Melissa Stem

Education and Degrees:

• Ph.D., Comparative Literature, University of Michigan, 2000
• M.A., Comparative Literature, University of Michigan, 1994

• B.A., French & History, with Honors, Rutgers College, Rutgers University, 1990 

Profile:

I am interested in examining and understanding arguments about the construction of identity associated with place and/or ideologies, especially at times of civil and religious conflicts. I like to flesh out the revelations present in the retellings of stories, both large and small. In addition to studying variants of stories, I investigate how Early Modern and Modern groups have appropriated classical antiquity and used ancient Greece and Rome in efforts to articulate political and cultural identities and to justify political actions. Additional interests include historiography, memory studies, Early Modern studies, travel narratives, and utopian fiction. 

Courses Taught

• Greek, Roman, and Near Eastern Mythology 
• The Classical Heritage in America 
• Pompeii 
• Socrates & Classical Athens 
• Greek Tragedy 
• Homer & Ancient Epic