Ep230: Dharma of Poetry - John Brehm

Guru Viking Podcast

In this interview I am joined by John Brehm, American poet and author of ‘The Dharma of Poetry’. John recalls his early life in Nebraska, formation as an unlikely poet, use of psychedelics, and discovery of the aesthetic impulse. John reads ‘Non-Harming’, a poem from his latest book ‘Dharma Talk’, and reflects on the use of poetry for personal and religious edification, as well as the power of exposing one’s darker dimensions in verse. John also discusses how to achieve profundity in poetry, the skilful use of language, why T.S. Eliot is so often criticised, and how to detect the unmistakable whiff of ego. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep230-the-dharma-of-poetry-john-brehm Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:49 - A controversial poem 02:58 - Self awareness of one’s foibles 04:21 - How poets present themselves 04:56 - Ikkyu 05:21 - Making the sinful sacred 07:02 - Overly solemn poetry readings 07:52 - John reads ‘Non Harming’ 10:05 - Reflections on the poem 11:54 - Working class upbringing in Nebraska 13:04 - An unlikely poet 14:46 - The poetic calling 16:29 - Psychedelics 18:19 - Early poetic influences 20:06 - The art of seeing one’s local place 24:42 - An aesthetic impulse 25:53 - How to relate to a poem 27:46 - Aggressive approaches to poetry 29:09 - Nondual poetry practice 31:21 - How the high modernists made poetry elite 32:41 - Williams vs Eliot 34:08 - Anybody can enjoy poetry 36:16 - Poetry as edification 39:57 - The unmistakable whiff of ego 41:56 - The one who stops 45:41 - How to reach profundity in writing 50:23 - How to craft effective language 53:32 - How to read a poem aloud 55:34 - The role of memorisation … To find out more about John Brehm, visit: - https://www.johnbrehmpoet.com/ … For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James