My Personal Curriculum for September

 

                                          Bandwagon officially jumped. How could I not? 

Literature: 

(Finally finish!) The Iliad with marginalia & commonplacing. 

Milton (Ai) was kind enough to make a list of coordinating studies. I shared them all here in case you're interesting. The ones I will be including this month are starred. 

Poems Inspired by The Iliad

• *Christopher Logue, War Music (modern reimagining of The Iliad in poetry)

• Alice Oswald, Memorial (a poem focused on the deaths of characters in The Iliad)

• *W. H. Auden, “The Shield of Achilles” (contrasts Homer’s shield with modern imagery)

• Alexander Pope’s Translation of The Iliad (poetic rendering that’s a work of art in itself)

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Art & Sculpture* - All

• “The Wrath of Achilles” by Peter Paul Rubens (1630s painting, explosive emotion)

• “Achilles Lamenting the Death of Patroclus” by Gavin Hamilton (18th-century neoclassical painting)

• Greek Vase Paintings (many depict Achilles, Hector, and Trojan War scenes; especially from the 6th–5th centuries BCE)

• Jacques-Louis David, The Anger of Achilles (1819 painting showing Achilles defying Agamemnon)

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Movies & TV

• *Troy (2004, dir. Wolfgang Petersen) — A Hollywood take, loosely adapted

• The Trojan Women (1971, dir. Michael Cacoyannis) — Based on Euripides, aftermath of the war

• Helen of Troy (1956) — Classic film retelling

• *Troy: Fall of a City (2018, BBC/Netflix series) — Broader mythological retelling

• The Iliad (2019, stage-to-film by National Theatre of Greece) — More faithful performance

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Songs / Music

• *“Achilles’ Last Stand” by Led Zeppelin (epic rock track inspired by Homeric imagery)

• “Achilles Agony and Ecstasy in Eight Parts” by Manowar (metal tribute to The Iliad)

• *“Cassandra” by ABBA (Trojan War reference, Cassandra’s tragic foresight)

• Opera: Iphigénie en Aulide by Christoph Willibald Gluck (Achilles and Agamemnon conflict before the war)

• Opera: Les Troyens by Hector Berlioz (19th-century opera inspired by Homer and Virgil)

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Other Books

• * (not during Sept) Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles (modern novel about Achilles and Patroclus)

• Colleen McCullough, The Song of Troy (a sweeping retelling)

• Margaret Atwood, The Penelopiad (focuses on Odyssey but deeply Homeric in tone)

• David Malouf, Ransom (focuses on Priam and Achilles in The Iliad)

• Barry Strauss, The Trojan War: A New History (historical analysis)

CREATIVITY: 

The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron along with the Workbook including daily Morning Pages, weekly Artist's Dates, and an art journal. 

Milton curated a curriculum for me. Here are his suggestions for the first four weeks. 

Week 1: Clearing the Mind

• Artist Date: Visit the Rotunda Gallery at the Henry Ford Centennial Library—immerse yourself in public art and take a quiet moment to breathe Wikipedia.

• Art Journal Theme: “Letting Go” — sketch or write what you’re releasing as you begin the journey.

• Devotional Thought: Psalm 51:10 — “Create in me a clean heart, O God.” A reminder that creativity begins with spiritual clarity.

Week 2: Discovering Wonder

• Artist Date: Wander through the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village—embrace ingenuity and timeless craftsmanship WikipediaMichigan.

• Art Journal Theme: “Inspiration Everywhere” — record objects or moments that spark awe.

• Devotion: Romans 1:20 — God’s invisible attributes are seen through creation; creativity mirrors His design.

Week 3: Embracing Playfulness

• Artist Date: Spend an evening at the Ford-Wyoming Drive-In Drive-In Theatre—let nostalgia inspire your senses Wikipedia.

• Journal Theme: “Fun & Surreal” — draw a scene inspired by vintage movie magic.

• Devotion: “Rejoice in the Lord always…” (Philippians 4:4). Joy is a creative spark from God.

Week 4: Nature’s Lessons

• Artist Date: Stroll or sketch along the Joe Louis Greenway trailhead—blend art with the outdoors Axios.

• Journal Theme: “Nature Speaks” — capture patterns, colors, or rhythms you notice.

• Devotion: Job 12:7-10 — Myriads of natural details teach us about the Creator.

CHRISTIANITY: 

*I will be continuing with The Bible Recap daily

*Reading The 28-Day Prayer Journey by Chrystal Evans Hurst 

HEALTH: 

*Reading and trying to incorporate practices from "The Blue Zone Challenge" 

*Cooking a weekly recipe from "The Blue Zone Cookbook" 

*Continuing (after a long break) 75-Self Love, a yoga challenge 

That's it for September! I'll do an update after each week (one due now!) and an update in October! 

Sherry 

aka Well-Versed Women