Through Greece on a MOOC
Gwyneth Lewis, Coordinator Classical Studies, Langara College
Last summer I visited Greece, with more than a dozen guides: it was a virtual visit. I took a MOOK* called 'Archaeology's Dirty Little Secrets' under the direction of the eminent archaeologist of the Greek world, Sue Alcock. But she was not my sole guide to Greece. More than 37,000 students from more than 100 countries were enrolled in the course, writing assignments and discussing their interests on line. Among them were students from many different parts of Greece, very proud not only of the Acropolis and Knossos, but also of sites near their homes. I learned about discoveries and sites I had never heard of, from Minoan olives in a well, to 19th Century sulphur mines on Melos. Collectively, these students were my Odysseus, taking me on a new journey in a land I thought I knew well.
* and I'll explain what MOOC is
Monday 25 November 2013
Imagining Ancient Lives
Annabel Lyon
Vancouver author Annabel Lyuon will discuss the influences and inspirations behind her most recent novel, The Sweet Girl. Her two highly acclaimed novels, The Golden Mean and The Sweet Girl are set in ancient Greece, and feature tha philosopher Aristotle and his daughter, Pythias. Lyan will read from her works, and discuss what it takes to set a novel in ancient times.
With exquisite skill, the author evokes Pythias and herfamily as credible members of a community that existed more than two millennia ago. (Washington Times)
