Oh the places you’ll go!

Lorna Goodison’s Jamaican Inferno

Dear friends,

I have long been a fan of Lorna Goodison’s poetry. We featured a poem of hers in the early days of Poetry Unbound, and I’ve interviewed her a few times for events (all available if you look around, but I don’t want to distract your attention with links other than the delicious link that is down below).

Lorna was the Poet Laureate of Jamaica for three years from 2017, and she won the Queen’s Medal for Poetry, as well as a Windham Campbell Award. She’s published many books and taught poetry for years. She originally trained as a painter.

This year saw the publication of her translation of Inferno. It’s a Jamaican Inferno: rather than Dante being guided through the nine circles by Virgil, it’s her being guided through hell by her family friend, the renowned poet and language activist Louise Bennett. (You’ll find out all about it in the episode. Did I mention that I’ll be giving you the link? I might have … )

Entrance to NYC Subway, September 2025. Photo by Pádraig Ó Tuama

Hell is one of those ideas that doesn’t take religion to believe in it. Many of us have touched it or gone through it at one time or another or felt it or run from it or been burnt by it. What has fascinated me about ideas of hell, whether in poetry, religion, art, or film, is that it is often a place where we project desire, story, character, both grace and disgrace, redemption, revenge, and reality.

I got to interview Lorna as part of the Greenbelt festival last summer; she was in Canada, me in New York, and both taking part in the virtual offerings of that delicious festival. “Spending time in hell is not my idea of something that one should do,” she says, and then speaks to us about how Dante’s Inferno is “bitter, necessary medicine for now”. She speaks of how difficult the project was at times and how rewarding too. She speaks of the people she loves and how the art of Dante is one that has captivated her for years.

Lorna Goodison. Photo courtesy of Carcanet Press

You’ll find the episode of “Poetry Unbound in Conversation — Lorna Goodison” in all the places — on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, on the On Being website, or wherever you like to stream podcasts. If you’re a book person, you can find the US/Canada edition of her Inferno here and the UK edition here.

And now my question: What has pursued you for years?

Lorna was pursued by Dante’s Inferno, and she made this pursuit a fruitful one but it cost her — in time, attention, imagination. An answer for me is that I have been pursued by the tension between prayer and poetry all my life, and despite trying to run away from the former, it’s haunted me evermore. How about you?

I look forward to hearing what’s pursued you in the comments. And, as the episode mentions, we’ve got one more “Poetry Unbound in Conversation” for you in December (next week), and then Poetry Unbound season 10 will start on January 12, 2026.

PS: I chatted with the fine people of You’re Going to Die for their podcast. The episode “How to Be Alone” is on their website and all the podcast apps.

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The Latest from Poetry Unbound

Bonus Episode: “Poetry Unbound in Conversation — Lorna Goodison”

You can also listen on Spotify, poetryunbound.org, or wherever podcasts are found.

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Poetry in the World

A list of my events: Online and in the US (Stockbridge, MA; Minneapolis, MN; Berkeley, CA; Washington, DC; Manhattan, Kingston, and Rhinebeck, NY; Orlando, FL; Notre Dame, IN) and the UK (Iona, Scotland)

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December 19–21, Stockbridge, Massachusetts

I’m leading a retreat called “Poetry of Peace” at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. (For more info, click on the date heading.)

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January 12, Online

Save the date for an online conversation between me and poet and novelist Reshma Ruia. (For more info, click on the date heading.)

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January 16, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Come join me at the Hope Arts Center, where I’ll give a reading followed by a conversation with poet G.E. Patterson and a book signing. It all begins at 7 p.m. (For more info and to secure your tickets, click on the date heading.)

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January 17, Minneapolis, Minnesota

I’m leading a generative workshop on the space between poetry and prayer at The Loft Literary Center at 10 a.m. (For more info and to secure your tickets, click on the date heading.)

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January 29, Berkeley, California

I’ll be presenting an evening keynote at The Center for Faith and Justice. (For more info, click on the date heading.)

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February 2, Washington, District of Columbia, and Online

Join poet Marilyn Nelson and me for a conversation at the Washington National Cathedral at 7 p.m ET. (For more info, click on the date heading.)

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February 19, Manhattan, New York

I’m giving a lecture on storytelling and narrative poetry at The Morgan Library at 6:30 p.m. (For more info, click on the date heading.)

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February 24, Orlando, Florida

I’m giving a keynote address at Training Magazine’s annual exposition. (For more info, click on the date heading.)

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February 26–March 1, Kingston, New York

I’m leading a weekend retreat workshop called “Poems of Longing”. (For more info, click on the date heading.)

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April 23, Notre Dame, Indiana

I’ll be giving the keynote for a symposium at the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art. (For more info, click on the date heading.)

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May 31–June 5, Rhinebeck, New York

This spring, I’m leading a six-day workshop at the Omega Institute. We’ll read and examine poems and also write and discuss our own. I’d love to see you there. (For more info, click on the date heading.)

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June 27–July 3, 2026, Iona, Scotland

Krista and I will be leading a week of conversation (with some musical guests) on Iona, an island off an island off the west coast of Scotland. It is filled, but if you want to be on a waiting list, you can email the Saint Columba hotel by clicking on the title just above here. (For more info, click on the date heading.)