Dana Levin: "poetry as an endurance technology"

Dana Levin is the author of five books poetry. Her latest is Now Do You Know Where You Are (Copper Canyon), a 2022 New York Times Notable Book and NPR “Book We Love.” Levin teaches for the Bennington Writing Seminars, the MFA program at Bennington College, and serves as Distinguished Writer in Residence at Maryville University in St. Louis. Her first book of prose, House of Feels, comes out from Graywolf Press in 2027.If you’re reading this somewhere other than Substack, these notes will be abridged and photos will not appear. Join the Ask the Poet Substack (kathrynpetruccelli.substack.com) for complete show notes with images, correct poetry formatting, and regular notices of new episodes.I felt a Funeral, in my Brain,And Mourners to and froKept treading - treading - till it seemedThat Sense was breaking through -And when they all were seated,A Service, like a Drum -Kept beating - beating - till I thoughtMy mind was going numb -And then I heard them lift a BoxAnd creak across my SoulWith those same Boots of Lead, again,Then Space - began to toll,As all the Heavens were a Bell,And Being, but an Ear,And I, and Silence, some strange Race,Wrecked, solitary, here -And then a Plank in Reason, broke,And I dropped down, and down -And hit a World, at every plunge,And Finished knowing - then -Among the wild number of musical versions of “I felt a Funeral in my Brain” is my favorite and one done in collaboration with the museum: Andrew Bird’s song/music video for “I felt a Funeral in my Brain” (ft. Phoebe Bridgers)Happily, you can watch the full video (!) of the brilliant talk for the Emily Dickinson Museum that Dana did with Ayelet Amitay (“The Interior and the Other,” about the intersection of poetry and psychotheraphy) that Dana references in our conversation.People and concepts mentioned in the interview:American Gothic fictionEdgar Allan PoeMabel Loomis ToddJesse Kavadlo, Rock of Pages.Paradise Lost, John MiltonBrian Teare & Albion BooksKatie Peterson’s review of Dana’s book Sky BurialMary GaitskillFact Check:The insane asylum that Dana mentioned was in Northampton – a few miles away from Amherst. Here is a little bit about it.A more complete version of a quote I mention: “Pardon my sanity, Mrs. Holland, in a world insane, and love me if you will, for I had rather be loved than to be called a king in earth, or a lord in Heaven.” Letter 185 to Elizabeth Holland, from August 1856(?)Another quote mentioned was “God keep me from what they call households.” Here’s the fuller context-- “My kitchen I think I called it, God forbid that it was, or shall be my own – God keep me from what they call households, except that bright one of ‘faith’!” Letter 36 to Abiah Root, May 1850.Recorded February 4, 2026.Thank you for taking the time to like, repost, review, and comment on the show! oxAn upcoming workshop: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kathrynpetruccelli.substack.com/subscribe