The Authority File Round-Up: February 2023

A quick overview of last month's episodes, in case you missed them

After a break in January, we returned last month with Dr. Sarah Derbew, assistant professor of Classics at Stanford University. We invited Sarah to TAF to dive into her latest book, Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity. The title aims to separate ancient and modern depictions of Blackness, demonstrating how a modern understanding of race can lead to reductive and harmful categorizations of ancient people. In the book, Sarah incorporates interdisciplinary scholarship, pulling from research in performance studies and critical race theory. Further, in our conversation she explores the future of the Classics, walking through the superficiality of expecting decolonization efforts to bring forth immediate results, and highlighting the innovative, thoughtful research of contemporary scholars.

Here’s a quick round-up of last month’s episodes, and a preview for March’s series. Happy listening!


New episodes with Stanford University’s Dr. Sarah Derbew

Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity book cover. Identical human statues sit in a row going from light to dark skin tones.

In this two-part series, Dr. Sarah Derbew, assistant professor of Classics at Stanford University, joins the program to discuss the future of Classical Studies and Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity. In the first episode, Sarah introduces us to her book, explaining how Classicists have historically approached ancient depictions of Blackness and how framing her title as an anti-racist study informed her research. In the second episode, she digs into the complications of “decolonizing” a subject like the Classics and shares her hopes for the evolution of Classical Studies.

Listen to episode one: Dr. Sarah Derbew on Untangling Blackness in Greek Antiquity
Listen to episode two: Dr. Sarah Derbew on the Future of Classical Studies


What’s Coming Up in March

SAE International logo

Adrian Guan and Tim Weisenberger, both product managers at SAE International, join the program to chat about the evolution and future of AI and cybersecurity for mobility. Adrian digs into the distinct, highly emergent characteristics of artificial intelligence, while Tim explains how cyber practices in mobility have matured in the last decade. The guests summarize SAE International’s offerings, its role in bringing industry experts together, and how the organization supports academics and those in commerce. Listen to the first episode here.


In other news, two Choice podcasts, The Authority File (TAF) and Toward Inclusive Excellence (TIE), were shortlisted for Media Voices’s Publisher Podcast Awards 2023TAF was shortlisted in two categories, Best Commercial Strategy and Best B2B Podcast, while TIE, the newest podcast from Choice, was shortlisted in the Best Hobbies & Special Interest category. The winners will be announced in April. You can read the press release here.


You can find more episodes of the Authority File here on our websiteApple PodcastsSpotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Thanks for listening! See you next month.


Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Choice Podcast Updates!

Get each month’s round-up sent directly to your inbox. Sign me up!