The Florentine poet’s richly detailed vision of a journey through hell and beyond has inspired other writers and artists for centuries.

The poet Dante Aligheri’s “Commedia” — it picked up “Divine” somewhere along the way — may seem an unlikely contender for relevance. Written 800 years ago, it can feel watermarked by the Middle Ages.

Luzzi just published his own translation of a different work by Dante – Vita Nuova. It's a lesser known work, much slimmer and more digestible than The Divine Comedy. It depicts a young Dante ...