Spring Break
"The Only Person Who Went to Business School to Become a Poet":
Dana Gioia, Chairman of the NEA and Former VP, at General Foods, Speaks at Radcliffe Yard
Pearle Lee (NH), Contributing Writer
Issue date: 3/8/04 Section: News
His translation of Seneca's The Madness of Hercules (1995) was performed by Verse Theater Manhattan.
In 2001, Gioia founded "Teaching Poetry," a conference dedicated to improving high school teaching of poetry. Also, he was the founder and co-director of the West Chester University Poetry Conference, the nation's
largest annual all-poetry writing conference.
The death of his father, combined with the events of September 11, inspired Gioia to enter the political arena. His father was a former radio operator and dive bomber in World War II. Reflections on his father's life led Gioia to conclude that "when asked to serve one's country, [one] should."
Professing that he lacked any political ambitions whatsoever, he had previously put aside any idea of considering the NEA post. Yet he took up the post in February 2003.
Gioia's experience in industry has shaped his approach to his position.
Making use of the marketing skills he gained as an executive, he
burnished the public image of the NEA. He offered a brief history of the agency: its charter is to "foster excellence in the arts," making the arts accessible to all Americans and providing leadership in arts education.
Gioia reframed disputes over the legitimate role of the NEA by reviewing the original charter of the agency. The 38-year old institution made its first grant in 1976 as the official government agency of the arts for the United States. Starting with a budget of $7 million, the NEA grew its budget to $140 million under the distinguished public servant Nancy Hanks during the Nixon administration.
Gioia further defused the ongoing public debate over public arts administration and defended the NEA's role in politics. "I refuse to believe that arts funding is controversial. I believe that most Americans want art in their communities and in the lives of their children, and I'm frankly bored with talking about controversies of the previous century. 50 million kids have been born since Mapplethorpe."
In 2001, Gioia founded "Teaching Poetry," a conference dedicated to improving high school teaching of poetry. Also, he was the founder and co-director of the West Chester University Poetry Conference, the nation's
largest annual all-poetry writing conference.
The death of his father, combined with the events of September 11, inspired Gioia to enter the political arena. His father was a former radio operator and dive bomber in World War II. Reflections on his father's life led Gioia to conclude that "when asked to serve one's country, [one] should."
Professing that he lacked any political ambitions whatsoever, he had previously put aside any idea of considering the NEA post. Yet he took up the post in February 2003.
Gioia's experience in industry has shaped his approach to his position.
Making use of the marketing skills he gained as an executive, he
burnished the public image of the NEA. He offered a brief history of the agency: its charter is to "foster excellence in the arts," making the arts accessible to all Americans and providing leadership in arts education.
Gioia reframed disputes over the legitimate role of the NEA by reviewing the original charter of the agency. The 38-year old institution made its first grant in 1976 as the official government agency of the arts for the United States. Starting with a budget of $7 million, the NEA grew its budget to $140 million under the distinguished public servant Nancy Hanks during the Nixon administration.
Gioia further defused the ongoing public debate over public arts administration and defended the NEA's role in politics. "I refuse to believe that arts funding is controversial. I believe that most Americans want art in their communities and in the lives of their children, and I'm frankly bored with talking about controversies of the previous century. 50 million kids have been born since Mapplethorpe."
