Poetry as Enchantment
Dana Gioia's new book
In the essays in Poetry as Enchantment—more personal than any of his earlier works—Dana Gioia shares a lifetime of thought and experience about poetry. Gioia, the author of Can Poetry Matter?, talks about poetry in a radically different way than it is currently being taught or discussed. In the title essay, he explains that poetry is speech raised to the level of song, and though poetry may often be misunderstood as intellectual, it moves us the way music does. Poetry charms its readers, creating a heightened experience of attention. It addresses readers in the fullness of their humanity, simultaneously speaking to the mind, emotions, imagination, memory, and physical senses. Without academic jargon, Poetry as Enchantment relates literature to the questions of life. Pre-Order available now.
"The Apple Orchard" set by Lori Laitman
Composer Lori Laitman's setting of Dana Gioia's love poem, "The Apple Orchard," has become a popular song for tenors. Artist Ian Beck has just made a short, half-live, half-animated film version.
The Imaginary Operagoer: A Memoir
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From the recent Hudson Review: "There was something shameful about loving opera. Especially for a boy. Opera was pretentious, boring, effete, and effeminate. By the time I was ten, I understood the unsavory reputation of the art." Read the full essay at the Hudson Review.
“Meet Me at the Lighthouse”
The title poem of Dana Gioia's new book celebrates the old Hermosa Beach jazz club, the Lighthouse. Meet Me at the Lighthouse is available now for pre-order.
The Madness of Hercules
Dana Gioia's new poetic translation of Seneca's harrowing tragedy. Read an interview with Dana Gioia on the process of translating Hercules Furens.