The Soul of Poetry
What is the soul of poetry? Does it have the power to bring you out from the darkness? In this episode of Wisdom of Ages, host Ayn Cates Sullivan and guest Sarah Arvio talk about the stunning poems of obsession, loss, and the desire for a renewed self. Sarah is an award-winning poet of the book Cry Back My Sea. In her verse Small War, she says, “I thought I had left behind the darkness of the heart.” Sarah’s traces in these pages is indeed a battle, one in which the best-laid plans are shattered. Rarely has a poet tackled intimate love with so much invention and bravery. Tune in and listen as the author gives a poetry reading and explains how the poems came into being. She also offers advice and tips for writers!
Ayn Cates Sullivan:
Welcome and blessings. This is Ayn Cates Sullivan, host of Wisdom of the Ages, where we invite the sacred into modern-day reality. The episode today, The Soul of Poetry, differs from my usual shows, but this is important. When we’re experiencing suffering, what we might perceive as more difficult aspects of life, we can really start to understand in the realm of poetry, art, music, dance, and any type of creative writing or self-expression. These things are very important to help us understand and express what’s going on inside us and what we’re living through. After all, humans are here to learn, grow, and evolve, right?
In life, we all know that life can throw us some real challenges. My guest today is a true poet, a real one. This is a real treat. Her name is Sarah Arvio. She’s written an exquisite new book of poetry called Cry Back My Sea, which was published by Knopf Penguin Random House. Once upon a time, it was just Knopf, right? But anyway. I guess they’ve all merged, but it’s amazing. It’s top class. This is the best that you can do. Anyway, it’s also out as an audiobook, and the poems are read by the poet, and you can also check her out on YouTube on the poetry channel, Sarah Arvio.
Today, after the ad break, she’s going to read some poetry from her book, and I love poetry readings, so this should be a real treat. I don’t usually read bios, but in her case, it’s really impressive, so I’m going to read it. It’s in the back of her book here. Cry Back My Sea. Sarah Arvio is the author of Night Thoughts: 70 Dream Poems & Notes from an Analysis. Sono: cantos, and Visits from the Seventh. Her most recent work is a translation of poems and a play by Federico GarcÃa Lorca, a poet in Spain. Her honors include the Rome Prize, Guggenheim, and the Bogliasco. I don’t know how to say this. Sarah?
Sarah Arvio:
Bogliasco.
Ayn Cates Sullivan:
Bogliasco Fellowship and an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. For many years, she worked as a translator for the United Nations in New York and Switzerland, and she has also taught at Princeton and Columbia, and she lives in New York City. I’m going to tell you a personal story about her though. Anyway, this is how I got to know Sarah.
In the 1980s, I attended Columbia University and eventually got my Masters’s in creative writing. For me, it was a time of deep personal exploration. I was at a point in my life when I really struggled a lot, and poetry really helped me live through that time. I, later, had a spiritual awakening, which took me off in a completely different direction, but I honor this time of my life, and I appreciate the arts, music, and literary programs that support emerging writers. We need the arts. I mean, this is just really important. I wanted to really stress this today. All of us need time to go within, to be silent, and to listen to our souls.
Anyway, one day I saw this beautiful, thin, blonde woman come wafting in, and I knew it once that it was something about her aura, you see? But I knew that she was a real poet. I was a little intimidated, but I really, really wanted to get to know her, so we’ve been friends for many, many years now. When I get back from this short ad break, I will introduce poet Sarah Arvio, and we will listen to some of her beautiful poems from Cry Back My Sea. And you can find out more about her on saraharvio.com. Stay tuned. We’ll be right back.
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