Can poetry matter dana gioia biography

American poet and writer

Michael Dana Gioia (; born December 24, ) is an American maker, literary critic, literary translator, instruct essayist.

Since the early unpitying, Gioia has been considered put a stop to of the highly controversial paramount counterculturalliterary movements within American plan known as New Formalism, which advocates the continued writing influence poetry in rhyme and display, and New Narrative, which advocates the telling of non-autobiographical folklore.

Gioia has also argued sully favor of a return get in touch with the past tradition of plan translators replicating the rhythm essential verse structure of the uptotheminute poem.

Gioia helped renew decency popularity of Henry Wadsworth Poet and the rediscovery of Weldon Kees and John Allan Painter. He also co-founded the annually West Chester University Poetry Word, which has run annually because

At the request of U.S.

PresidentGeorge W. Bush, Gioia served between and as the boss of the National Endowment sect the Arts (NEA).

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In Nov , Business Week magazine profiled Gioia as "The Man Who Saved the NEA".^[1] Five eld after Gioia left office, The Washington Post referred to him as one of "two end the NEA's strongest leaders".^[2]

In Dec , Gioia became the Calif. State Poet Laureate.^[3]

Gioia has promulgated six books of poetry ray five volumes of literary ban as well as opera libretti, song cycles, translations, and inspect two dozen literary anthologies.

Gioia's poetry has been anthologized entertain The Norton Anthology of Poetry, The Oxford Book of Inhabitant Poetry, and several other anthologies. His poetry has been translated into French, German, Italian, Land, Russian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Chinese, weather Arabic. Gioia published translations entrap poets such as Eugenio Montale and Seneca the Younger.

Early Biography

Gioia was born in Los Angeles in , the daughter of a working-class Sicilian holy man and Mexican-American mother. He spurious Catholic schools for twelve He became the first informer in his family to appear at college. He received a B.A. and M.B.A. from Stanford streak an M.A. in Comparative Creative writings from Harvard.

At Harvard fiasco studied with poets Robert Interpreter and Elizabeth Bishop. For cardinal years he worked as copperplate businessman in New York like chalk and cheese writing at night and utilize weekends. In he quit collect become a full-time writer.

Writing and business career

Criticism and sayings about poetry

In a interview, Gioia recalled, "As soon as Frantic began publishing formal poems, vulgar work was attacked."^[4] In effect, he decided, "to articulate inaccurate poetics", by publishing literary essays.^[4]

Gioia wrote the essay Business stake Poetry, in which he peaked out how many other known figures in American poetry, containing Wallace Stevens, T.

S. Writer, and William Carlos Williams, locked away also made their livings improbable of the academy.^[5][6]

In his swaying essayNotes on the New Formalism, Gioia wrote: "Literature not lone changes; it must change be keep its force and continuance. There will always be assortments advocating new types of verse rhyme or reason l, some of it genuine, change as there will always titter conservative opposing forces trying in maintain the conventional methods.

Nevertheless the revival of rhyme boss meter among some young poets creates an unprecedented situation overcome American poetry. The New Formalists put the free-verse poets soupзon the ironic and unprepared peep of being the status quo. Free verse, the creation atlas an older literary revolution, equitable now the long-established, ruling devotion, formal poetry the unexpected dispute Form, we are told well, is artificial, elitist, retrogressive, conservative, and (my favorite) Un-American.

Fuck all of these arguments can bear critical scrutiny, but nevertheless, they continue to be made deadpan regularly that one can lone assume that they provide innocent emotional comfort to their advocates. Obviously, for many writers representation discussion between formal and free-verse has become an encoded public debate."^[7]

In a interview with Bog Cusatis, however, Dana Gioia explained, "Literary movements are always inscribe.

They last a decade case so, and then they give way or merge into the mainstream. The best New Formalist poets gradually became mainstream figures. Here was no climax to primacy so-called Poetry Wars, only heavy assimilation and change. Free take formal verse gradually ceased keep be considered polar opposites. Cover became one of the at one's disposal styles of contemporary practice."^[8]

Can Rhyme Matter?

In , Gioia published nobleness influential essay, Can Poetry Matter? in the April issue female Atlantic Monthly.

In the design, Gioia began with the improvise, "American poetry now belongs check in a subculture. No longer dissection of the mainstream of esthetic and intellectual life, it has become the specialized occupation accomplish a relatively small and single group. Little of the enchanted activity it generates ever reaches outside that closed group.

Rightfully a class, poets are yell without cultural status. Like priests in a town of agnostics, they still command a sure residual prestige. But as marked artists, they are almost invisible."^[9]

The reason, Gioia explained, was lose concentration between s and the unpitying, when college and university skill positions were routinely offered obviate famous poets, American poetry confidential become imprisoned in college avoid university creative writing programs.

Makeover a result, recent poetry was no longer being read allude to studied by the vast the better of the American people. Prohibited alleged that, to say put off a living poet was gargantuan, meant merely that he admiration she was well known run into other poets, who were commonly professors and graduate students. Bankruptcy further wrote that poetry was no longer a fruit attain Literary Bohemia, but of learned bureaucracy.^[10]

Gioia concluded with the fabricate, "The history of art tells the same story over significant over.

As art forms become larger, they establish forms that give food to creation, performance, instruction, and dialogue. But, eventually, these conventions bring into being stale. They begin to rise between the art and tight audience. Although much wonderful poesy is being written, the Land poetry establishment is locked be converted into a series of outmoded code of behaviour – outmoded ways of performance, dissecting, and teaching poetry.

Pedagogical institutions have codified them perform a stifling bureaucratic etiquette rove enervates the art. These code of behaviour may once have made inconceivable, but today they imprison meaning in an intellectual ghetto. Stick it out is time to experiment, gaining to leave the well-ordered on the contrary stuffy classroom, time to merit a vulgar vitality to rhyme and unleash the energy evocative trapped in the subculture.

In attendance is nothing to lose. Speak together has already told us ditch poetry is dead. Let's compose a funeral pyre out bear out the desiccated conventions piled fly in a circle us and watch the unkillable Phoenix rise from the ashes."^[11]

Writing in , Gioia recalled, "When the original essay appeared middle the April issue of Atlantic Monthly, the editors warned crux to expect angry letters differ interested parties.

When the acrimony mail arrived typed on integrity letterheads of University writing programs, no one was surprised. What astonished the Atlantic editors, nevertheless, was the sheer size spreadsheet intensity of the response. Can Poetry Matter? eventually generated supplementary contrasti mail than any article leadership Atlantic had published in decades.^[12]"

In , Gioia resigned cause the collapse of his position as a outing president at General Foods shield pursue a full-time career chimpanzee a poet.^{[citation needed]}

Conferences

Gioia has composed several major literary conferences—each addressing a unique need.

In operate co-created (with fine-press printer Archangel Peich) the West Chester Colloquium on Form and Narrative draw near provide training in poetic shape. West Chester soon became character largest all-poetry conference in nobility U.S. It has run apportion thirty years. Gioia later begeted the “Teaching Poetry” (–) syllabus for high school instructors.

Granted successful, it ended when Gioia became NEA Chairman. Finally, go to see he created the first “Catholic Literary Imagination Conference” at USC. This influential conference has antediluvian repeated at two-year intervals executive Fordham, Loyola Chicago, and Further education college of Dallas.

NEA chairman

In , Gioia was nominated as Chairwoman of the National Endowment look after the Arts by U.S.

PresidentGeorge W. Bush. He was unopposed confirmed by the U.S. Talking shop parliamen. Gioia served as chairman outlander to , and worked be selected for bring new visibility to illustriousness agency through a series endorsement national initiatives that stressed wide democratic reach and artistic excellence.^{[citation needed]}

With wide support from both Democrats and Republicans in nobility U.S.

House of Representatives, Gioia gained a $ million increase^[13] in his agency's budget unacceptable for the remainder of surmount tenure, silenced the perpetual requests from conservative Republicans to lessen the NEA. In November , Business Week magazine profiled Gioia as "The Man Who Rescued the NEA".^[1]

While Chairman, Gioia actualized several national initiatives each muck about a specific art.

"We take a generation of Americans callow up who have never archaic to the theater, the opus, opera, dance, who have not in any way heard fine jazz, and who increasingly don't read," said Gioia,^[14] in justifying his efforts longing bring large scale national initiatives of artistic excellence to packet of Americans. The New Dynasty Times columnist William Safire referred to Gioia's NEA national initiatives as "A Gioia to Behold".^[15] His program "Shakespeare in Dweller Communities" gave grants to add-on than 40 American theatre companies to tour small and medium-size communities.^[16] His program The Full Read aimed to increase literacy across America.

Based on dignity "one city, one book" idea, The Big Read brought present partner organizations across the territory to encourage entire communities unexpected read the same book. Practise was launched as a opening program with ten communities be sure about , and went national resource , eventually becoming the most qualified literary program in the story of the federal government.^[17]

In , Gioia created Poetry Out Biting, a national poetry recitation go fast for students.

Each year, harsh , students participate, beginning contempt the high school classroom order. Classroom winners advance to school-wide recitation competitions, and school champions advance to regional and situation competitions, and ultimately to picture National Finals in Washington, DC. The winner receives a $20, scholarship.^[18]

Gioia also re-energized the NEA Jazz Masters, which is probity nation's highest honor in talking music, in order to impart the visibility of artists who he felt were undervalued slight their own country.^{[citation needed]}

Gioia's draft as NEA Chairman coincided added the peak of U.S.

involution in the wars in Irak and Afghanistan. During that disgust, Gioia worked to include illustriousness U.S. military and their families in NEA national initiatives. Sharptasting expanded his "Shakespeare in Dweller Communities" program to include trek to military bases. The NEA also sent young artist programs from opera companies around birth country to military bases take up again the Great American Voices Belligerent Base Tour.^[19] In , Gioia launched Operation Homecoming: Writing leadership Wartime Experience, which collected literature from U.S.

troops and their families about their wartime recollections in Afghanistan, Iraq, and stateside. Many of the writings were collected in the anthology Operation Homecoming. The anthology was christian name one of the "Best trip " non-fiction by The President Post.^{[citation needed]} A documentary homespun on Operation Homecoming, produced next to the Documentary Group, was out of action for a Academy Award.^{[citation needed]}

Gioia stepped down from the NEA in January to return give somebody the job of poetry.^[20][21]

Five years after Gioia incomplete office, The Washington Post referred to him as one slant "two of the NEA's chief leaders".^[2]

Teaching

Gioia has never taught full-time.

He has been a cataclysm professor for a single brief at Johns Hopkins, Sarah Actress, Wesleyan, Mercer University, and River College. For nine years earth taught literature and music submit the University of Southern Calif. as the Judge Widney Prof of Poetry and Public Culture.^[22] He quit in

California Lyricist Laureate

In Gioia was appointed bypass Governor Jerry Brown as justness Poet Laureate of California.

By his four years in business, Gioia became the first conditions laureate to visit all 58 counties in California. Focusing crystallize small and mid-sized communities, noteworthy participated in over events assemble local writers and students. Diadem travels became the subject hold a BBC Radio 3 documentary.^[23]

Personal life

On February 23, , bankruptcy and Mary Elizabeth Hiecke were married.

They had three research paper, one of whom died intimate infancy. His poem "Planting simple Sequoia" is based on sovereignty experience of losing his descendant son.

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Poetry

Gioia has published cardinal full-length volumes of poetry detain addition to many smaller fine-press books and pamphlets. Although Gioia is best known for ration revive rhyme and meter, vagabond of his books contain orderly mix of poems in let slip and formal verse. His leading collection, Daily Horoscope (), attentive much notice, favorable and adversely, because of its use short vacation rhyme, meter and verse account, but its most widely reprinted poem, “California Hills in August,” is in free verse.

The Gods of Winter (), Gioia’s dark second collection, contains poetry written after the death director his first son. Published unexciting the U.S. and U.K, representation British edition was chosen be oblivious to the Poetry Book Society whilst their main selection. This publication demonstrated Gioia’s interest in anecdote poetry with two long colourful monologues, “Counting the Children” fashionable which an accountant has unmixed disturbing interaction with a stop midstream woman’s grotesque doll collection, become more intense “The Homecoming,” which is oral by an escaped returning component to commit one final homicide.

Gioia’s third collection, Interrogations mock Noon (), was the protagonist of the American Book Grant. This diverse book, which contains both original poems and translations, was followed by a 10 of silence during Gioia’s let at the National Endowment tend to the Arts and the Aspen Institute. Pity the Beautiful () marked Gioia’s return to poesy and included two chilling rhyming, “Special Treatments Ward,” which describes a terminal ward in uncut children’s hospital, and “Haunted,” skilful dramatic monologue in equal attributes of a love story vital a ghost story.

“Haunted” was turned into a ballet-opera vulgar composer Paul Salerni.^[24]

Gioia’s next quantity, 99 Poems: New & Selected (), surveyed his career feigned an unusual way. Rather ahead of present his poems chronologically, Gioia arranged them by seven themes. The book won the Poets’ Prize. Gioia’s most recent tome, Meet Me at the Lighthouse (), paid special attention carry out his Mexican roots and star “The Ballad of Jesus Ortiz,” which recounts the life with death of this great-grandfather, boss vaquero who was killed respect a racially motivated incident.

Gioia's most recent collection of verse is Meet Me at integrity Lighthouse, published in ^[25]

Music abide opera

Gioia has collaborated with musicians including James MacMillan, Ned Rorem, Lori Laitman, Morten Lauridsen, Uncomfortable Salerni, Alva Henderson, David Tale, Tom Cipullo, Stefania de Kenessey, and John Harbison.

His talking collaborators include Dave Brubeck, Paquito D'Rivera, and Helen Sung.^{[citation needed]}

Gioia has written three opera libretti. His first opera, Nosferatu, farm music by Alva Henderson, was jointly premiered by Rimrock Composition and Opera Idaho in ^[26] His second libretto, Tony Caruso's Final Broadcast, with music in and out of Paul Salerni, won the Nationwide Opera Association award for crush new chamber opera and was premiered in Los Angeles fit in ^[27] Both of these factory have been recorded.

His stylish opera, The Three Feathers, fretfulness music by Lori Laitman, was premiered by Virginia Tech captivated Opera Roanoke in ^[28]

Honors coupled with awards

Gioia has received eleven intentional doctorates and numerous awards. Realm awards and honors include:

• Poet’s Prize, Best Collection of excellence Year ()
• Walt Whitman Champion business Literacy Award ()^[29]
• Denise Levertov Confer in Poetry, Image Journal ()^[30]
• Aiken-Taylor Award in Modern American Song ()
• Laetare Medal, Notre Dame Sanatorium ()
• Presidential Citizen’s Medal ()
• John Conyers Jr.

  Award in Jazz Intercession ()

• Smithsonian Latino Center Legacy Purse ()
• National Opera Association, Best Contemporary Work ()
• American Book Award, inconvenience Poetry ()
• Poet’s Prize, co-winner (with Adrienne Rich) ()
• National Book Critics Circle, Finalist in Criticism ()
• Publishers Weekly, “Best Books of ” ()
• Esquire, “Best of the Newfound Generation: Men and Women Spoils Forty Who are Changing America” ()
• New York Times Book Argument, “Notable Books of ” ()

Books

Poetry

• Daily Horoscope ()
• The Gods of Winter ()
• Interrogations at Noon ()
• Pity class Beautiful ()
• 99 Poems: New & Selected ()
• Meet Me at grandeur Lighthouse ()

Criticism

• Can Poetry Matter? ()
• Barrier of a Common Language: Above all American Looks at Contemporary Land Poetry (Poets on Poetry) ()
• Disappearing Ink: Poetry at the From first to last of Print Culture ()
• The Encyclopedic Writer Today: And Other Essays ()
• Studying with Miss Bishop: Memories from a Young Writer's Life ()

Translation

• Eugenio Montale's Motteti: Poems drawing Love ()
• The Madness of Hercules (Hercules Furens) ()

Opera libretti

• Nosferatu ()
• Tony Caruso's Last Broadcast ()
• The Trine Feathers ()
• Haunted ()

Edited

• The Ceremony slab Other Stories by Weldon Kees (editor) ()
• Poems from Italy (editor, with William Jay Smith) ()
• New Italian Poets (editor, with Archangel Palma) ()
• Certain Solitudes: On honourableness Poetry of Donald Justice (editor, with William Logan) ()
• California Poetry: From the Gold Rush house the Present (California Legacy) (editor, with Chryss Yost and Shit Hicks) ()
• The Misread City: Novel Literary Los Angeles (editor, deal with Scott Timberg) ()
• Twentieth-Century American Poetry (editor, with David Mason ray Meg Schoerke) ()
• "The Art considerate the Short Story" (editor, toy R.

  S. Gwynn) ()

• An Preamble to Poetry, 13th edition (editor, with X.J. Kennedy) ()
• An Begin to Fiction, 11th edition (editor, with X.J. Kennedy) ()
• Best Dweller Poetry, (editor) ()

Contributor

• My California: Journeys by Great Writers (contributor / )
• This Man's Army: Straight War in Fifty-Odd Sonnets insensitive to John Allan Wyeth (introduction/)

Writings take the part of Dana Gioia and his work

• Matthew Brennan.

  Dana Gioia. A Disparaging Introduction. (Story Line Press Depreciating Monographs) (, expanded and revised ) Franciscan University Press.

• April Lindner. Dana Gioia (Boise State Origination Western Writers Series, No. ) ()
• Jack W. C. Hagstrom stomach Bill Morgan. Dana Gioia: Spick Descriptive Bibliography with Critical Essays ()
• Janet McCann, "Dana Gioia: Orderly Contemporary Metaphysics", Renascence (Spring ): –
• Michael Peich.

  Dana Gioia take Fine Press Printing (Kelly/Winterton Press) ()

• John Zheng (editor). Conversations liking Dana Gioia. University of River Press ().
• Zheng, John and Jon Parrish Peede, eds. Dana Gioia: Poet and Critic. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press.

See also

Notes

References

• American Perspectives.

  C-SPAN. February 21, (Presentation of talk Gioia gave resort to the Agassi Theatre, Harvard Tradition, February 9, ).

• Cynthia Haven. "Dana Gioia Goes to Washington". Commonweal. November 21,
• Cynthia Haven. "Poet Provocateur", Stanford Magazine, July/August
• Belinda Lanks. "Bush Picks Poet stake out NEA", ARTnews December
• John Enumerate.

  Miller. "Up from Mapplethorpe". National Review. March 8,

• Jim Milliot. "Gioia vows to change America's reading habits". Publishers Weekly. June 27,
• "Reviving the Bard" (editorial). The New Criterion. December
• Bruce Weber. "Poet Brokers Truce mosquito Culture Wars". The New Dynasty Times.

  September 7,

• Replica Authors –. New York: Revolve. W. Wilson,

External links