I was very saddened by the death of Edmund “Mike” Keeley ’48, a professor who was central to my Princeton experience. The memorial article published in the February issue (“Lives Lived & Lost”) ably recounts his significance as a translator of modern Greek poetry, as well as many of his other accomplishments. But it does not mention his brilliance as a teacher, and what a valuable mentor he was to young translators trying to master the difficult work of conveying a literary text into graceful English.
I enrolled in his translation workshop almost every semester that I was at Princeton, both as an undergraduate and a graduate student, and it was the most valuable educational experience I have ever had. Mike taught us that literary translation is a creative art well worth cultivating. He took us seriously, respected our often-halting attempts, helped us to find ways to express ourselves more effectively, supported us as we sought wider audiences for our work, and encouraged us to go farther than we ever thought we could — all with impressive patience and good humor. I regret that future students will not have the chance to experience this gift.