The Angels and the Poets: Rilke, Celan, and DA Levy with Alexander Benedict

Varn Vlog

What happens when we trace the unexpected influences between seemingly unrelated poetic traditions? In this exploration of German poetry's impact on American counterculture, we discover the fascinating connections between renowned German-language poets Rainer Maria Rilke and Paul Salon with Cleveland's underground literary icon DA Levy.
Levy, a Cleveland poet and publisher active in the 1960s who faced obscenity trials and ultimately committed suicide, created work that resonates with Rilke's mystical poetics in surprising ways. Both poets use angels not as mere symbols but as modes of address to readers – inviting us into a space where beauty and terror coexist, where mortality is acknowledged as the very thing that gives life its meaning.
As we examine Rilke's "Requiem for a Friend" alongside his more famous Duino Elegies, we see how his approach to mythology established patterns that would later emerge in Levy's work, despite their vastly different cultural contexts. The conversation expands to include translation theory, with insights from contemporary translators Pierre Joris and Johannes Göransson who understand translation not as equivalence but as transformation – every act of writing being itself a translation of experience into language.
We also examine how Levy's Buddhist influences connect him more meaningfully to Gary Snyder than to the Beat poets with whom he's often categorized, revealing the complexity of his literary lineage. From Federico García Lorca's concept of duende to the rich ethnic diversity of Cleveland's literary scene, this discussion illuminates how poetry transcends borders while remaining deeply rooted in specific geographies and experiences.
Have you discovered DA Levy yet? His work, much of it being republished through Between the Highway Press, offers a portal into a uniquely American poetic vision that draws from international traditions while speaking directly to readers with urgent, transformative power.
Links mentioned in the video:
https://periodicityjournal.blogspot.com/2025/01/alexander-hammond-benedict-from.html?m=1
https://rilkepoetry.com/duino-elegies/first-duino-elegy/
http://homestar.org/bryannan/duino.html
https://herhalfofhistory.com/2023/07/13/requiem-for-paula-modersohn-becker-by-rainer-maria-rilke/
https://abovegroundpress.blogspot.com/2024/10/new-from-aboveground-press-fragments-of.html
https://betweenthehighway.org/

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Crew:
Host: C. Derick Varn
Intro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.
Intro Video Design: Jason Myles
Art Design: Corn and C. Derick Varn
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Chapters

1. Introduction to Ohio Poetry and DA Levy (00:00:00)

2. Rilke, Salon, and German Poetry's Influence (00:08:57)

3. The Life and Work of DA Levy (00:15:16)

4. The Significance of Requiem for a Friend (00:28:58)

5. Angels as Poetic Figures and Duende (00:45:00)

6. Approaching Translation as Transformation (01:04:03)

7. Cleveland's Literary Scene and Levy's Legacy (01:15:23)