Q&A: My blooper at the University of Oxford

Q: Prior to writing The Pilgrim, you researched the story at the University of Oxford. But you almost didn’t make it past day 1 of your “Economics of the Late Roman Empire” class.

Davis Bunn: True! The course was taught by a don – a full professor – on the theology faculty. On the first day of class he walked in wearing his robe. Very few lecturers wear the robe to class; you usually see faculty wearing robes only at formal dinners.

He wrote something on the board in script I’ve never seen before.

Then he turned around and asked, “Am I correct in assuming that everyone here has a working knowledge of Aramaic?”

I almost got up and walked out that instant. And I thought seriously about dropping the class.

Later, when I shared my reservations with the don, he kindly said, “You can stay, Davis. Everyone in this class knows how many books you’ve sold.”

Davis Bunn’s Oxford blooper during his research for THE PILGRIM
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Also in this Q&A Series:

How historically accurate are the people, places, time period, and events in ‘The Pilgrim’?
What qualities did you read into the character of Saint Helena?
Is there a Catholic saint with whom you viscerally connect?
The appeal and challenges of writing about a historical figure