11/21 Mark Usher (University of Vermont): "Comparative Epic: Classics Goes Global"

M. D. Usher, Lyman-Roberts Professor of Classical Languages and Literature at the University of Vermont, will discuss how the work of maverick Classicists Milman Parry (1902-1934) and George Thomson (1903-1987) revolutionized the field of Classics in their day and how their scholarly discoveries and vision has taken him to several continents in pursuit of research on oral art forms. His experiences have culminated primarily in a popular course he teaches at UVM on Comparative Epic, the texts and approach of which will form the basis of his talk.

Professor Usher teaches courses in Greek and Latin language and literature. He is also a faculty member in the Environmental Program and directs UVM’s Integrated Humanities Program. In addition to scholarly books and articles in the field of Classics, he has published three acclaimed books for children and two opera libretti. With his wife, Usher built and operates Works & Days Farm, a 125-acre sheep farm in Shoreham that produces lamb for markets in NYC and Boston. He has just completed a book about sources for sustainable living in Greek and Roman myth, literature, philosophy, and institutions.