Citings & Sightings of Dante's Works in Contemporary Culture
“James Hutchinson was arrested in the United Arab Emirates in July and has been detained at Al Wathba jail – known as Dante’s Inferno. The Brit, 52, has been told he will not be released unless he pays £170,000 in “blood money” compensation to the family of a cyclist he killed in a road accident in 2013.” —Patrick Hill, “Brit held in jail known as Dante’s Inferno won’t be freed until he pays ‘blood money’,” The Mirror, August 12, 2023 (retrieved November 25, 2023)
“We’re taking part in a divine comedy and we should realise that the play is always a comedy, in that we’re all ultimately ridiculous.” —Max Hastings, Editor: An Inside Story of Newspapers
Read more about Max Hastings’s memoir, covering his editorship of The Telegraph from 1985 to 2002, in The Guardian (“The view from Hastings,” October 12, 2002).
“No doubt Symphony X is one of the bands whose songwriting and lyrical capabilities very closely resemble Dante’s style,” writes Loudwire’s Katy Irizary. “They’re known for writing lengthy concept albums that often pay homage to Greek mythology, literature, and poetry. 2015’s ‘Underworld’ is all about ‘Inferno,’ taking the listener on the very same terrifying journey as Dante, only in their own words.” – Katy Irizary, Loudwire, August 15, 2018
Read the full Loudwire article here.
“In Dante’s poem, Charon escorts the author and his guide, Virgil, across the river to the realm of the damned. The Scorpions make reference to a “blind man” in this cut from 1977’s ‘Taken By Force.’ This is in reference to the lost souls who did not have a coin for Charon, so they must blindly wander the banks of Styx for hundreds of years.” – Katy Irizary, Loudwire, August 15, 2018
Read the full Loudwire article here.
The lyrics in Kreator’s song “World Beyond” describe a trip through the gates of Hell similar to Dante and Virgil’s, according to Loudwire’s Katy Irizary.
The song discusses the river Styx and selling souls.
Read the full Loudwire article here.
All submissions will be considered for posting. Bibliographic references and scholarly essays are also welcome for consideration.
Coggeshall, Elizabeth, and Arielle Saiber, eds. Dante Today: Citings and Sightings of Dante’s Works in Contemporary Culture. Website. Access date.
