Event

This is an opportunity to experience ancient Greek epic poetry through a creative reception by an American singer/songwriter. Joe Goodkin will play and sing, and discussion will follow.

All students, faculty, and staff are welcome, and snacks and drinks will be provided in the lobby outside Cohen 402.

“The Blues of Achilles” is a set of 17 original songs composed by Joe Goodkin for guitar and vocals. It tells the story of the Iliad through the eyes of the characters: Achilles, Patroklus, Briseis, Helen, Priam, and more. The performance evokes the original oral tradition of epic bards that stretches back millennia and frames the poem in an accessible way (both musically and narratively) for modern audiences.

More info at https://www.thebluesofachilles.com and https://www.joesodyssey.com

Joe Goodkin is a Chicago-based singer/songwriter with a BA in Classics from UW-Madison. He has performed his original song retellings of Homer's Odyssey and Iliad almost 500 times in all 50 US States, Canada, Greece, Italy, England, Scotland, Ireland, and The Netherlands. He has released 13 albums of original music, most recently a 2023 collection called Consolations and Desolations produced by founding Wilco drummer Ken Coomer.

The event is hosted by Prof. James Ker in partnership with the Penn Classics Board and the “Greek Dialogue” course (GREK 3003/CLST 5901).