“Even if we’re breaking down, we can find a way to break through. Even if we can’t find heaven, I’ll walk through Hell with you.” —YouTube
posted on December 9, 2015 by
Rachel Platten, “Stand By You”
posted on December 8, 2015 by
“My First Pumpkin Spice Latte: A Journey”
“Then I waited. For a total of two minutes, I stood at the end of the counter and maintained eye contact with the jug of ‘Pumpkin Spice Flavored Sauce’ that happened to be sitting behind the ledge. ‘Tell me your secrets, magical chalice of spicy pumpkin secretions. What exactly are you?’ I asked the jug with my eyes, like Dante seeking help from Virgil.” –Kelli Bender, “My First Pumpkin Spice Latte: A Journey,” People Magazine
Contributed by Victoria Williams (University of Delaware, ’19)
posted on March 30, 2015 by
Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game
In 2014, the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise released a set of trading cards called “Duelist Alliance.” The set featured characters from The Divine Comedy, including Dante (“Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss“), Virgil (“Virgil, Rock Star of the Burning Abyss“), and Malebranche demons like Graff (“Graff, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss“).
Contributed by Ramiro Castillo (University of Texas at Austin, ’17)
posted on March 30, 2015 by
Virgilio
Virgilio is a widely used Italian website; it is a search engine and can provide email addresses. Its name, shared with Virgil, is fitting given that the site acts as a ‘guide’ for internet users.
Contributed by Stella Mattioli, University of Virginia ’15
posted on December 11, 2014 by
Telecom Company Tim produces Dante ads (2012)
posted on August 28, 2014 by
Grimes’ “Go” Video
On August 27, 2014, Grimes (Claire Boucher) released a music video for her single “Go” (feat. Blood Diamonds, aka Mike Tucker), providing the viewer with a glimpse into what Grimes perceives as Dante’s modern Hell. Though “abstract” in its composition, Grimes and her brother-turned-fellow-director strategically chose to set the video in various locations representing human carelessness and Hell on Earth. The video casts Grimes as the pilgrim and Blood Diamonds as Virgil, and begins with screenwriter David Hayter (X-Men, Watchmen) reading the opening verses of the poem: “Midway upon the journey of our life, I found myself within a forest dark, for the straightforward pathway had been lost.”
See Spin Magazine for Chris Martins’ post on the video, which he calls “a sci-fi homage to Dante’s Inferno.”
See the full video here.
Contributed by Ryan Alexander (George Mason University, 2016)
posted on July 19, 2014 by
John Sayles, Brother from Another Planet (1984)
The main character, an escaped slave from another planet, meets a character who calls himself “Virgil,” a rastafarian who speaks in verse and helps guide The Brother through a dark moment.
