A. C. "Al" Duncan

I still see a lot to love — and hope for / dream of — here. But sometimes you gotta call a spade a spade, and we certainly have to stand up and fight back where there's overreach.

Jackson was also way out ahead on discussions of Western Civ. The photos of his "Hey hey, ho ho, Western Civ has got to go!" at Stanford in 1987 (click-through link below) are something (especially in this moment of cultural nostalgia, à la Stranger Things).

Rest in power, JJ — such a visible and powerful figure in the struggle for equality, especially during my tender years growing up in the Detroit suburbs.

Ridiculous. Anodyne statement, recorded over a year ago, and trotted out for chilling effect. This sets terrible precedent – for NC State, the UNC System, and higher ed generally.

The Society of Classical Studies
Committee on Ancient and Modern Performance
proudly presents as its annual production
a horror musical mash-up of
Aeschylus’ Agamemnon and Seneca’s Thyestes

by Vanessa Stovall

TANTALIDS: TAKE II
YOSEMITE BALLROOMS
THURSDAY, JANUARY 8
7:30PM, DOORS AT 7:00

Unlike some other performance events at this SCS (which I'm also very excited about), this one is FREE and NO TICKETS are required. Tell your friends!

The good folks at the FedEx Kinkos have printed out beautiful posters for us, designed by the incredibly talented Abi Mason:

I came to SCS simply to help run logistics for the annual CAMP production. Because of some unexpected logistical rearrangements, however, I'm now acting in this year's production of TANTALIDS: TAKE II, under the direction of the creative dynamo, Vanessa Stovall @theoctopiehole.bsky.social

Also, I'm very jealous of so many of the stunning hotel room city vistas I've seen on social media. The view from my room is less... distinctive.

Hello to everyone inSan Francisco for AIA/SCS 2026! Hope to catch you all in and around the conference.

I'll have more posts to share in the coming week about the show, but as folks make plans for the conference, make sure that TANTALIDS, THURSDAY 1/8, 7:30PM YOSEMITE, are part of them.

See you there and then!

#Tantalids #AIASC2026 #AncientDrama #Classics #SCSCAMP

The production team working on a colorful costume item.

There's so much to say about this innovative, shocking, and emotionally powerful production — but who could say some of this better than the brilliant dynamo behind this revival, Vanessa Stovall, whose recent SCS blog-post is well worth reading in full.

A map of the Hilton San Francisco Union Square Ballroom floor, showing the location of the Yosemite Room

The play starts at 7:30 PM (PST) on Thursday, January 8, 2026, in the Yosemite Rooms at the conference hotel, and will be followed by a talk-back.

An engraved image of Tantalus' eternal punishment

Combining sections of two ancient tragedies–two thirds of Aeschylus’ Agamemnon and one third of Seneca’s Thyestes, Tantalids tells the overlapping tales of the House of Atreus, as the ghost of Tantalus is summoned to watch the unfolding tragedies of the past and present (and future).

Classicists! It's just over a week until the annual AIA/SCS meeting, this time in San Francisco, and that means preparations are gearing up for the annual CAMP production.

This year, CAMP is proud — and incredibly excited — to present "Tantalids: take ii," under the direction of Vanessa Stovall!

PS. Thanks for making your perspective available to others. Nobody knows the role like you (and maybe Jerzy!)

Jim, I've always loved your continued sense of ownership of past jobs (Holy Cross, Wesleyan, etc.).

FWIW, you'll always be *my* Paddison Professor of Latin, even as I'm excited to welcome (another) new colleague.

***(Did I mention I'm not on the search committee?)

I'm not on the search committee and don't have/can't give any inside information, but I'd be happy to field any general questions about the lovely NC Research riangle area, campus culture, etc. I encourage every Latinist who thinks they might fit the description to apply!***

I recognize this is an uncertain moment in higher education, and perhaps especially at American public institutions. But this post (most recently filled by the inimitable Jim O'Hara, who remains in the area as emeritus) is special and worth considering.

Our faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates in the department of Classics are all top-notch. I'm frequently in awe of my colleagues working in other disciplines as well: History, English/CompLit, Religious Studies, Romance Studies, and Asian Studies, just to name a few...

UNC Chapel Hill was just ranked the #4 public university by US News and World Report and, while one might (rightly) disparage the metrics (and even the premise) of such rankings, this does reflect and inform the general high regard UNC enjoys.

All official details in the link above. But I'd add here that we're a highly collegial, dynamic, and (to be candid) very hard-working department with an illustrious history and we hope, even now, a still brighter future.

It's official! UNC Classics is hiring for the Paddison Professor of Latin: unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/306...

Wish I had bumped into you on UNC's campus. As an alum and faculty member of each, respectively, I 100% agree with your (well, @karaswisher.bsky.social's) observation at @pivotpod.bsky.social that @umich.edu and UNC Chapel Hill have the happiest, most committed alumni. Go Blue(s)!

The argument Musk is making here resembles that published in a peer reviewed journal by a PhD who has given interviews to notorious white supremacist publications. It's so bad the journal published a rebuttal in the same issue. I wrote about it for Pharos: pharos.vassarspaces.net/2020/10/30/p...

🔥 📝 FOLKS — I'm working on a piece for Slate about the NEH cuts. If you've been affected in ANY way and would be willing to talk with me, please message me! I would love to learn more and include your story. katina [at] katinarogers [dot] com

#humanities #neh #education #highered

This is, obviously, not the most pressing economic/social issue of April 2025. The pay of academic staff and non-tenure faculty remains the a higher moral imperative. Still, for those of us fortunate enough to have T-T/tenured posts, it is worth keeping dwindling pay in mind...

"...winging it based on their own gut feelings" – *snort*

It was a great (and timely) paper!