To which classical figure do you most relate and why? I suppose I relate to Plato since he's a teacher (although I cannot relate to his brilliance). Plus, I am also sometimes wordy and hard to follow like he can be. What book has been most influential to your career? The Aeneid first brought Latin to life for me, but Mary Renault first brought the Classical World to life when I was younger. What would have you become if not a Classicist? I would love to have worked with National Geographic or the Travel Channel. Traveling to new places as a job sounds fantastic! What book are you currently reading? The Iliad and The Odyssey. Now that school is back in session, I'm reading the books that I teach. What five albums would you want to have with you if you were stranded on a desert island? I would bring Elvis Costello's Greatest Hits, The Beatles' Abbey Road, Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run, Jarabe de Palo's Bonito and maybe my '90s hip-hop compilation. When did you know you wanted to be a Classicist? I guess I never quite picked being a Classicist. I kept taking the classes that sounded most interesting to me and eventually realized that they led to a degree in Latin.

Susan Gorman is a writing instructor at Boston University. She is the winner of AbleMedia's Bronze Chalice awards for her submission of Teaching Plato in Translation. If it were possible, with whom, dead or alive, from Classical times would you want to deliver your eulogy? I think that Petronius could make my life sound very entertaining, although I would probably be shocked by what he would say. How would you like to be remembered? As someone who tried to be nice to people and help them out. When and where in the Classical World would you have liked to live? Honestly, I don't think that I would have liked it very much. It would be hard to be a woman in the ancient world. What is the most interesting thing in your car right now? A cassette of old, '90s era hip-hop. It's just great driving music. If it were possible, with whom, dead or alive, from the world outside of Classical Studies would you like to have dinner? My dad, who passed away 10 years ago. What is one thing about Classical Studies that you wish your students understood? Well, I wish they understood that education does not have to be utilitarian. However, study of the Classics can translate itself well into various more practical skills.