Well, the semester is almost over. Classes are done, but finals (and lots of marking of essays) awaits. But as we enjoy a long weekend and the unofficial start to summer, my brain has turned to summer writing projects. I do want to do a short story. I’m much more comfortable with long form fiction, but it’s good to stretch one’s self. I like to work with retellings of myths, so I’ve been thinking of a suitable candidate. One of my all time favorite’s is Euripides‘ Bacchae. Despite being over 2400 years old, its issues are still timely: authoritarianism, gender expression, emotional regulation vs. repression, homophobia, toxic masculinity, divinity and justice – just to name a few. Paul Woodruff (one of my grad school teachers) has a great English translation.
My problem has been in getting the right hook or angle into the story. But like the lightning bolt that took out Semele, it struck me: Agave, the mother of the antagonist Pentheus and the aunt of the protagonist Dionysos. Although her actions are crucial to the story, she only appears in the final act. But I think her perspective would be a cool one to explore.
Ramblings 
