Episode 266: Dana Gioia
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Poetry in the Modern World
Is poetry only for the elite? There are some who would reserve poems only for a specialized audience, but poetry can be found everywhere. Poetry is the language of heightened experience.
Dana Gioia is an internationally acclaimed poet and writer. Dana is a former California Poet laureate and former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. He holds a B.A. and M.B.A. from Stanford and an M.A. from Harvard. Dana’s latest book of poems is called Meet Me at the Lighthouse.
Dana and Greg discuss the place of poetry in today’s society and how our relation to poetry differs from that of past eras. Dana goes over the different pathways to becoming a poet today and how his path differed from other poets. They talk about the advantages of being a poet working in business, and Dana also recites some of his poems for Greg.
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Episode Quotes:
Intelligence is in every profession
17:03: Intelligence is in every profession. It's in every class. It's in every race. And poets are deluding themselves to think that if they try to engage a broader public, they're somehow lowering their standards. It's more difficult to write a poem which engages different people in different professions with different life experience.
The magic spell of poetry
19:59: Poetry allows us to talk to the dead, remember people, and renew our experiences. That's the magic spell of poetry.
A big mistake academics make in poetry
35:39: As a poet, you're trying to create something which has enough room for your reader. And that is the big mistake academics make. If they were writing this poem, they would give it to you, tell you how to interpret it, and then ironize it and go; then there's no room for anybody else to bring their interpretation into it.
Poetry deepens your expression
48:39:If you're trying to write poetry at the outermost extent of its possibilities, you are by nature wrestling with the mysteries of human existence. It clarifies and deepens your expression to have one of the great spiritual traditions behind you, underneath you, or in front of you.
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Professional Profile on National Endowment for the Arts
Professional Profile on Poetry Foundation
Professional Profile on Poets.org