Re: On the Myth of Milman Parry

Attachments are stripped by the listserv (this is to protect subscribers from viruses). Could you provide a link to a download? 

Thanks!
Patrick Rourke


____________
P. T. Rourke

> On Jan 13, 2019, at 5:37 PM, Steve T Reece <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
> Dear Classics Colleagues,
> 
> 
> 
> A few years ago – well, I see now that it was way back in 1993 - there
> occurred a sustained and wide-ranging discussion on this list about the
> untimely and tragic deaths of scholars who had worked in the field of
> Homeric Studies: Milman Parry, Adam Parry, Anne Amory Parry, Michael
> Ventris, and Colin MacLeod.  There was particular interest in Milman
> Parry’s life, death, and status at Harvard University.  In that discussion,
> and since then, I’ve observed that there has been a lot of “fluidity” in
> the details of both the “oral tradition” and the written accounts about
> Milman Parry.  A fairly rich myth has developed about the man, his life,
> and his early death.  I’ve collected details from the police report,
> coroner’s report, death certificate, and contemporary newspaper accounts,
> with some background details drawn from national censuses, city records,
> passport applications, ship manifests, etc. and from other contemporary
> accounts by people who knew the Parry’s, and I’ve discovered that while
> these details paint an interesting human portrait of Parry in his final
> days, they lack the sensational features of the “mythic” accounts.  I’m
> happy to share this in the attached document and request additions,
> subtractions, and corrections from those inclined to read it.
> 
> 
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> 
> 
> Steve Reece
> 
> Professor of Classics
> 
> St. Olaf College
> 
> 
> 
> [email protected]
> 
> -- 
> 
> Steve Reece, Professor of Classical Languages
> Saint Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota (U.S.A.) 55057
> 
> Tomson Hall 347 (Office: 786-3378; Home: 663-7035)
> 
> [email protected]
> 
> https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwp.stolaf.edu%2Fclassics%2Fpeople%2Fsteve-reece%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7CCLASSICS-L%40lsv.uky.edu%7C55435fce6c02416929f808d679a9b564%7C2b30530b69b64457b818481cb53d42ae%7C0%7C0%7C636830167132201190&amp;sdata=%2Fl68cQRfDnrYA%2FyHn5frF5B5%2BssOWDUEVyI5%2FJmZYU8%3D&amp;reserved=0
> 
> https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwp.stolaf.edu%2Fclassics%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7CCLASSICS-L%40lsv.uky.edu%7C55435fce6c02416929f808d679a9b564%7C2b30530b69b64457b818481cb53d42ae%7C0%7C0%7C636830167132201190&amp;sdata=bVjPzVqzDfzg2UZM7%2B2DuoPsnm2fcvWWRHs9rFtmQjU%3D&amp;reserved=0
> [image: St. Olaf College]