To which classical figure do you most relate and why? Monica, the mother of St. Augustine of Hippo. Part of that, I’m sure, is wishful thinking: Augustine is not known for thinking all that highly of women, but Monica is the great exception—she can do no wrong. I also admire women who exhibit strength, intelligence, and independence of spirit, and Monica is certainly in that category. What book has been most influential to your career? St. Augustine’s De Doctrina Christiana. Aside from being a generally fascinating book, it also was very helpful to me in graduate school in building a bridge between the Late Antique literature I loved and the literary theory I was required to take. What would have you become if not a Classicist? Absolutely still a teacher, most likely of 18th century French Literature. What book are you currently reading? The Hill Road by Patrick O’Keeffe. What is the best advice you have ever received? “If you want to go to France, go to France. If you want to go to Morocco, go to Morocco.” In this particular case, I was a senior in college agonizing over where to apply for teaching jobs the following year. But the essence holds true for just about any situation: decide what you want to do, then go do it. . If you had been a boy, what would your name have been? James Michael Lynch. What is the most interesting thing in your car right now? A handful of random postcards advertising independent films and performance art pieces around Dallas.

Margaret Cotter-Lynch is an Assistant Professor of English, Humanities & Languages at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. She is the winner of AbleMedia's Bronze Chalice awards for her submission of Teaching Ancient Biography. When did you know you wanted to be a Classicist? My freshman year of college, I took, by chance (because a course I had been planning to take was full), a course called “The Worlds of Late Antiquity,” taught by Joe Pucci. I loved the course, thanks to both the subject matter and Prof. Pucci’s exceptional teaching ability. From then on, I signed up for any class that Pucci offered, and eventually decided to major in Classics and go on to graduate school. Who has been the most important mentor in your career? Joe Pucci. How would you like to be remembered? As someone’s favorite teacher. What trend in Classical Studies do you see as positive? The increasingly more nuanced use of feminist theory in the study of ancient women. What trend in Classical Studies do you see as negative? The occasional use of contemporary literary theory (including feminist theory) ina flat, uninformed manner, just for the sake of "doing theory." What would be the title of your autobiography? Unless I Go, which is take from a poem called “To the Not Impossible Him” by Edna St. Vincent Millay. The first stanza goes: “How shall I know, unless I go/To Cairo and Cathay/Whether or not this blessed spot/Is blessed in every way?”