Best Of: ‘Odyssey’ translator Emily Wilson / Actor Jon Bernthal

August 1, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The Art of Translation: Emily Wilson on Homer, and John Bernthal on Finding Himself Through Acting

In a recent episode of Fresh Air, host Dave Davies and guest host Tanya Mosley spoke with two very different guests: Emily Wilson, the classics scholar whose translation of Homer’s Odyssey has become a landmark in literary translation, and actor John Bernthal, known for playing tough, morally complicated characters like the Punisher and Shane on The Walking Dead. Though their fields differ, both conversations circled around a shared question: how do you faithfully render something ancient, dangerous, or alien into something a modern audience can feel?

Emily Wilson: Bringing Homer’s Poetry Back to Life

Emily Wilson is a professor of classical studies at the University of Pennsylvania and the first woman to publish an English translation of the Odyssey (2017). Her work was widely praised for its vibrancy, its use of iambic pentameter, and its fidelity to the original Greek. She later translated the Iliad and has a new collection of essays, Crossing the Wine Dark Sea, coming in September.

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

Listen to Audio Summary Open in App

Never miss an episode of Fresh Air

Get every new episode summarized in your inbox — free, ~5 minutes to read.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

What you'll learn

1 Timestamped Navigation Outline
2 (00:22) **Opening & Episode Introduction** - Dave Davies introduces the episode's two guests: classicist Emily Wilson and actor Jon Bernthal, both connected to Christopher Nolan's film *The Odyssey*.
3 (04:27) **Plot Summary of the Odyssey** - Wilson provides a concise overview of Homer's epic for listeners who may be unfamiliar.
4 (05:25) **Wilson's Critique of Nolan's Film** - Wilson explains why she still recommends the film despite her harsh review, then unpacks her core complaint about stripped motivation.
5 (07:18) **Missing Gods and Alienness of Homer's World** - Wilson discusses what the film leaves out about the divine and the strangeness of the original poem.
6 (09:16) **Why Wilson Decided to Translate the Odyssey** - After decades of teaching, Wilson felt existing translations failed to convey the poem's essential qualities.
7 (10:44) **The Impossibility of Translating Poetry** - Wilson explains why poetry translation requires reinvention, not word-for-word substitution.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Emily Wilson Jon Bernthal

Show Notes

Christopher Nolan’s new film ‘The Odyssey’ is a box-office hit, but classics scholar Emily Wilson, who translated Homer’s poem from the original text, says the film’s script is abysmally written, lacking in emotional depth and character development. She talks about her translation and divisive criticism of the film.

Also, we hear from actor Jon Bernthal who plays Menelaus, King of Sparta in ‘The Odyssey’ and the Punisher in the new Spider-Man movie.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy