Mike Fontaine

1. 2022. Inspired by Marcus Tullius Cicero. How to Grieve: An Ancient Guide to the Lost Art of Consolation. Princeton University Press. Secret decoder-ring data set online here.

A survival guide to life. “Remarkable for an ardent hope and confident belief of a future State.” — John Adams

"I even did something no one's ever done before: I talked myself out of depression." (Cicero, March 45 BCE)

• Reviews: Fortress of the Mind; Classics For All; The New Criterion; Penniless Press
• The backstory:
  • Jurassic Marc: Adventures in Decoding Cicero’s Consolation. Antigone.
  • Compared to other forgeries: The Testimony of Language. Fortress of the Mind.
• Cicero’s arguments for everlasting life: On Consolation, Grief, and Coping, and Heaven. Princeton University Press Ideas
• How the arguments work: A New-Old Way of Coping with Grief. Mad In America
• More bogus-but-authentic Cicero: Cicero’s Six Mistakes of Man. Classical Wisdom
• Webinars: Classical Wisdom (panel discussion); Paideia Institute (solo)

In 45 BCE, the Roman statesman Cicero fell to pieces when his beloved daughter died from complications of childbirth. But from the depths of despair, Cicero fought his way back. In an effort to cope with his loss, he wrote a consolation speech—not for others, as had always been done, but for himself. And it worked. Cicero’s Consolation to Himself was something new in literature, equal parts philosophy and motivational speech. Drawing on the full range of Greek philosophy and Roman history, Cicero convinced himself that death and loss are part of life, and that if others have survived them, we can, too; resilience, endurance, and fortitude are the way forward.

Lost in antiquity, Cicero’s Consolation was recreated in the Renaissance from hints in Cicero’s other writings and the Greek and Latin consolatory tradition. The resulting masterpiece—translated here for the first time in 250 years—is infused throughout with Cicero’s thought and spirit.

Complete with the original Latin on facing pages and an inviting introduction, Michael Fontaine’s engaging translation makes this searching exploration of grief available to readers once again.

2.  Marcus Tullius Cicero. How to Tell a Joke: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Humor.  Princeton University Press. Translations: Korean, Indonesian.

• Overview and backstory: Cornell Chronicle
• Cornell Executive Education online courses: Using Humor for Influence; Using Humor in the Workplace
• Op-eds: Classic Insights into the Art of Humor in the Workplace; Thirteen Dad Jokes from Ancient Rome for Father’s Day.
• Webinars: eCornell Keynote; Cornell Library 
• Radio/Podcast: Newstalk (Ireland); Ad Navesam
• Reviews: The Wall Street Journal; The Times; Classical Wisdom; Journal of Classics Teaching; Classics for All; The Fence; Inside Story; Pennsylvania Literary Journal; Australasian Humour Studies Digest

Can jokes win a hostile room, a hopeless argument, or even an election? You bet they can, according to Cicero, and he knew what he was talking about. One of Rome’s greatest politicians, speakers, and lawyers, Cicero was also reputedly one of antiquity’s funniest people. After he was elected commander-in-chief and head of state, his enemies even started calling him “the stand-up Consul.” How to Tell a Joke provides a lively new translation of Cicero’s essential writing on humor alongside that of the later Roman orator and educator Quintilian. The result is a timeless practical guide to how a well-timed joke can win over any audience.

As powerful as jokes can be, they are also hugely risky. The line between a witty joke and an offensive one isn’t always clear. Cross it and you’ll look like a clown, or worse. Here, Cicero and Quintilian explore every aspect of telling jokes—while avoiding costly mistakes. Presenting the sections on humor in Cicero’s On the Ideal Orator and Quintilian’s On the Orator’s Education, complete with an enlightening introduction and the original Latin on facing pages, How to Tell a Joke examines the risks and rewards of humor and analyzes basic types that readers can use to write their own jokes.

Filled with insight, wit, and examples, including more than a few lawyer jokes, How to Tell a Joke will appeal to anyone interested in humor or the art of public speaking.