Joseph Luzzi, “In a Dark Wood: What Dante Taught Me About Grief, Healing, and the Mysteries of Love”

Discovery & Inspiration

Joseph Luzzi (NHC Fellow, 2004–05), Professor of Comparative Literature, Bard College On a cold November morning, Bard College professor Joseph Luzzi found himself racing to the hospital—his wife, Katherine, eight-and-a-half months pregnant, had been in a horrible car accident. In an instant, Luzzi became both a widower and a first-time father. In the aftermath of unthinkable tragedy, Luzzi relied on the support of his Italian immigrant family to grieve and care for his infant daughter. But it wasn’t until he turned to the Divine Comedy—a poem he had devoted his life to studying and teaching—that he learned how to resurrect his life, passing from his own grief-stricken inferno through the purgatory of healing, and ultimately stepping into the paradise of rediscovered love. “In a Dark Wood” is a beautifully written hybrid of heartrending memoir and a meditation on the power of great art to give us strength in our darkest moments. Watch the full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/JcL4go2pnf0 https://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/video/virtual-book-club-in-a-dark-wood/