GUEST  William Cook is Professor of History, SUNY Geneseo (Retired). Professor Cook earned his PhD in History from Cornell and taught Medieval History for 42 years, lecturing and writing on Dante extensively for a variety of different audiences. Bill now runs the William Cook Foundation which provides educational opportunities in low resource communities.   SHOW NOTES Profound lesson from teaching Dante to murderers [2:15] Overcoming the bitterness of factionalism [5:15] Dante's identity and the bygone Roman Empire [12:30] Hearing the Italian and breaking down structure [17:45] Good translations and don't get lost in the notes  [20:30] Free Will understanding who you are [23:00] The journey of conversion [26:50] Finding your place in the Divine Comedy [33:15] Plug for the great work of the Bill Cook Foundation [37:00]