What connects Homer's Odyssey, Margaret Atwood, and The Matrix?

Why you should read classics

This is a fascinating podcast episode with a fashion model turned sociology professor, Ashley Mears

Read more about her career here

Who Was Homer and Why He Matters

While no one knows if Homer was a single individual or a compilation of ancient Greek writers, he is regarded as one of the most influential literary voices in Western civilization. The two epic poems attributed to Homer - the Iliad and the Odyssey - have had an immense impact on storytelling, philosophy, and examinations of the human experience for over 2,500 years.

The Odyssey in particular is more than just a entertaining tale of a Greek hero's tumultuous journey home from the Trojan War. It is a rich exploration of perseverance, courage, wit, family, hospitality, and appreciating life's basic joys - all relatable themes that still resonate powerfully today.