A generation before Ovid, the Roman poet Horace wrote that literature should inform and delight the reader. Ovid fully embodies that philosophy. Readers of his Metamorphoses (A.D.8) learn a lot about mythology (it’s a veritable Who’s Who) and metamorphoses (there are around 250), but readers are much busier bonding with a brilliant and inventive mind whose use of language sparkles even in translation.

In reading this wonderful poem participants will touch on what it may have meant to a reader in the Roman Empire, to a Christian reader in the 12th century, to Shakespeare—Ovid was his favorite classical poet—and what it can mean to New York readers in 2016. A reading list and copies of the recommended Ovid translation are available for registrants.

Jane Mallison headed the English Department at New York City’s Trinity School from 1982 to 2004. She is the author of Book Smart: Your Essential Reading List for Becoming a Literary Genius in 365 Days.

This seminar takes place in four sessions:
Wednesday, March 30
Wednesday, April 20Wednesday, May 18
Wednesday, June 15
11:00 AM in the Whitridge Room.

Advance registration is required. Click here for registration instructions.