Cornell College Professor John Gruber-Miller will discuss comic traditions as the 2017 Murray Lecturer at his alma mater, Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Gruber-Miller, the Edwin R. and Mary E. Mason Professor of Languages at Cornell College, will speak at Xavier at 4 p.m. March 18 on “Defining a Comic Tradition: Plautus and the Marx Brothers.”
In his talk, Gruber-Miller will assert that the Marx Brothers are part of a long tradition going back to the Roman comic playwright Plautus, best known for his tricky slaves, verbal pyrotechnics, actors’ rapport with the audience, and send-ups of romantic comedy.
At Cornell Gruber-Miller teaches courses in classics, Greek, and Latin. He is editor of “When Dead Tongues Speak: Teaching Beginning Greek and Latin” (Oxford University Press, 2006), and of the peer-reviewed journal Teaching Classical Languages. He maintains two educational websites: Ariadne: Resources for Athenaze and Let’s Review Greek! In 2012, he received the Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Classics at the College Level from the American Philological Association and an Ovatio from the Classical Association of the Middle West and South.
The Murray lecture series is named in honor of Robert J. Murray, the Xavier professor who for many years ran the Honors Bachelor of Arts Program, in which students pursue the study of Latin, Greek, and philosophy in addition to completing the core curriculum. Gruber-Miller is a 1979 graduate of that program.
The event is in Conaton Board Room and is open and free to the public.