Michael J.B. Allen studied at Wadham College Oxford and the University of Michigan before joining the faculty of the University of California, Los Angeles. At his recent Shoptalk on Pythagoras and the Renaissance, director Christopher Celenza, FAAR’94, surmised that he was the man for whom the term Distinguished Professor was coined. He is a Scholar in Residence at the American Academy in Rome and has authored a number of books on the texts and philosophy of Marsilio Ficino including, Third Eye: Studies in Marsilio Ficino’s Aesthetics and Its Sources (1995), Synoptic Art: Marsilio Ficino on the History of Platonic Interpretation (1998), and a six volume translation of the philosopher’s Platonic Theology, which was published with Harvard University Press’s I Tatti Renaissance series (2001-2006).
How did you come to be at UCLA and what do you think of your adopted city?
I came to UCLA straight out of graduate school and stayed for forty-one years. We love Santa Monica. It is a very liberal place and I don’t mean that in the sense that many Americans intend… It has a progressive social action agenda and is a beautiful coastal city with some rugged mountains to the north with fabulous trails.
Have you had any fruitful exchanges or encounters with other residents and fellows since you arrived?
Here there are always interesting people coming and going. The fellows and their significant others are much younger than me, but very exciting and convivial! We have enjoyed a Saturday night film and other gatherings with them. It has been great fun meeting new people completely out of my field such as Bruce Babbitt, Christia Mercer, and Susan Hockfield. And my wife, Elena, who is also here with me as a visiting artist, has been having a wonderful time with the other artists who make up a very vibrant group.
Have you had any inspiring moments since you arrived that might influence your future work?
Well I’m having a lovely time! I’m about to send off a large manuscript that I’ve been working on for long time - about five years and I’m doing some final checking here in the splendid library. Since Elena has been inspired by Ottorino Respighi’s Pines of Rome, my epiphanic moments have been keyed to the contemplation of Roman pine trees alongside my wife!
How did you come to be good friends with Christopher Celenza?
I’ve known Chris for a number of years. I am also a Shakespearean and Chris shares my interest in Platonic and Pythagorean thought. We’ve chaired conferences together and ended up reviewing each other’s work. We’re friends and colleagues!
How do you enjoy being at the academy and where do you find yourself doing most of your work?
The academy sits on top of a famous hill where you can look out at the whole of Rome! It is a great place to spend seven and a half weeks. I could easily nest down in my very comfortable room, but I’ve done most of my work in the library.
What are your thoughts on Rome?
The last time I was in Rome I was a very young Associate Professor. The first three days I suffered from the old jet lag, arriving as I did from California, but it is one of the most wonderful cities in the world. Everything looks so snappy. Yesterday we spent the whole day at the Campidoglio. I hadn’t seen the major modernization of the museum before. The paintings in the Pinacoteca still need a good cleaning though.
How do you regard the legacy of Marsilio Ficino in contemporary philosophy?
Well he’s very important in the Italian tradition as one of the defining figures of the quattrocento. He was a magus, Hellenist, philosopher, theologian, therapist, and earlier on a musician; above all he was a formidably learned and at the same time imaginative scholar-thinker. Many of his texts have become more accessible recently in the Harvard I Tatti Renaissance Library series. Interestingly James Hillman and other Jungians have engaged him as one of the founding fathers if you will of depth-psychology, but I’m not entirely persuaded. I have been lucky in having him as an obsession!