Updates from PhD Alum Stephen Rojcewicz

Recent works and updates.

Stephen Rojcewicz, a 2017 PhD English alumni in Comparative Literature, has a forthcoming book, Thornton Wilder, Classical Reception, and American Literature. Published by Routledge, Thornton Wilder is an expansion of Rojcewicz's 2017 PhD dissertation at the University of Maryland. This book delineates how Thornton Wilder (1897-1975), a learned playwright and novelist, embeds himself within the classical tradition, integrating Greek and Roman motifs with a wide range of sources to produce heart-breaking masterpieces such as Our Town and comedy sensations such as Dolly Levi.

In the past year Rojcewicz has published two single-author articles, one co-authored paper, one book review, and presented the Christine Huemer Lecture, with Judith P. Hallett, at the American Academy in Rome. The publications are:

• “Flights of Pegasus: literary history of a symbol and its relevance for poetry therapy” in the Journal of Poetry Therapy. This article traces the figure of Pegasus through his translations of Greek and Roman texts, and early modern Italian, and modern German, and English reception. In addition to demonstrating the development of the heroic and the allegorical-symbolical avenues of interpretation, this paper also traces the satirical aspect of Pegasus, beginning in antiquity but culminating in the attempted presidential nomination of “Pigasus the Immortal,” a 145-pound live pig, at the Democratic National Convention in 1968.
• “Wonder at the Everyday: Thornton Wilder, Emily Dickinson, and Emily Webb” in Thornton Wilder Journal.
• With co-author Judith P. Hallett, Rojcewicz also published “Thornton Wilder and Italy, Part I." Giornale Italiano di Filologia 72: 403-434, 2020.” Part II is in press for appearance later this year.
• His book review of a Polish language text on bibliotherapy has appeared as: Review of Podstawy współczesnej biblioterapii: Podręcznik akademicki, Wydanie II [Foundations of Contemporary Bibliotherapy: An Academic Handbook, Second Edition]. Journal of Poetry Therapy.
• He co-presented with Judith Hallett, “Thornton Wilder, Lauro de Bosis: Life and Letters at the American Academy in Rome 1920-21” as the Christina Huemer Lecture, American Academy in Rome, 30 March 2021. Available on YouTube.
• Rojcewicz was also the primary author, in conjunction with Judith P. Hallett, of a Latin ovatio for Anthony Fauci, MD, who was a classics major at his alma mater, the College of the Holy Cross. The ovatio developed out of the Maryland Junior Classical League Covidicon event on December 5, 2020.

Judith P. Hallett is Professor of Classics and Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Emerita at the University of Maryland. She co-directed Rojcewicz’  2017 PhD thesis with Jane Donawerth, Professor of English and Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Emerita at the University of Maryland.