Diane Rayor

Translator

Grand Rapids, MI
Michigan US
Email: 
rayord@gvsu.edu

Author's Bio

Diane J. Rayor, Professor Emerita of Classics at Grand Valley State University/Michigan, translates Greek poetry and drama, including Sappho: A New Translation of the Complete Works (2023, audio recording freely available: cambridge.org/sappho); Homeric Hymns (2nd ed. 2014); Euripides’ Medea (2013); Sophocles’ Antigone (2011); Sappho’s Lyre: Archaic Lyric and Women Poets of Ancient Greece (1991); and Callimachus (with S. Lombardo, 1988). Her translations of Euripides’ Helen and Hecuba, under contract with Cambridge, will join Medea and Antigone soon. Her tragedy translations have been performed in Australia, Canada, Singapore, UK, and USA. In her thirtieth year of teaching at GVSU she retired from the Classics Department that she co-founded.

Publications & Prizes

Books:
Sappho: A New Translation of the Complete Works by Rayor; Sappho, translated from the Greek (Cambridge University Press, 2023)
;
The Homeric Hymns: A Translation, with Introduction and Notes by Rayor; Anonymous, translated from the Greek (University of California Press, 2014)
;
Euripides’ Medea: A New Translation by Rayor; Euripides, translated from the Greek (Cambridge University Press, 2013)
;
Sophocles’ Antigone: A New Translation by Rayor; Sophocles, translated from the Greek (Cambridge University Press, 2011)
;
Sappho’s Lyre: Archaic Lyric and Women Poets of Ancient Greece by Rayor; Anthology, translated from the Greek (University of California Press, 1991)
Prizes won: 
  • Roe Green Visiting Theatre Artist for 2018, at the University of Colorado, Boulder: Residency Fall 2018 for the production of Euripides’ Hecuba.https://cupresents.org/event/1654/cu-the...
  • Loeb Classical Library Foundation Fellowship for translating Euripides’ Helen ($35,000) July 2016-June 2017. http://lclf.harvard.edu/
    • Staged 2017: March 24-April 2, GVSU (director Karen Libman)
  • Internal Grant: Interdisciplinary Research Initiative for “Translating Greek Drama for the Stage” ($10,000) November 1, 2011-October 31, 2012. Euripides' Medea Staged 2012
  • Columbia University Translation Center Merit Award for Sappho's Lyre, 1992.

Watch

Personal Favorites

Favorite authors: 
Harryette Mullen, Rebeca Castellanos, Becky Chambers,

More Information

Gives readings: 
Yes
Travels for readings: 
No
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Last update: Sep 11, 2024