Eclogues
A unique collection of stories alive with intellectual and imaginative energy
Inspired by sources as diverse as Virgil, Dumas, and the daily newspaper, the 8 stories in Guy Davenport’s Eclogues reflect the wide-ranging passions and curiosities of one of America’s most original and agile writers. Taking the form of diary entries and pastoral poetry, and with allusions to Italo Calvino and the Greek gods, these stories are prime examples of Davenport’s ingenuity and mastery of technique.
Eclogues includes philosophical explorations and portrayals of deeply human emotions with stories such as “The Trees of Lystra,” Davenport’s meditation on the intersection of early Christian doctrine and Greek myth, and “On Some Lines of Virgil,” in which a group of teenagers experiments with sexuality during a lazy summer in Bordeaux. The author’s playfulness and defiance of expectations make for a fascinating and surprising read.
Guy Davenport
Guy Davenport (1927–2005) was an American writer, artist, translator, and teacher who was best known for his short stories that combined a modernist style with classical subjects. Originally from South Carolina, Davenport graduated from Duke University and was a Rhodes Scholar at Merton College, Oxford, where he wrote his thesis on James Joyce. After earning a PhD from Harvard, he taught English at Haverford College from 1961 to 1963 before accepting a position at the University of Kentucky, where he remained until his retirement in 1990. In 2012, the university appointed its inaugural Guy Davenport Endowed English Professor. Davenport won a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship for his literary achievements and an O. Henry Award for his short stories. He was also a visual artist whose illustrations were included in several of his books. His works include Da Vinci’s Bicycle, Eclogues, Apples and Pears, and The Jules Verne Steam Balloon.
Open Road Integrated Media
