokles and Achilles were not merely good friends, or cousins, as depicted in Troy (2004). It has…