Dana Gioia has had an unusual and distinguished career as a poet, an executive with General Foods, and Chairman of the National Endowments for the Arts. In Studying with Miss Bishop: Memoirs from a Young Writer’s Life, he describes mainly his early years as a prospective writer. The emphasis, . . . . Continue Reading »
Peter: you doubt, you sink. Your waveringPetrifies. Remember even the heavingSea keeps faith with those that keep believing.Rock they call you, but a real stoneSinks for having solid bulk and weight.You, you’re weighed down by levity. You aloneSink not because you’re heavy, but too light. . . . . Continue Reading »
“But are they sad?” I overheard her say.No more than fiveUp North with mum for the August bank holiday.I saw what she meant. They hardly seemed aliveCompared with, overhead, the flock of geeseThat flew with everything they had toward FranceOr Spain. All of a sudden, all eyes went skyward.But . . . . Continue Reading »
Stand on your head. You’ll see that she’s a boatWinding between the waves of wailing walls,Careening through the rush of siren-calls,A small ship on a violent ocean. SmoteBy sea-wind, still unyielding, she’s afloat,And unabashed by bitter gales and gallsShe sails through the city’s shifting . . . . Continue Reading »
“There is a place down there, not saddened by torments but only by darkness, where the laments do not sound as shrieks but are sighs.” —Purgatorio, VII: 29–31 What he did not do, his cause for grief.An eternity of regret.One long dark night without relief. Time to brood, never to . . . . Continue Reading »
The clouds are fused with amber fireAs vultures climb a dirgy gyre,Babel building with each bird,Glutted on the primal Word.Later one lights on my head,Its talons tight, its wings still spread. —Steven Knepper Image by Jo Naylor via Creative Commons. Image cropped. . . . . Continue Reading »
In Bethany, what might the Lord have saidHad Martha never questioned Mary’s ways;If Mary were the one to speak instead?A very different question she might raise:“Lord, don’t you care that Martha will not sitAnd be attentive to your tender voice”?“O Mary, Mary, this I will admit:It’s true . . . . Continue Reading »
There are many great books soon to be released on this side of the Atlantic. Here's a simple preview to get you ready. Continue Reading »
Dana Gioia joins the podcast to discuss his new book of poetry, Meet Me at the Lighthouse: Poems. Continue Reading »
No Apologies: Why Civilization Depends on the Strength of Men is the latest in a string of brilliant offerings from Anthony Esolen: Out of the Ashes: Rebuilding American Culture, Nostalgia: Going Home in a Homeless World, and Sex and the Unreal City. Utilizing his . . . . Continue Reading »
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