My Books

Performance and Cure: Drama and Healing in Ancient Greece and Contemporary America. Duckworth, 2009.

In this book I  first discuss the rites at the ancient sanctuaries of Asklepios, focusing especially on what took place at the theaters which are a part of every sanctuary to the healing god. I then examine contemporary ideas about the mind-body relationship in the healing process. I substantiate my ideas with a chapter on how, through the Arts-in-Medicine program at Shands Hospital at the University of Florida, I have done improv acting for patients, both bedside and in a common space. From my experiences, I have seen how drama can lift patients’ spirits in a way that can assist the healing process.

Muse on Madison Avenue. Classical Myth in Contemporary Advertising. Peter Lang, 2002.

Over and over again, images from classical myth appear in contemporary advertising. In this book I ask why would those who want to sell something new turn to something so old to promote that product.  The book is filled with images that show how the figure of a classical statue can add class to a product.

Myths Behind Our Words. Forbes, 1998

This booklet grew out of my teaching of Greek mythology to hundreds of students every year. It presents, in alphabetical order, words from the myths which have become part of everyday English vocabulary, from Achilles’ heel to thespian.

Greek Tragedy on the American Stage. Greenwood, 1995.

While in recent decades the plays of Sophocles and Euripides, and, to a lesser extent, Aeschylus, are produced in American commercial theaters, this has not always been true. A production of Trojan Women in 1915 initiated an interest in ancient Greek plays, and Trojan Women has reappeared every time America is at war. Other tragedies reflect the times: Electra and Medea were staged at the wish of popular actesses; Bacchae became popular in the 60s.  

Ambiguity & Self-Deception. The Apollo & Artemis Plays of Euripides. Peter Lang: 1991

Apollo and Artemis play major roles in Greek mythology but their directives are often ambiguous and difficult to interpret correctly. The characters on the Athenian stage frequently misunderstand the will of these gods; at other times they put forward their own ideas, believing they are acting at the gods’ directives. Thus does Orestes convince himself, Electra, and Pylades, that by killing Helen he is helping the gods cleanse the world of an evil woman.

The Poets and the Cities.  Anton Hain, 1979.

The poets collected in the Palatine Anthology wrote on many subjects, including their cities and their various claims to fame. Here I have collected those poems,  little verses which offer a snapshot of how the writers viewed the cities they lived in and those they visited.

BOOKS          Co-Author

Greek Americans of Florida. With Kevin McCarthy. Whitehall Publishing, 2004.

The influence of Greek immigrants on the state of Florida has a long and important history. In this book Kevin and I collected prominent Greek Americans from all regions of Florida. While Tarpon Springs is the best known center of Greek Americans, persons of Greek ancestry have made a difference in many cities: Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, and those of the Panhandle, to mention a few.

See cover of Greek Americans of Florida.