Tertulia in the time of coronavirus: Carolyn MacDonald on Vergil and the collapse of the Roman Republic [video]

University of New Brunswick professor Carolyn MacDonald delivered a recent tertulia in the time of coronavirus on May 27. MacDonald, who specializes in Greek and Latin Literature and Roman culture, spoke about Vergil and the collapse of the Roman Republic and offered insights for today’s coronavirus crisis.

What is a tertulia? A tertulia is a kind of philosophy café where the lives and ideas of big thinkers, artists and other people who left a mark are shared with a broader community of curious people. This spring’s tertulia series discusses thinkers and ideas on how to deal with the coronavirus crisis.

Watch MacDonald’s talk here:

For further reading, MacDonald recommends the following resources:

Mary Beard’s SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome

Karl Galinsky’s Augustan Culture: An Interpretive Introduction

“Our Caesar Can the country come back from Trump? The Republic already looks like Rome in ruins” by Andrew Sullivan in New York Magazine.

“Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Spitting on Other People” by Masha Gessen in The New Yorker.

“The rightwing groups behind wave of protests against Covid-19 restrictions” by Jason Wilson in The Guardian.

Upcoming tertulias this spring by Zoom at 7:00pm

June 10 – Daniel Tubb on Gabriel García Márquez

The NB Media Co-op has partnered with Tertulia Fredericton to published videos of some of the tertulias. Stay tuned for the fall 2020 schedule.

For updates or the Zoom links, visit the Tertulia Facebook page or email info@nbmediacoop.org.