Old School with Shilo Brooks Dante: The Most Famous, Least Read Poet
Jan 22, 2026
Literature professor Joseph Luzzi, an expert in Italian literature and author, shares how Dante's The Divine Comedy helped him cope with the tragic loss of his pregnant wife. He discusses Dante's journey from despair to redemption, breaking down its three parts: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. Luzzi highlights the poem as a map for navigating grief and how literature offers solace in tough times. He also stresses Dante's role in shaping modern literature and the importance of making humanities accessible to everyone.
48:44
Sudden Loss And Immediate Fatherhood
- Joseph Luzzi became a widower and father in the same day after his wife died and their baby was saved by an emergency cesarean.
- That sudden trauma plunged him into deep grief and began his need for guides and meaning.
Comedy Is A Journey Of Hope
- The Divine Comedy is an epic about a human soul's journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven rather than mere punishment.
- Dante's encyclopedic erudition makes the poem demanding but intended for broader readership by using the vernacular.
How To Start Reading Dante
- Surrender to the poem and accept you won't understand every reference; listen to its poetry like music and keep sight of the whole story.
- Start with standout cantos (Inferno 5, 10, 26) and build outward rather than reading linearly for accessibility.
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Intro
00:00 • 1min
Luzzi's Personal Tragedy and Dante's Guidance
01:14 • 4min
What the Divine Comedy Is
04:46 • 4min
How to Begin Reading Dante
08:55 • 2min
Dante's Place in the Western Canon
10:38 • 3min
Ad break
13:59 • 3min
Dante as Map for Grief and Mourning
16:30 • 4min
Luzzi's Journey Through the Dark Wood
20:50 • 3min
Literature as a Guide for Suffering
23:53 • 3min
Grace, Guides, and Rebuilding Family
26:27 • 3min
Love, Memory, and Moving Forward
29:10 • 3min
Ad break
32:40 • 1min
Reading a Favorite Paradiso Passage
33:44 • 5min
Humanities in Crisis and Public Engagement
38:30 • 6min
Recommendations: Film, Food, and Art
44:12 • 3min
Advice for Academics Translating Work
47:20 • 1min
Outro
48:34 • 29sec
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In a dark wood
Joseph Luzzi
In a Dark Wood explores the author's personal journey through grief following the tragic loss of his wife.
He uses Dante's Divine Comedy as a framework to understand and process his experiences.
The book interweaves personal narrative with literary analysis, examining themes of loss, resilience, and the search for meaning.
Luzzi reflects on Dante's own exile and trauma, drawing parallels to his own struggles.
Through this exploration, he offers insights into the healing power of literature and the enduring relevance of Dante's work.
#2647
• Mentioned in 15 episodes
The leopard
Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
The Leopard, originally titled 'Il Gattopardo', is a novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa that explores the transformation of Sicilian society during the Italian unification in the 19th century.
The story centers around Don Fabrizio, the Prince of Salina, who represents the old feudal order and witnesses the transition of power from the aristocracy to the new bourgeois class.
The novel is set against the backdrop of Giuseppe Garibaldi's invasion of Sicily and the subsequent unification of Italy.
It is known for its vivid descriptions of Sicilian life, its complex characters, and its exploration of themes such as mortality, change, and the decline of the aristocracy.
#4038
• Mentioned in 11 episodes
Paradiso
Dante Alighieri
Mark Musa
Paradiso is the third and final part of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, following Inferno and Purgatorio.
It is an allegory that tells of Dante's journey through Heaven, guided by Beatrice and later by Saint Bernard.
Mark Musa's translation preserves the intricacy and poetic beauty of the original work, rendering it in clear, rhythmic English, accompanied by extensive notes and commentary.
#384
• Mentioned in 66 episodes
The Divine Comedy
Dante Alighieri
The Divine Comedy is an Italian narrative poem begun around 1308 and completed around 1321.
It is divided into three parts: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso.
The poem discusses the state of the soul after death and presents an image of divine justice, describing Dante's travels through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven.
It is an allegory representing the soul's journey towards God, drawing on medieval Catholic theology and philosophy, especially Thomistic philosophy.
The work is considered one of the greatest in Italian literature and Western literature, and it helped establish the Tuscan language as the standardized Italian language.
#132
• Mentioned in 134 episodes
Paradise Lost
John Milton
Published in 1667, 'Paradise Lost' is an epic poem in blank verse that follows the biblical story of the Fall of Man. The poem begins in medias res, detailing the descent of Satan and his followers into Hell after their rebellion against God. It explores two main narrative arcs: one focusing on Satan's actions and the other on Adam and Eve's story in the Garden of Eden.
The poem delves into themes such as free will, obedience, revenge, and pride, and it portrays the complex characters of Satan, Adam, and Eve. Milton's work is known for its rich language, classical structure, and profound theological and philosophical insights.
#6704
• Mentioned in 7 episodes
Vita Nuova
Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri's "Vita Nuova" is a collection of poems and prose that recounts his youthful love for Beatrice Portinari.
The work is a significant example of courtly love literature and explores themes of love, beauty, and spiritual longing.
Dante's poetic style is characterized by its emotional intensity and allegorical depth.
The work is structured around the stages of Dante's love for Beatrice, from initial encounter to her death and his subsequent spiritual journey.
"Vita Nuova" is considered a precursor to Dante's later masterpiece, "The Divine Comedy.
"
#75
• Mentioned in 192 episodes
The great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Published in 1925, 'The Great Gatsby' is a tragic love story, a mystery, and a social commentary on American life during the Jazz Age. The novel is narrated by Nick Carraway, who moves to Long Island and becomes entangled in the lives of his wealthy and mysterious neighbor, Jay Gatsby, and Gatsby's obsession to win back his first love, Daisy Buchanan.
The story delves into themes of honesty, the temptations of wealth, and the struggle to escape the past, ultimately reflecting on the disintegration of the American Dream.
#1027
• Mentioned in 33 episodes
Inferno
Dante Alighieri
Inferno is the first part of Dante Alighieri's epic poem, The Divine Comedy.
It describes Dante's journey through the nine concentric circles of Hell, each representing a different level of sin and punishment.
Guided by Virgil, Dante encounters various historical and mythological figures, witnessing their punishments which are symbolic of their sins.
The poem is an allegory of the soul's journey towards God, with Inferno representing the recognition and rejection of sin.
Dante's journey through Hell is also a personal and spiritual exploration, reflecting his own struggles and the political and social issues of his time.
#3390
• Mentioned in 12 episodes
Purgatorio
Dante Alighieri
In *Purgatorio*, Dante Alighieri continues his journey from *Inferno*, guided by the Roman poet Virgil.
The poem follows Dante as he ascends Mount Purgatory, a seven-terrace mountain where souls atone for the seven deadly sins.
Along the way, Dante encounters various historical and mythological figures, engaging in discussions about sin, love, and human development.
The journey culminates at the Garden of Eden, where Dante meets Beatrice, who will guide him through the next stage of his journey in *Paradiso*.
The poem explores themes of redemption, suffering, and the purification of the soul, all while reflecting on divine truth and human history.
#10297
• Mentioned in 4 episodes
The betrothed
Alessandro Manzoni
#12903
• Mentioned in 4 episodes
Mimesis
The Representation of Reality in Western Literature
Erich Auerbach
#630
• Mentioned in 46 episodes
The sun also rises
Ernest Hemingway
Originally published in 1926, 'The Sun Also Rises' is Ernest Hemingway’s first novel and a classic example of his spare but powerful writing style.
The novel follows a group of young American and British expatriates as they wander through Europe in the mid-1920s, capturing the moods, feelings, and attitudes of the cynical and disillusioned Lost Generation.
The story centers around Jake Barnes, a World War I veteran and journalist, and Lady Brett Ashley, as they journey from the wild nightlife of 1920s Paris to the brutal bullfighting rings of Spain.
The novel portrays an age of moral bankruptcy, spiritual dissolution, unrealized love, and vanishing illusions, reflecting the existential disillusionment characteristic of the Lost Generation.
Dante Alighieri is one of the most consequential poets in human history, and his The Divine Comedy is essential to understanding Western civilization itself. And yet, though most of us have heard of Inferno, Dante remains one of the least read of all the greats. His masterpiece unfolds in three parts—Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso—charting a journey from despair to redemption.
For literature professor Joseph Luzzi, this journey was not abstract. After his wife was tragically killed in a car accident while eight months pregnant, leaving him widowed and a father on the same day, the epic poem helped him overcome his grief and build a new life. In this episode, Shilo and Joseph sit down to discuss Dante’s genius.
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