AIA-Nashville Society Book Club
Join us for a free Parthenon Book Club meeting on Monday, May 6, at 6 PM. This event is free and open to the public, with RSVP required. All are welcome.
RSVP required. Mention “Book Club” at the Ticket Counter, receive free admission, and proceed to the Treasury on Level 2 for the friendly, informal discussion.
THIS QUARTER’S BOOK SELECTION:
We will be discussing Pandora's Jar by Natalie Haynes. Reserve your seat with a free RSVP.
Looking to purchase the book? Head over to Parnassus Books and mention the Archaeological Institute of America-Nashville Society book club at the Parthenon for a 10% discount.
ABOUT THE BOOK: Pandora's Jar by Natalie Haynes
Description from Nashville Public Library:
"Funny, sharp explications of what these sometimes not-very-nice women were up to, and how they sometimes made idiots of . . . but read on!"--Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid's Tale
The national bestselling author of A Thousand Ships returns with a fascinating, eye-opening take on the remarkable women at the heart of classical stories Greek mythology from Helen of Troy to Pandora and the Amazons to Medea.
The tellers of Greek myths--historically men--have routinely sidelined the female characters. When they do take a larger role, women are often portrayed as monstrous, vengeful or just plain evil--like Pandora, the woman of eternal scorn and damnation whose curiosity is tasked with causing all the world's suffering and wickedness when she opened that forbidden box. But, as Natalie Haynes reveals, in ancient Greek myths there was no box. It was a jar . . . which is far more likely to tip over.
In Pandora's Jar, the broadcaster, writer, stand-up comedian, and passionate classicist turns the tables, putting the women of the Greek myths on an equal footing with the men. With wit, humor, and savvy, Haynes revolutionizes our understanding of epic poems, stories, and plays, resurrecting them from a woman's perspective and tracing the origins of their mythic female characters. She looks at women such as Jocasta, Oedipus' mother-turned-lover-and-wife (turned Freudian sticking point), at once the cleverest person in the story and yet often unnoticed. She considers Helen of Troy, whose marriage to Paris "caused" the Trojan war--a somewhat uneven response to her decision to leave her husband for another man. She demonstrates how the vilified Medea was like an ancient Beyonce--getting her revenge on the man who hurt and betrayed her, if by extreme measures. And she turns her eye to Medusa, the original monstered woman, whose stare turned men to stone, but who wasn't always a monster, and had her hair turned to snakes as punishment for being raped.
Pandora's Jar brings nuance and care to the millennia-old myths and legends and asks the question: Why are we so quick to villainize these women in the first place--and so eager to accept the stories we've been told?
2024 BOOK CLUB DATES: RSVP!
Monday, August 5, 2024 — The Art of the Con: the Most Notorious Fakes, Frauds, and Forgeries in the Art World by Anthony M. Amore
Monday, November 4, 2024 — Pericles and Aspasia by Yvonne Korshak
BOOK CLUB SPONSOR: AIA-Nashville Society
The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) promotes archaeological inquiry and public understanding of the material record of the human past to foster an appreciation of diverse cultures and our shared humanity. The AIA supports archaeologists, their research and its dissemination, and the ethical practice of archaeology. The AIA educates people of all ages about the significance of archaeological discovery and advocates for the preservation of the world’s archaeological heritage. Learn more.
ADDITIONAL BOOK CLUB SPONSORS:
Centennial Park Conservancy
Metro Nashville Parks and Recreation
PREVIOUS AIA-NASHVILLE SOCIETY BOOK CLUB SELECTIONS:
Digging for Richard III by Mike Pitts discussed February 5, 2024
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood discussed November 13, 2023
Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips discussed August 21, 2023
Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker discussed May 8, 2023
Circe by Madeline Miller discussed February 22, 2023