My research centers on Robert S. Fitzgerald, best known for his classical translations, particularly his influential Odyssey (1961), yet whose own poetry has received remarkably little critical attention. Despite his frequent recognition as both a poet and a poetic translator, Fitzgerald’s literary legacy remains curiously incomplete: his four volumes of poetry have received little sustained critical reception, and no critical biography has been devoted to his life and work. My dissertation traces his development from his early collaborations with Dudley Fitts in the 1930s through the Odyssey, examining how his practice of translation shaped his poetics and situating his work within the literary history of the twentieth century. The project is intended to culminate in the first critical biography of Fitzgerald, informed by archival research and the recovery of his correspondence, with the eventual publication of a selection of his letters. My broader interests include poetic form, classical reception, and the relationship between translation and literary creation. I have held research fellowships institutions such as the University of Pennsylvania and UCLA; recent scholarly work has appeared in Contagion and Science Fiction Studies; and my long poem On Leopardi; or, Protogonos is forthcoming in an Italian edition in late 2026.
Faculty Advisor: Jena Osman