Peter Jeffreys, PhD

Research Interests

• British Modernism
• The Bloomsbury Group
• Literary Decadence
• British Aestheticism
• Byzantine Art and Hymnography
• Modern Greek Literature

Publications

Books

• Alexandrian Sphinx: C.P. Cavafy—A Poet’s Life. Co-authored with Gregory Jusdanis. New York: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (Forthcoming).
• Approaches to Teaching the Work of Cavafy. Co-edited with Demetrios Tryphonopoulos. Approaches to Teaching World Literature Series. Modern Language Association of America (2024).
• Στο Kάδρο της Παρακμής: Φανταστικά Πορτραίτα του Κ.Π. Καβάφη. Heraklion: Crete University Press (2023).
• Reframing Decadence: C.P. Cavafy's Imaginary Portraits. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. 2015.
• E.M. Forster-Κ.Π. Καβάφης Αλληλογραφία: Φίλοι σε Eλαφρήν Aπόκλιση. Athens: Ikaros Press, 2013.
• C.P. Cavafy: Selected Prose Works. Translated, annotated and introduced by Peter Jeffreys. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 2010.
• The Forster-Cavafy Letters: Friends at a Slight Angle. New York: The American University in Cairo Press, 2009.
• Eastern Questions: Hellenism and Orientalism in the Writings of E. M. Forster and C. P. Cavafy. ELT Press of English Literature in Transition, 1880-1920, The 1880-1920 British Authors Series, Number 18. Greensboro: ELT Press, 2005.
• Saint George’s Greek Orthodox Church: An Architectural and Iconographic Guide. Toronto: University of Toronto Press (privately printed), 2000.

Books in Progress:

Cavafy Brothers Inc.: John, Aristides, and Paul.
Under Composition.

Nikolaos Soliotis: The First Freedom Fighter of the Greek Revolution.
Under Composition.

Articles, Essays, and Poems

• “’I’ve Brought to Art’: Cavafy’s Decadent Aesthetic.” Approaches to Teaching the Work of Cavafy. Edited by Peter Jeffreys and Demetrios Tryphonopoulos.
  Approaches to Teaching World Literature Series. Modern Language Association of America. (Forthcoming, 2024).
• “Carré Anglais.” (Poem). Mediterranean Poetry. November 2023.
• “Αν συναντούσα σήμερα τον Καβάφη/If I met Cavafy today…” ΤΑ ΝΕΑ. 22-23 April, 2023.
• “Cavafy’s Levant: Commerce, Culture and Mimicry in the Early Life of the Poet.” Boundary 2: an international journal of literature and culture. May 2021.
• “Σεραφείμ.” (Poem). ΧΑΡΤΗΣ. Απρίλιος 2021. Translated by George Veis.
• “The Spoils of Ibrahim.” (Poem). Mediterranean Poetry. December 2020.
• “St. Sophia’s Seraphim.” (Poem). The National Herald. July 17, 2020.
• "Solos." (Poem). Mediterranean Poetry. May 2019.
• "The Cavafy Enigma." Cavafy Archive/Onassis Foundation. March 2019.
• “Greek Necropolis.” (Poem). C.P. Cavafy Forum, University of Michigan. Fall 2018. Department of Classical Studies and Modern Greek.
• “Arrangement in Black and Gray: After Whistler.” (Poem). Ergon: Greek American Transnational Arts and Letters. Fall 2017.
• “Συμφωνία σε Μαύρο και Γκρι: Μετά από Whistler.” (Poem). Άνθη της Πέτρας. Summer 2017.
• “Seraph.” (Poem). Paradise in Limbo Literary Arts Magazine. Issue 1: September, 2016: 13-14.
• “C.P. Cavafy: Living for Art.” The National Herald. December 15, 2013.
• “Remembering Cavafy 150 Years Later.”  13 December, 2013. C.P. Cavafy Forum, University of Michigan.
• “Ταξίδι στον χρόνο με τον Καβάφη: διασκελίζοντας δύο αιώνες/Time Travel with Cavafy: Spanning Two Centuries.” Τα Νέα-Ταχυδρόμος. 2 June, 2013.
• “Οι αυτοκράτειρες του Καβάφη: μια σημείωση για το βυζαντινό camp”/Cavafy’s Empresses: A Note on Byzantine Camp.” Το Δέντρο. June 2013.
• “Performing in Prose: Cavafy’s Πεζά and the Problematics of Style.” Imagination and Logos: Essays on C.P. Cavafy. Harvard Early Modern and Modern Greek Studies. Ed. Panagiotis Roilos. Harvard University Press, 2010.
• “'Aesthetic to the point of affliction’: Cavafy and English Aestheticism.” Journal of Modern Greek Studies 24.1 (2006): 57-89.
• “Cavafian Catoptromancy: A Response to Mr. Savidis.” Windows on Greece: University of Michigan Department of Modern Greek On-Line Cavafy Forum—February 2006.
• “Following the Recipe: Cavafy and Magical Texts” in “…what these Ithacas mean.”: Readings in Cavafy. Athens: Hellenic Literary and Historic Archive, 2002: 134-135.
• “Dünya Güzeli: Cavafy’s Folkloric Odalisque.”Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies 26 (2002): 219-247.
• “Cavafy, Forster, and the Eastern Question.” Journal of Modern Greek Studies 19.1 (2001): 61-87.

Lectures, Papers and Speaking Engagements

• “’From the Imagination to Paper’: Sailing with Cavafy.”
  Opening Plenary Remarks: International Cavafy Summer School
  Onassis Foundation Cavafy Archive
  Athens, July 3, 2023.
• "The Other Cavafys: The Creative Aspirations of John, Aristides, and Paul."
  The 33rd Leontis Memorial Lecture in Modern Greek Studies
  The Ohio State University
  Columbus, April 6, 2023.
• “Gothic ‘In Broad Daylight’: Cavafy’s Debt to Poe.” The Fifth International Edgar Allan Poe Conference: Poe Takes Boston.” Boston, April 7-10, 2022.
• “Translation and Transparency: The ‘Walls’ and ‘The Windows’ of C.P. Cavafy’s Poetic Transmission.” Panel on “Translation and Transmission: Greece and the Globe.” The American Comparative Literature Association’s 2021 Annual Meeting (April 8-11, 2021).
• "Cavafy's Levant: Commerce, Culture and Mimicry in the Early Life of the Poet." Cavafy Archive, Onassis Foundation International Cavafy Summer School. Athens, July 8-14, 2019.
• “’Let me submit to Art’: Cavafy’s Pictorialist Poetics.” Cavafy Archive-Onassis Foundation. Athens, June 15, 2018.
• “Cavafy Bros. Inc.: Fraternizing through Commerce and Culture.” Modern Greek Studies Association 25th Biennial Symposium. Stockton University, November 2-5, 2017.
• “C.P. Cavafy’s Imaginary Portraits: Reframing Aestheticism.” University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada. Co-sponsored by UNESCO and the Greek Ministry of Culture, November 26, 2013.
• “Cavafy’s Byzantium: The Poetics of Exquisite Decline.” Lecture.
  - Institute of Sacred Music Colloquium, Yale University, November 2, 2011.
  - Hellenic Studies Program, Department of Comparative Literature,Yale University, November 3, 2011
• “The Other Cavafy: Selected Prose Works.” Lecture and Book Presentation. University of Michigan Department of Greek Studies, Kelsey Archeological Museum, March 22, 2011.
• “Traces of Paterian Thought in Cavafy’s Shakespeare.” International Cavafy Conference on Editing and Translation in Honor of G.P. Savidis, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus, October 15-17, 2010.
• “The Slight Angle: The Forster-Cavafy Letters.” Lecture and Book Presentation.
  -Boston Greek Consulate, November 11, 2009.
  -King’s College, Cambridge University, November 24, 2009.
  -Brown University, Department of Classics, April 24, 2010.

Professional Activities

• Member of the Cavafy Academic Committee (2023-2026)
  Cavafy Archive, Onassis Foundation, Athens, Greece
• Co-Convener and Co-Organizer: International Cavafy Summer School
  “Cavafy Across the Disciplines and Arts”
  Onassis Foundation Cavafy Archive
  Athens, July 3-8, 2023.
• Member of the Editorial Board (2013-2016)
  Journal of Modern Greek Studies      
• Member of the Executive Board, 2011-2014
  Modern Greek Studies Association
• Associate Editor (Arts & Humanities), 2010-2012
  Journal of Modern Greek Studies