What's New at SeumasU March 2022
I am sure that, as with many of you, the start of 2022 felt like a continuation of 2020. The pandemic continues its waves, and in the past 4 weeks, the war in Ukraine has come to dominate our news cycle and anxieties. Who can be bothered with ancient languages and texts in a time like this? For myself, the world of texts and literature, ancient and modern, is the world in which human beings make sense, and struggle to make sense, of human existence itself, in a world marked always by finitude and suffering. Literature is part and parcel of learning in community, and learning to live as human beings, and better human beings at that.
New Classes
The next term of classes starts on April 24th, and I'm really excited (as usual) by the breadth of options I'm able to bring to you. At the post-beginner levels, these are texts I'm excited to spend time in, to read and discuss together. In Greek, there's part 2 of a deeper dive in to the Gospel according to John, as well as some sampling of Pausanias' travelogue of Ancient Greece (reading "travel literature" over the last few terms has been a delight); the LGPSI course is about to enter unknown territory, as it exceeds the point where I've written anything, and becomes more collaborative writing.
In Latin, you can dive into the riches of one of Erasmus' most famous pieces, Stultiae Laus, or you can reflect with me on the nature of right and wrong with Aquinas. Alternatively, enter the world of pre-Roman Gaul in the return of a Latin-language RPG.
Beginner level classes continue on their usual rolling rotation. I'm offering a kind of 'side-dish' course in Greek 141, which reads and discusses only the Italian editions to the Athenaze book.
New Teacher
I'm also super-duper excited to announce that we're expanding. Isaac Bennett-Smith is coming on board to teach a new round of Greek 101, and possibly other courses in the future. Isaac has been taking classes with myself for the past 2 years, is a capable speaker of Latin and Greek, and an innovative instructor. I'm well aware of the finite limits of myself as a single instructor, so this is a great development as we look to expand options and offerings in the future.
Projects Paused and (re)Newed
Coming back from the Summer break here, I didn't have it in me to keep going with καθ' ἡμέραν, my verse-by-verse Greek-in-Greek New Testament youtube series. I hope to return to it, when energy and enthusiasm returns.
Andreas and I are still working on Ἑλληνιζώμεθα, our Greek podcast. Episodes have become much more occasional though.
I'm working on a couple of writing projects in my other time, which hopefully will turn out well. I won't say too much about them just yet though.
Okay, I think that's all the SeumasU news fit to print for the moment.
curate ut valeatis,
Seumas