Dana Gioia: Why Poetry Matters | How I Write

How I Write

Dana Gioia is a poet, former Chairman of the NEA, and one of America's most insightful writers on the craft of poetry and prose. This is the deepest conversation I've ever had about writing. Dana breaks down the writing process from his first drafts to revision, and shares practical wisdom about finding your voice and creating work that lasts. His straightforward approach makes writing less intimidating and more accessible to anyone who loves language. Enjoy!

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0:00 First Drafts

7:52 The Power of Saying No

11:48 Objectivity in Writing

18:05 Learning from Writers

21:29 Daily Writing Routine

28:30 Poetry Analysis: Catullus

29:05 Production vs Consumption

36:07 Opera as Poetic Drama

43:47 Finding Your Voice

46:09 Personal vs Universal Writing

52:17 Breaking into Publishing

57:01 Writing Through Grief

1:05:21 Emotional Directness

1:10:16 Teaching Poetry

1:14:30 Poetry in Education

1:20:48 Unifying Literary Works

1:23:15 Patience in Writing

1:26:17 Improving Your Poetry

1:30:48 The Art of Description

1:34:34 Reading to Write Better

1:38:08 Creating a Masterpiece

1:45:08 Book Writing Process

1:47:45 The Art of Revision

1:48:45 Peer Feedback

1:55:47 The only app I use to read articles [Readwise Reader]

1:57:11 Anatomy of a Poem

2:02:29 Writing with Gratitude

2:08:00 Corporate World Lessons

2:16:40 Writing in Digital Culture

2:24:30 Poetry and Magic

2:28:55 Being a Catholic Writer

2:36:17 Catholic Literary Culture

2:37:40 Biblical Language in Poetry

2:39:51 Commonplace Books

2:45:24 Literary Influences

2:51:38 Cheever on Death

2:53:11 Tarantino vs. Tolkien

2:54:54 Tolstoy vs. Dostoevsky

2:55:47 The Modern Novel

3:01:18 Characters in Opera

3:09:06 Understanding Your Genre

Dana Gioia

https://danagioia.com

I also made a website that helps you learn from the best writing of all-time: https://writingexamples.com/

Hey! I’m David Perell and I’m a writer, teacher, and podcaster. I believe writing online is one of the biggest opportunities in the world today. For the first time in human history, everybody can freely share their ideas with a global audience. I seek to help as many people publish their writing online as possible.

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