Have you ever read a poem and then, without even realizing it, discover that it has implanted itself in your mind forever? For the last twelve years, there has hardly been a month where I haven’t thought at least twice about a single haiku written by Richard Wright in the last months before his death. Somber and yet joyous, imprisoning and yet liberating, its word and image have become a permanent part of who I am as a person. In this episode, I explore that poem, it’s troubled author, and its relationship to this particular literary critic at tremendous depth, and, through that depth, come to better understand why it is that literature counts for so much in the architecture of human civilization. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about the Joy of Serious Literature, you can contact me via email at [email protected] or find me on twitter at @vainlydrabsatan.