I grew up in a country that defines itself as opposition to another (“the enemy”, “the imperialism”), and everything else, including the lack of everything and

I grew up in a country that defines itself as opposition to another (“the enemy”, “the imperialism”), and everything else, including the lack of everything and the long blackouts, goes by undiscussed. Our Literature professor was a bright light in that world. The Iliad was the first book we read that was about what was it like to be a person in a distant time and a distant land. It was an escape and a return journey to our Mediterranean roots. Back then, I was as much of an avid reader as I’m now, but I couldn’t have made any tails of the Iliad without the help of our teacher. May his bright soul live forever in his students.