Who: Octavio Abúndez, Ali Ahn, heather atone, Raffi Barsoumian, Bryan Cogman, Bethany Joy Collins, Peter Coyote, David Holt, Leslie Feist, Ken Hada, Joseph Keckler, Muna Malik, Rebecca Nagle, Bebe Neuwirth, Nikki Nice, Nicole Poole, Lee Ranaldo, Patrick Riley, Robert Ruiz, Kate Soper, Gloria Torres, Tom Todoroff, Nick Waterhouse, Emily Wilson
What: Marathon reading of Emily Wilson’s 2017 translation of The Odyssey by Homer
Where: Oklahoma Contemporary, Facebook, YouTube
When: August 20-22, 27-29, free, 8:00 – 9:30
Why: From May 15 to June 28, Emily Wilson posted Odyssey-a-Day readings, short clips she performed from her 2017 translation of the epic eighth century BCE poem by Homer. This week and next week, she will be part of a marathon reading of her translation, along with twenty-three people from diverse walks of life, including actors, artists, curators, politicians, professors, writers, and musicians, each sharing one of the two dozen books that comprise the classical work of literature. Hosted by the Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center in partnership with the Kirkpatrick Foundation, the six evenings, August 20-22 and 27-29, will stream live on Facebook, YouTube and the center’s website from 8:00 to 9:30. Among the readers are actor and director Peter Coyote, Emmy winner Bebe Neuwirth, Sonic Youth cofounder Lee Ranaldo, conceptual artist Octavio Abúndez, singer-songwriter Feist, Oklahoma City mayor David Holt, visual artist Bethany Joy Collins, and Wilson herself. Of course, everyone will be participating from wherever they’re sheltering in place, giving new meaning to the line “But even so, I want to go back home, / and every day I hope that day will come.”