Mary Beard gave the Robert B. Silvers lecture at the New York Public Library a little bit ago and it’s now available on the web. Here’s the NYPL’s intro to her talk:
Classicist Mary Beard asks Do the Classics Have a Future? Beard is famous for her scholarly distinction and ability to energize academic and non-academic audiences alike. In addition to her column with the Times, she regularly appears on television. Her commentary is praised for its wit and inventiveness as much as for its intellectual sophistication.
It’s not embeddable by me, alas, but it is definitely worth listening and/or watching — plenty to get one thinking here. Check it out at (if you want to skip past the intros, go to the 15 minute mark or so):
rogueclassicism 