M. D. Usher
Lyman-Roberts Professor of Classical Languages and Literature
- Ph.D. in Classical Languages and Literatures, University of Chicago (with distinction)
- M.A. in Classical Languages and Literatures, University of Chicago
- B.A. in Greek and Latin, University of Vermont (summa cum laude, ΦΒΚ)
BIO
I am a ̽̽ alumnus and joined the ̽̽ faculty in 2000. Before attending ̽̽ as an undergraduate I apprenticed in Germany as a post-and-beam carpenter and later earned my Ph.D. in Classics at The University of Chicago. A profile of me and my work appears in ̽̽ Magazine and , the magazine of The University of Chicago’s Division of Humanities. Also an .
I became a member of the Geography and Geosciences faculty in 2021 and am also a faculty member in The Environmental Program, the Food Systems Graduate Program and an affiliate of the Gund Institute for Environment. I teach a variety of courses about the ancient world and in environmental studies. I have also taught in the Liberal Arts Scholars Program (LASP), the Teacher-Advisor Program (TAP), and the Honors College.
I specialize in the ancient Mediterranean world, particularly the languages, literatures, and cultures of Greece and Rome. My interests include orality studies, ancient ecologies, and ancient philosophy. I am also deeply interested in the reception of classical texts in modern works of art, music, and literature. My book Plato’s Pigs and Other Ruminations: Ancient Guides to Living with Nature (Cambridge University Press, 2020) traces modern ideas about sustainability and systems science back to their origins in antiquity, on which topic also I teach a course: “Sustainability: A Cultural History.” (See news, news and news for more information.) Since 2018, I have been overseeing research and a ̽̽ internship in archaeology, paleobotany, sustainable agriculture, and food systems in Italy’s Sabine Hills. (See a video précis of this work, )
In addition to publishing books and articles about the ancient world, I have written two opera libretti and children’s books. Non-academic pursuits include carpentry (I built my own house and outbuildings) and farming (my wife Caroline and I own and operate in Shoreham, where we produce lamb, eggs, and maple syrup on 125 acres).
Publications
Area(s) of expertise
Ancient Mediterranean world, sustainable systems, orality studies, environmental humanities, ancient ecologies.
Bio
I am a ̽̽ alumnus and joined the ̽̽ faculty in 2000. Before attending ̽̽ as an undergraduate I apprenticed in Germany as a post-and-beam carpenter and later earned my Ph.D. in Classics at The University of Chicago. A profile of me and my work appears in ̽̽ Magazine and , the magazine of The University of Chicago’s Division of Humanities. Also an .
I became a member of the Geography and Geosciences faculty in 2021 and am also a faculty member in The Environmental Program, the Food Systems Graduate Program and an affiliate of the Gund Institute for Environment. I teach a variety of courses about the ancient world and in environmental studies. I have also taught in the Liberal Arts Scholars Program (LASP), the Teacher-Advisor Program (TAP), and the Honors College.
I specialize in the ancient Mediterranean world, particularly the languages, literatures, and cultures of Greece and Rome. My interests include orality studies, ancient ecologies, and ancient philosophy. I am also deeply interested in the reception of classical texts in modern works of art, music, and literature. My book Plato’s Pigs and Other Ruminations: Ancient Guides to Living with Nature (Cambridge University Press, 2020) traces modern ideas about sustainability and systems science back to their origins in antiquity, on which topic also I teach a course: “Sustainability: A Cultural History.” (See news, news and news for more information.) Since 2018, I have been overseeing research and a ̽̽ internship in archaeology, paleobotany, sustainable agriculture, and food systems in Italy’s Sabine Hills. (See a video précis of this work, )
In addition to publishing books and articles about the ancient world, I have written two opera libretti and children’s books. Non-academic pursuits include carpentry (I built my own house and outbuildings) and farming (my wife Caroline and I own and operate in Shoreham, where we produce lamb, eggs, and maple syrup on 125 acres).
Publications
Areas of Expertise
Ancient Mediterranean world, sustainable systems, orality studies, environmental humanities, ancient ecologies.