Mourning Prince, Ziggy Stardust … and Oedipus
Social Media Brings an Ancient Greek Twist to a Previously Private American Ritual
After Prince died my Facebook news feed filled with mourning. My friends shared the time he sang “Starfish and Coffee” with the Muppets, told stories of going to concerts at the Oakland Coliseum and Mohegan Sun Casino and explained in detail how much he meant to them. For a week, San Francisco and Los Angeles city halls got lit up in violet. I teach ancient Greek literature and culture at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and this struck me as both strange and familiar. I sometimes feel closer to the …
