"Behind Every Monster: Paradigms in 'The Odyssey'"

Join us for lectures on niche topics given by professors, subject experts, & storytellers in cool bars & breweries. Cheers, Scholars! Lectures by professors and subject experts on mind-stimulating topics, served up at cool Bay Area bars. Date: Wed, September 30th 2026 🌙 Time: 6:30 PM doors open, 7PM lecture ⏳ Location: Mad Oak Bar n' Yard, Oakland 🍻 Lecture: “Behind Every Monster: Paradigms in 'The Odyssey'” 🧜‍♀️ Speaker: Tyfahra Milele, PhD, Comparative Literature Lecturer, Film Studies Emphasis 🧠 What makes a monster—and what makes a hero? In this thought-provoking lecture, Tyfahra Milele, former Berkeley lecturer in Comparative Literature with an emphasis in Film Studies, brings together Homer’s ancient epic and Christopher Nolan’s cinematic vision to explore The Odyssey through the theory of Emergent Dynamics. Rather than treating monsters, heroes, and conflicts as fixed categories, the talk asks what conditions cause them to emerge. Through patterns of survival, power, belonging, and transformation, we’ll reconsider some of the epic’s most enduring questions: What makes someone monstrous? What makes someone heroic? And can those qualities change depending on the circumstances? At the center of the discussion is a provocative possibility: perhaps monstrosity belongs not only to the creatures Odysseus encounters, but sometimes to Odysseus himself. Drawing connections between classical literature, contemporary cinema, and literary and film theory, this lecture offers a fresh way to encounter one of the foundational stories of Western literature—and to ask what The Odyssey still reveals about us. 📸 Photo & Video Notice Please Note: Photos and videos will be taken during this event for marketing, promotional, and social media purposes. By attending, you consent to your image being used in such materials. If you prefer not to be included, please notify event staff upon arrival. Thank you for helping us share our event with the wider community. (: