French professor translates, illustrates 300-year-old book
Randolph Runyon, professor of French at Miami University, recently published his latest book, La Fontaine's Complete Tales in Verse: An Illustrated and Annotated Translation.
Although Jean de La Fontaine's book, Contes et nouvelles en vers, was written more than 300 years ago, Runyon's book is the first complete English translation.
The book includes Runyon's commentary and 69 illustrations including engravings by Jean-Honoré Fragonard and others from 19th century French editions.
Runyon also wrote In La Fontaine's Labyrinth: A Thread through the Fables, published in 2000. Runyon has been a Miami faculty member since 1977. He has published eight books on topics such as the poems of Robert Penn Warren, the short stories of Raymond Carver and a historical account of Delia Webster's life, a heroine of the Underground Railroad.
Miami Symphony Orchestra features well-known cellist
The Miami University Symphony Orchestra will be performing with special guest Efe Baltacigil at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27 in Hall Auditorium. Roberto Schuman's "Cello concerto in A minor" will be performed.
Baltacigil, a native of Turkey, graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia in 2002 and has since appeared alongside violinist Pinchas Zukerman and cellist Yo-Yo Ma at Carnegie Hall. In 2005 and 2006, he was named winner of the Young Concert Artists International Auditions.
The concert is presented by Miami's Performing Arts Series and the department of music, with help from the Ohio Arts Council.
