A good deal of the story Beatrice tells in Paradiso 7 plays off of the question of direct versus indirect similarity, or proximity, or ca...

Paradiso 7 might present some interpretive difficulties, but there can be no argument that its opening tercet offers a song, sung by Justin...

Raffaello Sorbi: Piccarda taken from the convent Often close reading is a matter of attention to words -- their nuances, quirks of sens...

When one wants to indicate that something is right, fair, or fitting in modern Italian, one often uses the word  giusto.   If someone says ...

In Paradiso 4 , Beatrice has just completed a subtle explication of will -- its elemental power, its potential to collude with violence. Sh...

A thoughtful post on classical and medieval uses of the labyrinth:  Daedalus’ construction of a labyrinth is referred to by Virgil as a...

In reading Dante, one ought to know one is grappling with this: "For man to be able to live he must either not see the inf...

This is the fifth in a series of posts about the opening movement of Dante's Paradiso . Part 1       Part 2       Part 3      Part 4...

Arline shared this interview with Caroline Alexander, whose new translation of the Iliad recently was released to high expectations, inclu...

We note with regret the passing of Cindy Bennett, whose good humor and ardent questions through many of our group's readings will be mi...

This is the fourth in a series of posts about the opening movement of Dante's Paradiso . Part 1       Part 2       Part 3     ...

This is the third in a series of posts about the opening movement of Dante's Paradiso .  Part 1       Part 2       Part 3       Pa...