Re-Reading Dante

I got inspired the other night at the church book discussion, and went out and started re-reading Dante.

I MISSED SO MUCH the first time through!!!

My margins are now almost filled with notes, and I was able to track some very interesting things: 1. motion, 2. the relationship between Dante and Virgil, and 3. the times when someone looks upwards. Very interesting things there! Next time I'm going to track: 1. when Dante steps out to speak to a soul, and why, and what Virgil's response is, and 2. when music is present.

So far I still like reading the Sayers translation, even though it can be awkward, because I know that she's sacrficing style and readability for philosophical accuracy. I read Inferno in the Pinsky translation, and liked it a lot; he mentioned in his notes that he was going more for the feel of Dante. So I'm trying to get the best of both worlds.

And now I cry anytime I hear Loreena McKennitt sing "Dante's Prayer"

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Originally uploaded by LostLuthien.

I really like this one, too.

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viewphoto
Originally uploaded by LostLuthien.

See, I'm not camera shy ALL the time...just any times when I don't have something to hide behind....

SO MUCH BETTER

Why?

Because I went to a book discussion group last night. It was a gathering of some of the coolest people from my church, and we all discussed the first 14 cantos of Dante's Inferno.

It felt SO GOOD to be discussing a hard book again! It wasn't particularly intense; sort of like yoga for the mind. Stretches you a bit, but there's no danger of overexerting yourself.

Plus, to be there with these wonderful people, being able to open up to one another, and talk in literary, historical, theological, and artistic terms...Ah! It was great!!

I love my church. Where else could I be accepted as an artist, challenged to be as orthodox as possible, and discuss Dante, all in one night?