#40: All Those Yesterdays: a lifelong conversation with poet-philosopher John Koethe

Nov 28, 2024

Renowned poet and philosopher John Koethe discusses the intricate dance between poetry and philosophy. He delves into the idea of the oscillating self, bridging the gap between dichotomies. Reflecting on his journey from religion to a secular understanding of spirituality, he captures the essence of personal experience in artistic expression. The interplay of creativity, consciousness, and the beauty of existence emerges as key themes, alongside love and loss, highlighted through poetic structures that shape deep emotions.

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ANECDOTE

Shift in Passion

John Koethe's initial passion was science and math, aiming to be a physicist.
He shifted to philosophy and poetry after discovering modernist literature.

ANECDOTE

Discovering Modern Poetry

Koethe's first encounter with modern poetry, specifically Yeats and Eliot, in college transformed him.
This led him to quit track, start smoking, and embrace poetry.

ANECDOTE

The New York School Influence

Koethe connected with the Black Mountain poets' focus on language and disjunctive style.
Through Lewis McAdams, he discovered and was deeply influenced by the New York School, especially Ashbery.

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Frank O'Hara, John Ashbery, Ludwig Wittgenstein, dualism, physics, and more.
"John Koethe was born on December 25, 1945. He began writing poetry in 1964 during his undergraduate years at Princeton University and went on to receive a PhD in philosophy from Harvard University.

Koethe’s Ninety-fifth Street (Harper Perennial, 2009) won the 2010 Lenore Marshall Prize from the Academy of American Poets. He has published numerous other books of poetry, including Cemeteries and Galaxies (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2025); Walking Backwards: Poems 1966–2016 (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2018); The Swimmer (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2016); North Point North: New and Selected Poems (Harper Perennial, 2003), which was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; The Constructor (Harper Perennial, 1999); Falling Water (Harper Perennial, 1997), which won the Kingsley Tufts Award; Domes (Columbia University Press, 1974), which won the Frank O’Hara Award for Poetry; and Blue Vents (Audit/Poetry, 1968)."

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/john-koethe
https://poets.org/poet/john-koethe

Exploring the Intersection of Poetry and Philosophy with John Koethe
In this episode of 'Love and Philosophy,' host Andrea interviews renowned poet and philosopher John Koethe. They discuss the concept of the oscillating self as a bridge between dichotomies, particularly within the realms of poetry and philosophy. John shares his journey from being a young poet influenced by figures like John Ashbury and Frank O'Hara, to earning a PhD in philosophy and balancing both disciplines throughout his career. They explore the themes of self-conversation in poetry, the intersection of scientific and artistic pursuits, and the enduring sense of awe in consciousness. The conversation also touches on the emotional landscapes of Koethe's poetry, including themes of nostalgia and the sublime. The episode concludes with a reading from Koethe's book 'Falling Water.'

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00:00 Introduction to John Koethe
00:31 John Koethe's Background and Achievements
01:06 Balancing Poetry and Philosophy
03:45 Early Influences and Religious Upbringing
06:31 Transition to Literature and Philosophy
08:43 Discovering Modern Poetry
12:52 Meeting Influential Poets
21:23 Romanticism and Modernism in Poetry
23:46 Philosophical Dualism and the Mind-Body Problem
30:18 Modernism in Art, Literature, and Physics
33:27 Foundations of Quantum Mechanics
34:19 Exploring Perspectives in Poetry
35:43 Philosophical Influences and Oscillations
41:02 Conversations with Influential Thinkers
42:11 The Role of Conversation in Poetry
46:26 Philosophy vs. Poetry: Different Constraints
53:06 The Sublime and Self-Consciousness
58:41 Architecture and the Passage of Time
01:01:12 Concluding Thoughts and Future Works
01:02:56 Poetry Reading: The Realm of Ends

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