Alice Notley On Poetry And Dreams

Written By Rodger Kamenetz

Alice Notley (November 8, 1945 – May 19, 2025).

I met Alice Notley in the late 60’s when I was an undergraduate and later while living in Baltimore we did an interview.

In recent years whenever I was in Paris I always looked up Alice and we had lunch together and hung out. Our conversations were funny, frank and we spoke a lot about dreams which fascinated both of us.  One of Alice’s masterpieces, The Descent of Alette draws on our oldest traditions in poetry going back to Sumer and at the same time is as fresh as tomorrow and deep as the underworld her characters ride around in. In this interview which took place in 2019 on a tender date in Alice’s personal character she connected the poem to her dreams.

You can listen to the interview HERE

You can read the transcript HERE

Rodger Kamenetz

Rodger Kamenetz has been instrumental in shaping and articulating Natural Dreamwork. He is Professor Emeritus of English and Religious Studies at Louisiana State University and an award-winning author, poet and teacher. He has been working with clients who seek spiritual direction through dreams since 2003.

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Grief And Dreamwork II