I began studying Latin and ancient history in eighth grade, and thanks to a dedicated high school Latin teacher, I majored in Greek and Latin in college. I spent my junior year in Greece and worked for two seasons on an underwater excavation of a sanctuary of Apollo in Porto Cheli, Greece. The vigorous, hospitable people and the beauty of Greece inspired me to pursue graduate studies in ancient Greek literature. Ancient Greek is a subtle, rich and often baffling language with luminous depths and landscapes.
After teaching at Smith College for two years, I came to NIU in 1989. In the 1990s, I attended seminary and served as part-time pastor at several churches in Wisconsin, retiring from the pastorate in 2016. I am currently working on a book on "Images of Wholeness in Greek Literature," which examines literary symbols of civic and cosmic unity in authors from Homer to Apollonius.
Education
- M.Div., Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
- Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, Classics
- M.A., University of Wisconsin-Madison, Classics
- B.A., College of Wooster, Greek and Latin