OK, I'll admit that the photo is misleading, but I didn't have a digital image of the Homer we're actually talking about because, well, he was an ancient Greek for one thing.
"Homerathon" is not a Simpsons binge party, but a celebration of the classic Greek epic poem the Iliad, penned by the elder Homer. And how do old-school Homer fans celebrate? By doing a marathon reading of all 15,693 lines of the Iliad aloud and in shifts over the course of roughly 14 hours.
That's where you come in. Students and faculty are naturally taking part in the tag-team readathon, but members of the public are welcome to join in and listen.
"In the ancient world, cities would regularly stage marathon readings like this," says GU English professor Dave Oosterhuis, chair of the classical civilizations department at the school, in announcing Homerathon. "It's just amazing to hear the whole poem roll out at once, not 'I'll read a chapter tonight and the next chapter tomorrow,' but to have it all read out from start to finish is moving."
Whether that's true is for you to decide. If you're into hearing a section of the poem, or the whole thing if you have Friday free from other responsibilities, Homerathon launches at 9 am Friday in Room 220 of GU's Hemmingson Center.
