Dana Gioia

Dana is a deeply accomplished poet and author with five collections of verse, four books of essays, and an American Book Award, among other accolades and accomplishments. He is credited with reviving national interest in literature during his tenure as chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, and he brought poetry to residents in every county in California during a four-year term as poet laureate of the state.

He wrote at night while building a successful business career, until his literary work took off — making him the “only person to go to business school to become a poet.” Dana believes having a command of language is essential to living a full life, to defining yourself and your place in the world. And he recognizes that literature allows people — especially children — to experience milestone events in print before facing them, which offers an imaginative preparation so they’re not caught off-guard by life. That’s why he’s passionately dedicated to teaching and sharing the generosity of words.

As a businessman myself, I knew little about poetry before talking to Dana. For this interview, I was joined by co-host Maggie Blake Bailey, who knows a great deal about fine literature. She is a published poet herself, and also my daughter.