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UW Classics Alumnus Performs Original Musical Odyssey in All 50 US States
UW Classics Alumnus Performs Original Musical Odyssey in All 50 US States
- Jun. 14, 2024

Chicago-based Class of ’98 graduate Joe Goodkin has put his BA in classics from the UW to use in a both novel and traditional way, composing and performing two one-man bardic folk opera retellings of Homer’s Odyssey and Iliad (The Blues of Achilles).
Over two decades, he has done nearly 500 combined performances of these original song cycles as a guest of such institutions as Harvard, Stanford, Oxford (UK), Cambridge (UK), UC–Berkeley, and many, many more (including, of course, his alma mater itself).
In 2023, Joe achieved the milestone of performing his Odyssey in all 50 U.S. states with a performance at Oklahoma State University.
He work has been recognized by awards from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, as well as supported by grants from the Society for Classical Studies.
Find more information at joesodyssey.com, thebluesofachilles.com, and joegoodkin.com.
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The Peace History Society has given its inaugural Edited Book Prize to The Oxford Handbook of Peace History, edited by Charles Howlett, Deborah Buffton PhD’87, Christian Peterson, and David Hostetter. Deborah received her PhD in history from UW–Ma...
Aziz Hoodbhoy, Class of 1965, passed away on December 19, 2025. He cherished his time at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and his memories of campus life and Lake Mendota. He talked “fondly” of Wisconsin winters and how his snow sho...
Gerald Keith Erickson, Class of 1964, passed away on November 10, 2025. He had a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering.
At its annual meeting in October 2025, the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) presented the 2025 CSEP Honour Award to Peter WR Lemon PhD’79. This award is designed to honor a CSEP member who has made exceptional contributions to the f...
Glen Zipper ’95, Oscar-winning producer of such documentaries as John Candy: I Like Me and IMAX’s The Blue Angels will be adding scripted projects to his filmography with Sony’s upcoming science fiction film Grand Gear, from Godzilla Minus O...
Alanna Goldman ’20 founded a sports media company, 5wins, based on her own experience growing up a Badger sports fan. As her interest in women’s college sports grew, she realized that understanding athletes as people and the passion of the w...
Samuel Bowie Gardiner ’63, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and expert in war gaming and military strategy, died November 25, 2025, in Roanoke, VA, at the age of 84. Gardiner, influenced by the World War II service of his father at Omaha Beach and...
The Peace History Society has given its inaugural Edited Book Prize to The Oxford Handbook of Peace History, edited by Charles Howlett, Deborah Buffton PhD’87, Christian Peterson, and David Hostetter. Deborah received her PhD in history from UW–Ma...
Aziz Hoodbhoy, Class of 1965, passed away on December 19, 2025. He cherished his time at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and his memories of campus life and Lake Mendota. He talked “fondly” of Wisconsin winters and how his snow sho...
Gerald Keith Erickson, Class of 1964, passed away on November 10, 2025. He had a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering.
At its annual meeting in October 2025, the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) presented the 2025 CSEP Honour Award to Peter WR Lemon PhD’79. This award is designed to honor a CSEP member who has made exceptional contributions to the f...
Glen Zipper ’95, Oscar-winning producer of such documentaries as John Candy: I Like Me and IMAX’s The Blue Angels will be adding scripted projects to his filmography with Sony’s upcoming science fiction film Grand Gear, from Godzilla Minus O...
Alanna Goldman ’20 founded a sports media company, 5wins, based on her own experience growing up a Badger sports fan. As her interest in women’s college sports grew, she realized that understanding athletes as people and the passion of the w...


