On March 4th, 2025, Cornell College welcomed Modern Bard, Joe Goodkin, to campus. Armed with a guitar, lyrical slideshow, a degree in Classical Studies, and a desire to share his music inspired by Homer’s The Iliad, he performed an instrumental love letter that recounts the story of the Trojan War. His performance “evokes the original oral tradition of epic bards that stretches back millennia and frames the poem in an accessible way…for modern audiences” (Bowdoin College). The album of the Blues of Achilles involves 17 songs, all performed by Goodkin and produced with Steve Albini. Goodkin himself graduated with his classical degree from the University of Wisconsin and has since been performing all over the world and on many college campuses.
This interpretation of The Iliad was striking in its ability to convey moments of love, grief, and anger. Each song had so much thought and care put into every lyric that left a mark on the audience’s hearts. The most distinct ones were the songs about love: a mother who loves her son and wants him to live a successful legacy, Achilles and Patroclus whose love transcends death, the brotherly love between Agamemnon and Menelaus. Even if someone only knows bits and pieces about The Iliad, these songs truly allow listeners to understand what is going on and be able to easily follow along with the story.
Having loved the Percy Jackson series and How to Train Your Dragon–both forms of media that dive into Classical and Nordic mythology–my knowledge of the different stories that follow these divine beings is reasonably large. I have taken classes about different Greek customs, beliefs, and myths that have influenced my desire to continue learning about as much as I can. I am inspired by Goodkin’s rendition of The Iliad and believe that it could inspire a potential game (or a better, well developed movie/ television series) following Achilles and Patroclus during the war. There are a lot of interpretations of the book and it would be cool to add one more interpretation to that list.
Since coming to Cornell, I have fallen in love with a lot of areas of study. While I am currently studying Creative Writing and Art History, this has stemmed from my love of storytelling that comes from understanding these myths. The details etched in stone and carved in marble has always had this influence on western culture and has inspired modern interpretations like Percy Jackson, Disney’s Hercules, and the God of War video game franchise. It has even inspired me to continue working towards my writing degree to pursue screenwriting. I am excited to meet Rachel Yoder, author of the book Nightbitch, and learn about what it takes to become a screenwriter when she visits campus on April 1st.
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