Episode · EconTalk · 2021-02-15
Books mentioned on Dana Gioia on Learning, Poetry, and Studying with Miss Bishop
Poet and author Dana Gioia talks about his book Studying with Miss Bishop with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. They talk about the craft of being a poet, the business world, mentorship, loss, why poetry no longer seems to matter, and how it might begin to matter again.
Russ Roberts recommended 99 Poems by Dana Gioia, and discussed Can poetry matter? by Dana Gioia, Studying with Miss Bishop by Dana Gioia, The Iliad, The Odyssey, Ulysses by Alfred Lord Tennyson: The Poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson, and The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman. Dana Gioia discussed DON QUIXOTE by Miguel de Cervantes, The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, One Art by Elizabeth Bishop, and The flowers of evil by Charles Baudelaire and others.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Studying with Miss Bishop
Studying with Miss Bishop by Dana Gioia is a memoir recounting the author's formative years as a young writer and his studies with the renowned poet Elizabeth Bishop.
Discussed“Um you write in your book, I I love this.”
Where to get it
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DON QUIXOTE
Miguel de Cervantes's Don Quixote is an early modern masterpiece following an idealistic nobleman who loses his sanity and sets out on chivalric quests to fix a flawed world.
Discussed“And you you know this from the very beginning, Don Quixote.”
Where to get it
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The Iliad
The Iliad by Homer is an ancient Greek epic poem detailing the events of the Trojan War and the wrath of Achilles.
Discussed“Uh you talk about studying Homer with uh Robert Fitzgerald who at the time I think had the the most renowned translation of the Iliad and the Odyssey that that were out at the time.”
Where to get it
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The Odyssey
Homer's epic poem The Odyssey recounts the arduous ten-year journey of the Greek hero Odysseus as he strives to return home to Ithaca following the Trojan War, facing mythical monsters, divine wrath, and profound personal trials along the way.
Discussed“Uh you talk about studying Homer with uh Robert Fitzgerald who at the time I think had the the most renowned translation of the Iliad and the Odyssey that that were out at the time.”
Where to get it
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The Divine Comedy
The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri is an epic 14th-century poem detailing the soul's journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise.
Discussed“That's the beginning of the Divine Comedy and start to just you know, listen to the music, the meaning, the particular words.”
Where to get it
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Ulysses by Alfred Lord Tennyson: The Poem
Ulysses by Alfred Lord Tennyson: The Poem is a classic dramatic monologue written by the Victorian poet Alfred Lord Tennyson that explores themes of aging, restlessness, and the unending desire for adventure.
Discussed“And she actually made us read, and and memorize the poem Ulysses, which is funny because we're talking about the Odyssey, by Tennyson.”
Where to get it
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The Hill We Climb
The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman is the stirring inaugural poem that captured international attention when it was recited at the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden.
Discussed“Well, this week was the inauguration of of Joe Biden and Amanda Gorman recited her poem The Hill We Climb.”
Where to get it
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The flowers of evil
The Flowers of Evil by Charles Baudelaire, often published with material by translators such as Marthiel Mathews, is a classic volume of nineteenth-century French poetry that explores themes of decadence, beauty, mortality, and urban alienation.
Discussed“introduction for a new edition of "The Flowers of Evil". It'll come out in the fall.”
Where to get it
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99 Poems
99 Poems is a poetry collection by Dana Gioia that brings together a rich selection of lyrical work from the acclaimed American poet and writer.
Recommended“But you also could pick up 99 Poems and perhaps enjoy those as well.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (6) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“His latest book is Studying with Miss Bishop, Memoirs from a Young Writer's Life.”
“Well, let me uh recapitulate, you know, the argument in my book.”
“you know, the book we were, you know, uh that I just published Studying with Miss Bishop is not a book I could have written as a young man.”
“And I think that and I think that that is what people are responding to in the book.”
“And so, I wrote I ended up my book night night of a book called 99 Poems.”
“His book is Studying with Miss Bishop.”