Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy

I read the first canto of The Divine Comedy's Paradiso. Of course it's a Christian fantasy, but I'm looking for ideas for Pure Lands. I thought that was the first book, but it starts with the Inferno. I thought it was those two, but there's Purgatorio. "It is widely considered to be the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and one of the greatest works of world literature." My grandmother thought she would have wings when she went to heaven.

Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) was born in Florence. He was exiled, and that caused him to write his poems. Similar to Machiavelli, who was also banished. Or Montesquieu who simply retired to the country.

Getting into the Christian system, albeit with an eloquent writer, feels like it could be a slog. Like reading Freud to get his whole system, it's just quite a lot, and it's not a coherent system. I'm OK with the systems of Taoism and Buddhism because they don't feel that huge, drawn out, though I don't interpret anything literal, it's all psychological, and when I consider Christianity as an existential coping mechanism, then it seems less harmful. In fact, I wish people really used it more. I suddenly get a picture of Trump holding a bible upside down when I think that.

Just like MTV doesn't play music any more, Christians in America have wandered from their original mission. What they do speaks about their true belief. But to go back to the "comedy" written 1308-1320 is to see Christianity at it's best presentation. I've always felt that a spirituality should be entered at it's best presentation, not by reading the behavior of it's so-called adherents. And even though I'm a Buddhist, Christianity seems glorious. I think that at the tender age of 53, I could actually go to church now and not feel oppressed. It doesn't offend me like it used to. I can see some merit in it. Thank you Dante.

Another thing I like in writers is that they engender desire to read other writers. For Dante I want to read: Virgil (his guide), and the 4 writers in the first level: Homer, Horace, Ovid and Lucan. I'm having more success in reading more difficult writers and enjoying it.

In a way Dante could be accused of playing God by articulating these punishments. But I take it another way that he's trying to articulate problems with certain ways of being. Except the sins are always about other people. He is only uncomfortable with lust because he felt that too. He makes that the lightest circle of hell. I'd say it's easier to point out sins in others, but much much harder to root out your own sins.

Supposedly Dante wasn't popular in English until William Blake did a bunch of art.

Here's the schedule: (x)=done:

May 1-7 Inferno I - IX (1-9) (x) 5/1

May 8-14 Inferno X - XV (10-15) (x) 5/2

May 15-21 Inferno XVI - XXI (16-21) (x) 5/5

May 22-28 Inferno XXII - XXVII (22-27) (x) 5/5

May 29 - June 4 Inferno XXVIII - XXXIV (28-34)

June 5-11 Catch/Up and General Remarks on Inferno

June 12 - 18 Purgatorio I - VIII (1-8)

June 19 - 25 Purgatorio IX - XVI (9-16)

June 26 - July 2 Purgatorio XVII - XXIV (17-24)

July 3 - 9 Purgatorio XXV - XXXIII (25-33)

July 10 - 16 Catch-Up / General remarks on Purgatorio

July 17 - 23 Paradiso I - VIII (1-8)

July 24 - 30 Paradiso IX - XVI (9-16)

July 31 - Aug 6 Paradiso XVII - XXIV (17-24)

Aug 7 - 13 Paradiso XXV - XXXII (25-32)

Aug 14 - 20 catch-up / general remarks on Paradiso

Links:

Why should you read Dante’s “Divine Comedy”? - Sheila Marie Orfano

"Hell is simply the first stop on the road to redemption" 13th Floor, How Dante’s INFERNO Shaped the Modern Image of Hell

English translations of Dante's Divine Comedy Wikipedia (16 this century alone)

List of cultural references in the Divine Comedy Wikipedia

Dante's Divine Light (YouTube) Talk by art history professor Martin Kemp, who wrote Visions of Heaven.

Dante: Our Medieval Contemporary by Michael Glover

Dante's descendant to take part in 'retrial' of poet's 1302 corruption case: Seven centuries after guilty verdict in Florence, Sperello di Serego Alighieri to help test whether poet’s conviction would stand today.

INFERNO XIV – THE OLD MAN OF CRETE

Guelphs and Ghibellines Kind of like the Capulets and the Montagues.

Brunetto Latini: A mentor and friend, that proves Dante wasn't just putting people he didn't like in hell.

Danteworlds from UTAUST

Creatures from the Inferno (Infernotopia Wiki) Geryon

Geryon (Wikipedia)

“Ed elli avea del cul fatto trombetta”

Character list of Inherent Vice the novel

Fay "Shasta" Hepworth played by Katherine Waterston in the 2014 movie Larry "Doc" Sportello: Our hero, gumsandal. Shasta Fay Hepworth: Former beautiful love interest. Mickey Wolfmann: Real estate tycoon, Shasta's sugar daddy, paying for apartment in Hancock Park. Mrs. Sloane Wolfmann: wife. Has her own side piece Mr. Riggs Warbling Deputy DA Penny Kimball: lawyer from district attorney office, who fooled around with Doc for a time. Works next to Rhus Frothingham (female book, male in movie). Aunt Reet: Aunt in real estate. "Bigfoot" Christian Bjornsen: Hollywood detective and actor. Married to Chastity. Spoiler: His partner Vincent Indelicato is wacked by Adrian Prussia, but Puck did the actual job. Mrs. Chastity Bjornsen: Gets on the phone on page 260 of the paperback to defend Bigfoot's day off from work. Calls Doc Mr. Moral Turpitude, accuses him of running up Bigfoot's mental health bills. Denis: friend who he goes and gets a pizza with

Democracy or democrazy?

Admittedly the choice between corrupt democrats and corrupt republicans isn't the political choice I want. I'd rather vote my way towards fairness, elimination of poverty, anti-trust laws that fight the consolidation of corporations (you read about grocery stores lately?), education, infrastructure. What you do get is a vote for democrats that vote to end rail strikes ( source ) because they can't carve out of the profits a sick leave, versus reality denying, Russian bought, obstructionists who might lower taxes, and want smaller government. The Ron Swanson's of the world who hate government and work in government. I've been running into people who believe the corrupt choices aren't worth even making. Reasons not to pay attention.I've thought that a few times in my life, but I don't think that now. There are real choices about health care for women, and even just an attitude towards democracy. It's hard to fight past the rhetoric, and understand eve

Consent

You couldn't have a better title to a memoir in these times. You can read about Humbert Humbert, and other male narratives, but the female narrative of the statutory rape is fulfilled by this book. I feel slightly ill while reading this book. What she goes through is off, and it's hard to put a finger on it besides Hebephilia . All the collaborating details from her mother, to her doctors, to her father. Vanessa Springora will be remembered for other things, she is a director and a publisher. I'm not sure if Gabriel Matzneff will be remembered for other things. At least not on this side of the pond. I do have a kind of jealousy for the appreciation of the intellectual life in France. Matzneff cites Lewis Carroll , and others as having the appreciation for youth. I read his Wikipedia page. That led to other questions about photographers who take pictures of their children. That led me down a creepy path. As much as Springora tries to not make it sexy, I wonder how many

Motley Kamuka

Search This Blog