Q&A: Faculty member's new books explore philosophy, language and interpretation

MONT ALTO, Pa. - Through translation, poetry and philosophical inquiry, D. M. Spitzer, adjunct lecturer in arts and humanities at Penn State Mont Alto, explores new ways of interpreting some of the earliest texts in Greek thought.

During the 2025-26 academic year, Spitzer published two books examining ancient philosophy through language, imagination, relation and interpretation - themes that have shaped nearly three decades of his creative and scholarly work.

In "Parmenides & Translation: Figures of Motion, Figures of Being," published by Peter Lang Verlag in 2025, Spitzer revisited the ancient Greek philosophic poem known as the "Poem of Parmenides." Blending scholarship, philosophical inquiry and poetry, Spitzer said, the book explores how translation itself becomes a way of understanding meaning, motion and being.

In his latest book, "Breaking Light: Toward a Poetics of Opacity in Early Greek Thinking," published by SUNY Press this year, examines the earliest Greek philosophers through the concept of "opacity," drawing on the work of Martinican thinker Édouard Glissant. Rather than viewing philosophy as a search for clarity and singular truth, Spitzer said his work explores the richness found in complexity, relation and multiple possibilities.

"Both books ask readers to slow down and think differently about language and meaning," Spitzer said. "Ancient philosophy still has the power to reshape how we understand ourselves and our relationships with others."

At Penn State Mont Alto, Spitzer teaches courses in arts and humanities while continuing a long-standing body of research centered on philosophy and translation. He has also edited three scholarly collections, including "Studies in Ancient Greek Philosophy in Honor of Professor Anthony Preus," published by Routledge in 2023.

Currently, Spitzer is completing another book focused on migration, trauma and early Greek philosophy.

For Spitzer, philosophy is not something confined to ancient texts or classrooms.

"It's about remaining open," he said. "Open to interpretation, to movement, to relation and to the many ways people make meaning in the world."