Joseph Fasano is a multifaceted figure with a substantial academic and creative portfolio. He embarked on his academic journey at Harvard University, initially pursuing mathematics and astrophysics before shifting his academic trajectory towards philo...
Joseph Fasano is a multifaceted figure with a substantial academic and creative portfolio. He embarked on his academic journey at Harvard University, initially pursuing mathematics and astrophysics before shifting his academic trajectory towards philosophy, particularly focusing on Wittgenstein’s philosophy of language. Subsequently, he undertook graduate studies in poetry at Columbia University, working alongside influential mentors such as Mark Strand, Lucie Brock-Broido, and Richard Howard. In this interview, Joseph Fasano discusses the engagement of poetic capabilities and his personal perspective on his poetry. Notably, Fasano demonstrates an open-minded stance toward the divergent interpretations that readers may attribute to his poems. Furthermore, he shares insights into his personal and professional evolution as a writer, characterizing this journey as “way of surviving.” A central motif underlying his creative endeavors in poetry and fiction is the necessity to connect “the personal to the historical.”