Donor news: We wish to acknowledge the support of the  American Center Alexandria for making this event possible. Huge gratitude to The California Friends of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and their fund-raising efforts among the Arab American and Muslim American communities in Sacramento. Particular thanks is expressed to Dr. Ismail Serageldin for inviting us, Dr. Amin Elmallah, an Alexandrian and the co-founder of the California Friends of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Prof. Rosalie Cuneo Amer, Chair, California Friends of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, and Carmela Ruby, Co-Coordinator, California Friends and Co-Organizer of the Alexandria reading.

Once again to thank Mr. Andres A. Mata Osorio, Mr. and Mrs. Nick Pries, The Consul General to Greece of San Francisco, Ms Xenia Stephanidou, and others to remain private. Your contributions have made all the difference.

Thanks also for the support of the Mayor of Omeropoulis in Daskalopetra, Greece and private donors for getting us to your special island and making our 2nd Annual Event in Chios happen. It was a stunning night and we thank all those who came and participated under that particularly spectacular full moon..

Board member news: Yannis Simonides, Advisor-At-Large to the Readers of Homer, is travelling the world, receiving great acclaim wither he wanders for his one-man “Apology of Socrates.” In the middle of all this, he has written a new play on Smyrna. Bravo, Yanni!. . . . Laura Hohlwein, Creative Director, received her second MFA - this in Interdisciplinary Art/Art New Media from Transart Institute; she has been hired full-time at The Art Institute, is finishing a new body of work.

Future possibilities: The Readers of Homer have made some exciting new friends: Dr. Jonathan Shay, M.D. and Ph.D, and Charlie Berkowitz, documentary film-maker. Dr. Shay, recent winner of the Macarthur award (!) has written and received great acclaim for his works: “Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character” and “Odysseus in America: Combat Trauma and the Trials of Homecoming.” Charlie Berkowitz has made documentaries based on Dr. Shay’s work with veterans. Please access his stunning website through our links section. While we did have to postpone our Veteran's Reading at Grace Cathedral, we will do it again, showing the work of Shay and Berkokwitz. Also, Laura Hohlwein will be curating the work of veteran's who have responded visually to the Homeric epics and will post submission spec links here when she is finished updating her own website.

Plans are underfoot for readings in Montevideo, Uruguay; Kyoto (and possibly Hiroshima), Japan; The Getty Villa in Malibu, California, just to name a few.

BIBLIOTHECA ALEXANDRINA
October 21, 2008

SECOND ANNUAL READING ON CHIOS, GREECE
July 17, 2008