What is an epic? Just an ancient poem? Just a story of grandiose heroes? We think the quality that makes something epic is its ability to inspire wonder at the grandeur, the mystery, the strangeness of the world and of humanity’s achievements in it. An epic is a work that expands our view of the world, that challenges our assumptions about what is “normal”, that provokes us toward ideals that appear impossible.
The Epic Book Club explores these works as a quest for the limits and potential of humanity. We start with the classic epic poems, ranging from Gilgamesh to Paradise Lost, but also include storytellers like the Grimms, Mary Shelley, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Ursula K. LeGuin. We engage thinkers such as Plato and Laozi, whose ideas have shaped the worldview of their culture—and possibly our own. We include ancients and moderns, from all over the world. We include anything and everything that shows us a little more of what it is to be human.
Who are we?
Megan is a nerd and is easily excitable. She studies Latin in the hope of reading Vergil’s Aeneid in the original someday. She knits, nalbinds, and occasionally crochets. She daily attempts to convince three cats that they still have food in their bowls and are not starving to death.
Robert is an amateur historian, storyteller, and occasional bassist. He has tried his hand at filmmaking, fencing, and holding rational discussions on social media. He lives somewhere near a pack of coyotes.