Although poet Dana Levin has already published four collections, Maryville\u2019s distinguished writer-in-residence quaked at the prospect of birthing her fifth collection \u201cNow Do You Know Where You Are\u201d into the world.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought, \u2018No one will care and it will be met with utter silence,\u2019\u201d Levin said.<\/p>\n
But instead, it\u2019s been met with loud and lavish praise. The poetry collection earned rave reviews from NPR<\/a>, the New Yorker, the Washington Post and Poets & Writers magazine among others, and a coveted, full-page write-up in The New York Times<\/a>. She was also recently named Best St. Louis Poet by The Riverfront Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI wish my mother was alive so I could show it to her,\u201d Levin said. \u201cBecause she would have loved it.\u201d<\/p>\n Levin wrote the poems between 2016 and 2020. It was a time of national upheaval \u2014 a polarizing president and a pandemic \u2014 and personal transition \u2014 leaving Santa Fe, her home of 19 years, for St. Louis and her position at Maryville. In this excerpt from a poem called \u201cPledge,\u201d Levin contemplates the use of social media to cope with change.<\/p>\n On Facebook we are taking turns alarming and exasperating <\/em> \u201cAll the poems seem driven by this feeling of uncertainty and disorientation and trying to re-orient myself,\u201d Levin said.<\/p>\n The New York Times<\/a> review focused on Levin\u2019s references to writer\u2019s block. Ploughshares<\/a> literary magazine zeroed in on ideas about the present and past existing together in the act of remembering.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the great things about art is that it allows people to have a communal experience and at the same time a personal and subjective experience,\u201d Levin said. \u201cI’m delighted by that.\u201d<\/p>\n The Heart of Her Maryville Mission<\/strong><\/p>\n One of Levin\u2019s favorite sayings is, \u201cEs bonito equivocarse: It’s a beautiful thing to make a mistake.\u201d Even after 30 years as a teacher, Levin says she still learns from her mistakes. Earlier this term, she found herself emphasizing the architecture of poetry over its emotional impact.<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn’t giving the students enough time to just talk about how it made them feel, which is the basic way we connect with poetry,\u201d Levin said.<\/p>\n She began spending more time with students\u2019 responses in addition to teaching about building blocks like word choice and pattern. Craft is of primary importance to those who go on to a deeper study of poetry. But most of her students won\u2019t become professional poets. Many are majoring in physical therapy or business or any one of Maryville\u2019s numerous academic concentrations. Providing them with an outlet for expression \u201cgets to the heart of what I consider my mission at Maryville,\u201d Levin said.<\/p>\n \u201cA class like mine is where they get to play and engage their imaginations,\u201d she said. \u201cThe thing about writing poems is there\u2019s not a hard right or wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n Recently, a student read aloud their poem about trying to find peace when they\u2019re stressed out. Another student told him, \u201cI can totally relate to this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust having somebody say, \u2018I see it,\u2019 is very important,\u201d Levin said. \u201cThe student who shares the poem knows they’re not isolated.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018A thriving humanities presence\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n Since Levin accepted her Maryville post in 2015, assistant professor of English Justine Bowers, PhD, has instituted a \u201cWrites of Spring\u201d writers series showcasing the work of University faculty. The series taps into a long history of celebrating literature at Maryville, recently unearthed by Professor of English Germaine Murray, PhD. In the 1940s, Katherine Porter and Kate Chopin were among the authors who visited campus.<\/p>\n Levin is grateful to Maryville for its support of creative writing. \u201cAnytime I might have an idea or want to bring a visitor to campus, everybody’s very enthused and tries to find funds and ways to do it,\u201d Levin said. \u201cAnd it all feeds back into my own writing life.\u201d<\/p>\n During Levin\u2019s tenure, the University has added several popular introductory and advanced courses as well as independent studies. Maryville is quick to greenlight Levin\u2019s ideas for new courses such as a class exploring short forms across genres, in poetry, nonfiction and fiction.<\/p>\n \u201cMaryville is known for its programs in the health professions and design and visual arts,\u201d Levin said. \u201cBut creative writing has definitely been enhanced over the last few years.\u201d<\/p>\n In The New York Times review of “Now Do You Know Where You Are,” Srikanth Reddy called the book \u201cemotionally risky and artistically gutsy\u201d and Levin\u2019s narrator \u201csearching\u201d and \u201cresilient.\u201d The Poets & Writers review said Levin \u201ccalls on beloveds and ancestors, great thinkers and religions to piece together a map of existence.\u201d<\/p>\n Levin is hopeful the national beam of praise for her book will highlight the University\u2019s growing literary reputation. \u201cI hope it helps people to understand 91ÖÆƬ³§ not only offers a superlative education but has a thriving humanities presence,\u201d Levin said.<\/p>\n
\nand bolstering each other, helping and hindering each other,<\/em>
\nadvising and scolding each other, every once in a while inspire-<\/em>
\ning each other, deflating each other, frightening each other, <\/em>
\nencouraging each other, sharing action items and telephone <\/em>
\nnumbers and horrible news articles, and every once in a while <\/em>
\nsomeone still posts a picture of a baby or food.<\/em><\/p>\n