Classical Studies Graduate Conference
The BU Department of Classical Studies continues its strong efforts to connect the study of ancient literature and history to pressing issues of our time. On November 9, 2019, the department, with sponsorship from the Center, held their annual graduate student conference.
This year’s conference “Agency through the Ancients: Reception as Empowerment” featured eight speakers from a variety of universities, including a formerly incarcerated individual. According to the organizers, “the conference examined how classical literature (broadly defined) is able to impart a profound sense of agency to the disenfranchised, especially in times of turmoil or persecution.” Topics included diagnosing trauma in ancient individuals, the influence of classical literature on post-Holocaust authors, classical reception as a means of building community for refugees and immigrants, the pitfalls of misinterpreting the classics to suit our own beliefs, the influence of classical antiquity on early feminism, challenging beauty standards via reinterpretation of classical ideals, and the experience of self-rediscovery in reading classical literature while incarcerated. The keynote speakers, Marquis ‘I Am’ McCray, a formerly incarcerated person, and his professor from Rutgers, Emily Allen Hornblower, were the highlight of the event. McCray’s talk about the role the classics have played in his life, particularly in his exploration of self and his reintegration into society, inspired audience members to such a degree that many were moved to tears. A BU graduate later wrote a quote from McCray’s speech on their office door: “You cannot be a good anything without first being a good human being.” Participants, graduate students, and professors alike have voiced their gratitude for being a part of the event.
