Cost and Registration Information

Early Registration Price (May 7 at 9 am** – May 24 at 4 pm): $280
Regular Registration Price (May 24 at 4 pm – first day of class): $308

** Registration opens online at 9 am. Phone registration will be accepted starting at 10 am.

Members, seniors, and students get a 10% discount.

Online registration is closed for Section A and there are only a few spots left. If you would like to register, please call (312) 255-3700.

Seminar Description

Caroline Alexander's translation of the Iliad is the first and only translation by a woman of what is sometimes referred to as "the war book." This seminar will explore the epic's status as one of the founding stories of the Western literary tradition, focusing in particular on its depictions of women, from slave girls to queens to goddesses. We will also examine the challenges that face a translator and reflect on the startling resonance of this ancient story in a modern world still asking itself the same questions about war, honor, heroism, and history.

Eight sessions. E – $280, L – $308

Melinda Rooney writes fiction and teaches literature in Chicago. She has taught writing, philosophy, mythology, and literature to children and adults, most recently for the Newberry Library and at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Materials List

Required:

• Homer, tr. Caroline Alexander, Iliad. Ecco, 2015. ISBN: 978-0062046284

First Reading:

• For the first class, please read the Introduction to the Iliad and familiarize yourself with the maps and genealogies that follow it.

This class is part of the Newberry’s Adult Education Seminars Program. Learn more about our registration procedures.