Online registration required in order to receive the invitation to the Zoom session shortly before the event.

“With enormous night I am borne away.” - Virgil

The story of Orpheus and Eurydice is perhaps the ultimate tragic love story as well as a deep exploration of the powers and limitations of music and, by extension, of imaginative arts. It is the myth to end all myths and has inspired poets and artists throughout the centuries to develop its themes in paintings, operas, songs and plays. As M. Owen Lee noted in his book Virgil as Orpheus, “A great artist never touches a myth without developing, expanding, and sometimes radically changing it.” This eight-week course will explore the origin, matrix and development of the myth from its classical versions in Virgil’s Georgics (Book IV) and Ovid’s Metamorphoses (Book X) to its reworking and re-interpretation by succeeding artists (musicians, painters, poets and playwrights) while refocusing on the power and perils of the myth. Artists such as Brueghel, Stravinsky, Milosz, Rilke, Duffy and others will be considered. The myth calls us to reflect on what it means to be human.

Judson Scruton M.A (The Johns Hopkins University, The Writing Seminars, specializing in poetry) has taught creative writing and literature at prep schools and universities. In his career as an educator Judson has also directed publications, communications, public relations, and development at a variety of educational institutions in the U.S. and U.K. including the Newberry Library in Chicago. He is the recipient of the Distinguished Achievement in Public Relations Award from the Publicity Club of Chicago, and the General Excellence in Publications Award from The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

Dr. Gerald Weiss earned both a B.A and an M.A. in Classical Languages from St. Louis University. He pursued graduate studies in Philosophy and Theology at Innsbruck University (Austria) and later at the Gregorian University (Rome, Italy) where he received his Ph.D. While writing his dissertation he taught for a year at the Rome Center of Loyola University of Chicago. Upon returning to the United States he taught Philosophy/Theology/Religious Studies at Seton Hall, St. Louis and various other universities. He has had one book published and written numerous articles for educational, religious and spiritual periodicals and journals. Since retiring he has devoted most of his free time to painting and has exhibited some of his works at the Wilton Library.