#40: All Those Yesterdays: a lifelong conversation with poet-philosopher John Koethe

Send a love messageFrank O'Hara, John Ashbery, Ludwig Wittgenstein, dualism, physics, and more."John Koethe was born on December 25, 1945. He began writing poetry in 1964 during his undergraduate years at Princeton University and went on to receive a PhD in philosophy from Harvard University.GiveSupport with a SubscriptionKoethe’s Ninety-fifth Street (Harper Perennial, 2009) won the 2010 Lenore Marshall Prize from the Academy of American Poets. He has published numerous other books of poetry, including Cemeteries and Galaxies (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2025); Walking Backwards: Poems 1966–2016 (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2018); The Swimmer (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2016); North Point North: New and Selected Poems (Harper Perennial, 2003), which was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; The Constructor (Harper Perennial, 1999); Falling Water (Harper Perennial, 1997), which won the Kingsley Tufts Award; Domes (Columbia University Press, 1974), which won the Frank O’Hara Award for Poetry; and Blue Vents (Audit/Poetry, 1968)."https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/john-koethehttps://poets.org/poet/john-koetheExploring the Intersection of Poetry and Philosophy with John KoetheIn this episode of 'Love and Philosophy,' host Andrea interviews renowned poet and philosopher John Koethe. They discuss the concept of the oscillating self as a bridge between dichotomies, particularly within the realms of poetry and philosophy. John shares his journey from being a young poet influenced by figures like John Ashbury and Frank O'Hara, to earning a PhD in philosophy and balancing both disciplines throughout his career. They explore the themes of self-conversation in poetry, the intersection of scientific and artistic pursuits, and the enduring sense of awe in consciousness. The conversation also touches on the emotional landscapes of Koethe's poetry, including themes of nostalgia and the sublime. The episode concludes with a reading from Koethe's book 'Falling Water.'Please sign up here to support Love and Philosophy.00:00 Introduction to John Koethe00:31 John Koethe's Background and Achievements01:06 Balancing Poetry and Philosophy03:45 Early Influences and Religious Upbringing06:31 Transition to Literature and Philosophy08:43 Discovering Modern Poetry12:52 Meeting Influential Poets21:23 Romanticism and Modernism in Poetry23:46 Philosophical Dualism and the Mind-Body Problem30:18 Modernism in Art, Literature, and Physics33:27 Foundations of Quantum Mechanics34:19 Exploring Perspectives in Poetry35:43 Philosophical Influences and Oscillations41:02 Conversations with Influential Thinkers42:11 The Role of Conversation in Poetry46:26 Philosophy vs. Poetry: Different Constraints53:06 The Sublime and Self-Consciousness58:41 Architecture and the Passage of Time01:01:12 Concluding Thoughts and Future Works01:02:56 Poetry Reading: The Realm of EndsHappy Thanksgiving❤️Full intro and notes here.Care is not the opposite of love. It is the very urge of life. 'Caring for what?' is the primary question. That we have a choice about what we care for and how is what makes us human, but it's quite the challenge and responsibility. Let's help one another handle it.Support the showBuy Holding Paradox: The Navigational Approach to Mind and Consciousness by Andrea HiottSign up for Making Ways newsletter and projects.Please rate and review with love. YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Substack.