I was born in New Jersey, graduated from Amherst (B.A. 1957), attended Harvard as a special student (1960), and received a Ph.D. in English from the University of Connecticut (1965). I've taught at the University of Washington (1963–1965) and the University of Massachusetts (from 1965 to 1996, serving as Graduate Director from 1982 to 1986 and as Department Chair from 1986 to 1992.

In addition to essays on Classical and English literature, I've published six books of poetry and translations of eight plays by Euripides and Sophocles. My first book, Madonna of the Cello, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. My translations of Greek plays have been staged in sixty productions worldwide. I've held Guggenheim, Ingram Merrill, Rockefeller (Bellagio Residency), NEA and NEH fellowships, the latter in 2007 for work on a critical biography of Richard Wilbur.

I live in Western Massachusetts with my wife Mary, a free-lance writer and editor. My remaining outdoor enthusiasm is golf, but earlier ones included déjeuner sur l'herbe, touch football, skiing, sailing, and horseback riding.

I have three websites: www.robertbagg.com [2]
www.thecompletesophocles.com [3]
www.spiritusmundipress.com [4]