1. Position/title: Visiting Assistant Professor of Classics.

2. Hometown: Memphis, Tenn.

3. Career highlight: Presenting a paper on Alexander the Great at the University of Reading in England. (But my first article, a piece on Pompey in the journal Latomus, is pretty special, too.)

4. Signature class: "Foreigners in the Ancient World." (I designed this course at UC Davis. It covers Greek and Roman perceptions of and interaction with foreigners.)

5. Recent publication/exhibition/performance: "Alcman's Partheneion and Eliade's Sacred Time."Classical and Modern Literature 25.1 (2005): 115-127.

6. Family details: Recently celebrated my 10th anniversary with my wife Teresa. I have five stepchildren and (soon to be) eight step grandchildren. And I'm only 38!

7. Hobbies: Love science fiction! In literature, television and film.

8. Pets: None now. (I miss my dogs and cats.)

9. Prized possession: My 44 original Kenner Star Wars action figures from the 1970's, along with ships and play sets, all in good condition. If only they were still in their original packaging!

10. Last book read:A Grief Observed by C. S. Lewis.

11. Memorable trip/vacation: England (April 2005).

12. Favorite movie:Star Wars (original).

13. Favorite album: Can't say, but I love Enya, ABBA and classical music.

14. Favorite food: My wife's fried chicken.

15. Favorite smell: Again, my wife's fried chicken.

16. Person you most admire: Gandalf (Oh, wait, does it have to be a real person?)

17. Living figure you'd most like to meet: Anyone with whom I'm likely to have a really good conversation, like Dan Brown, Seth MacFarlane, Ronald D. Moore or J. Michael Straczynski

18. Historical figure you'd most like to meet: Herodotus, assuming I can handle his Ionic Greek accent.

19. What would you be doing if you weren't teaching at Centre: Teaching elsewhere, if lucky.

20. Describe yourself in three words: Cogito ergo sum.