Dana Gioia

Dana Gioia, a renowned poet and former Chairman of the NEA, shares his deep insights into the writing craft. He discusses the transformative power of poetry, emphasizing emotional depth and vulnerability. Gioia breaks down the writing process—through inspiration, revisions, and personal experiences. He highlights the importance of patience, community, and daily practice for aspiring writers. The conversation also touches on the impact of grief on writing, the significance of commonplace books, and how the digital age influences creativity.

Dana Gioia, a celebrated poet and critic, passionately discusses poetry as an active experience. He emphasizes the importance of performance, memorization, and the personal engagement with poems, rather than just analytical study. Gioia and David Whyte explore how memorizing poems serves as emotional support in challenging times. Their conversation highlights writing as more than mere words—it's a practice of attention and authenticity that enriches our understanding of life.

Dana Gioia, an acclaimed poet and former California Poet Laureate, discusses his fascinating journey from marketing Jell-O to becoming an influential literary figure. He shares how an MBA enriched his poetic craft and why narrative is vital for coping with life. Gioia explores the impact of Virgil on early Christian thought and the challenges of modern libretti. He reflects on the cultural power of art, the importance of bridging divides in the arts, and the value of deep interests over distractions in our information-driven world.

Dana Gioia, a prominent poet and author of "Studying with Miss Bishop," discusses the paradox of poetry's waning significance in modern culture while highlighting its transformative power. He shares insights on mentorship, the connection between literature and personal emotions, and the impact of aging on creativity. The conversation delves into the importance of aligning artistic endeavors with personal values, and reflects on poignant moments like Amanda Gorman's inaugural poem, revealing how poetry can serve as a beacon of resilience and meaning in our lives.

In this episode, I am joined by the poet and critic Dana Gioia to discuss Charles Baudelaire's famous book of poems, Les Fleurs du Mal, or The Flowers of Evil. We tackle some big questions in this episode, such as whether and how evil can be beautiful, the nature of Catholic art and poetry, original sin, and the poet as a damned figure. I hope you enjoy our conversation. Dana Gioia is an internationally acclaimed poet and writer. He received a B.A. and M.B.A. from Stanford and an M.A. from Harvard in Comparative Literature. Gioia has published five full-length collections of verse, most recently 99 Poems: New & Selected (2016), which won the Poets’ Prize as the best new book of the year. His third collection, Interrogations at Noon (2001), was awarded the American Book Award. An influential critic, Gioia has published four books of essays. His controversial volume, Can Poetry Matter? (1992), was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle award. Gioia has also edited or co-edited two dozen best-selling literary anthologies, including An Introduction to Poetry (with X. J. Kennedy) and Best American Poetry 2018. His essays and memoirs have appeared in The New Yorker, Atlantic, Washington Post, New York Times, Hudson Review, and BBC Radio. Gioia has written four opera libretti and collaborated with musicians in genres from classical to jazz. His work has been set to music by Morten Lauridsen, Lori Laitman, Dave Brubeck, Ned Rorem, Paul Salerni, and numerous other composers. He collaborated with jazz pianist Helen Sung on her vocal album, Sung With Words (2018). His dance opera (with Paul Salerni), Haunted, premiered in 2019. Gioia also served as the California State Poet Laureate from 2015 to 2019. During his tenure he became the first laureate to visit all 58 counties of California. His statewide tour became the subject of a BBC Radio documentary. Jennifer Frey is an associate professor of philosophy and Peter and Bonnie McCausland Faculty Fellow at the University of South Carolina. She is also a fellow of the Institute for Human Ecology at the Catholic University of America and the Word on Fire Institute. Prior to joining the philosophy faculty at USC, she was a Collegiate Assistant Professor of Humanities at the University of Chicago, where she was a member of the Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts and an affiliated faculty in the philosophy department. She earned her Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh, and her B.A. in Philosophy and Medieval Studies (with a Classics minor) at Indiana University, in Bloomington, Indiana. She has published widely on action, virtue, practical reason, and meta-ethics, and has recently co-edited an interdisciplinary volume, Self-Transcendence and Virtue: Perspectives from Philosophy, Theology, and Psychology. Her writing has also been featured in Breaking Ground, First Things, Fare Forward, Image, Law and Liberty, The Point, and USA Today. She lives in Columbia, SC, with her husband, six children, and chickens. You can follow her on Twitter @ jennfrey. Sacred and Profane Love is a podcast in which philosophers, theologians, and literary critics discuss some of their favorite works of literature, and how these works have shaped their own ideas about love, happiness, and meaning in human life. Host Jennifer A. Frey is an associate professor of philosophy at the University of South Carolina. The podcast is generously supported by The Institute for Human Ecology at the Catholic University of America and produced by Catholics for Hire.

Dana Gioia, a poet and librettist known for his deep insights into opera, discusses the emotional depth and storytelling power of this art form. He highlights how even incomprehensible words can evoke profound feelings. The conversation explores the essential collaboration between composers and librettists, the evolution of American opera, and the enduring impact of iconic musical works. Gioia also contrasts classic compositions with contemporary challenges, emphasizing opera's unique ability to connect audiences through shared emotional experiences.

Dana Gioia, a poet known for exploring themes of mortality and emotion, shares his personal journey with poetry's magic as a vehicle for expressing unspoken feelings. He reflects on the role of poetry in processing grief and loss, illustrating how allusions in verse can evoke powerful memories of those we've lost. Gioia also discusses the interconnectedness of poetry and music, highlighting their ability to convey deep emotional truths about life and death, ultimately challenging the perception of poetry as an elitist art form.

Dana Gioia, poet and translator of Seneca's The Madness of Hercules, discusses Seneca's tragedies and the enduring theme of enduring a world without justice and guarantees. The conversation covers Dana's personal story, Stoicism, Seneca's play, the value of Seneca's violence, reading vs listening vs seeing, Seneca the Playwright vs the Philosopher, Stoicism today, fasting, and more.

Stoa Conversations recap their 2023 highlights discussing stoic psychology, voluntary suffering, anger management, and the Stoic God. They shoutout key guests like Randolph Nesse, Julia Galef, and Chris Gill. The hosts share insights and plans for upcoming episodes.

Dana Gioia, the former Poet Laureate of California, discusses the deep connections between Christianity and poetry, emphasizing the diminishing role of poetic language in religious contexts. He explores how poetic expression elevates the mind to God, enriching spiritual understanding through rhythm and emotion. Gioia reflects on the evolution of church worship and the necessity of engaging presentations of religious texts. He underscores the cultural significance of maintaining Christian themes in literature and shares a poem that encapsulates beauty and redemption.