Diana Lucille Lang | |
---|---|
Born | |
Alma mater | University of Oklahoma [2] |
Occupation | Poet |
Title | Poet laureate of Vallejo, California |
Term | 2017-2019 [3] |
Predecessor | Genea Brice [3] |
Successor | Jeremy Snyder [4] |
Writing career | |
Pen name | D. L. Lang [5] |
Genre | poetry |
Website | dianalangpoetry |
Diana Lucille Lang (born 1983, Bad Hersfeld, West Germany), known professionally as D. L. Lang, is an American poet. Her poetry is anthologized in over 60 anthologies. [6] She has published 16 full-length books of poetry, and served as the Poet Laureate of Vallejo, California. [7] [8] [9] [1]
Diana Lucille Lang [2] (née Kettle) [10] was born in Bad Hersfeld, West Germany [1] where her American father was stationed in the military, and met her mother who is German. [11] As a result of growing up in a military family [1] as a child Lang relocated frequently, residing in Herleshausen, West Germany, [12] Santa Fe, Texas, [12] Alexandria, Louisiana, [12] and Enid, Oklahoma. [10] Lang graduated from Enid High School in 2001, [10] received an Associate of Science in General Studies [13] at Northern Oklahoma College, [14] and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Film Studies with a minor in Judaic Studies [13] from the University of Oklahoma. [2] After college she moved to California in 2005 [13] and married Timothy Lang in 2006, [11] [1] living in San Rafael, California prior to moving to Vallejo. [15] [11]
While in college Lang worked as a video editor at television station KXOK-LD, [2] [16] as webmaster for University of Oklahoma student radio station the Wire, [17] and as a band promoter for Grey from Enid, Oklahoma. [11] [16] She also created documentary films and music videos, including Liquid Wind, a kiteboarding film by director Charles Maupin that features an interview with Mike Morgan, [18] which was broadcast on Oklahoma PBS affiliate OETA, [19] and The Hebrew Project, [2] a Hebrew language film that featured University of Oklahoma professors Ori Kritz and Norman Stillman, which was broadcast on The Jewish Channel. [20]
Lang began writing poetry as a child, first attempting to write song lyrics. [11] She cites The Beatles, [11] Pete Seeger, Allen Ginsberg, Jim Morrison, and Bob Dylan as influences. [1] In addition to writing about her life, [11] Lang writes on themes of Judaism, [21] social justice, [11] political protest, [22] feminism, [22] anti-capitalism, [21] anti-racism [21] and pacifism. [21] [22] Lang began performing her poetry in 2015 [11] at Poetry by the Bay. [23] Her poems have been published in newspapers, journals, and anthologies.
Lang's poem "American Dream," [24] originally included in the 2022 anthology Reimagine America: An Anthology for the Future will be included in The Vagabond Lunar Collection which features the social justice themed work of 127 poets. [25] Mark Lipman of Vagabond Books compiled the collection for Samuel Peralta's Lunar Codex time capsule project, [25] which launches art stored on memory cards and nano-fiche to the moon. [26] The anthology is included in Codex Polaris, traveling to the Nobile Crater as part of NASA's Artemis program, [27] and is expected to launch to the moon in November 2024 or February 2025. [25]
D. L. Lang was appointed Poet Laureate of Vallejo, California in September 2017 and served through December 2019. [28] [29] As poet laureate Lang edited the poetry anthology Verses, Voices & Visions of Vallejo [11] [30] and performed 141 times in 18 different cities. [31] Lang gave the invocation [32] at the 2019 Vallejo Women's March. [33] During her tenure she also performed her poetry at many local events, including Vallejo Unites Against Hatred, [34] Unity Day, [35] International Peace Day [36] and Why Poetry Matters. [37] Lang also gave a presentation on Emma Lazarus and Alicia Ostriker for AAUW Voices of Change. [38] Lang also judged seven contests [31] including the county Poetry Out Loud high school recitation competition, [39] Joel Fallon poetry scholarship, [13] Solano County Fair talent competition, [13] Vallejo poetry slam, [28] and county library teen writing competition. [40] She performed regularly on air on KZCT [13] and on stage at Poetry by the Bay. [41] Like her predecessor, [42] she led the Poetry in Notion poetry circle [41] and hosted annual events for National Poetry Month. [1] She attended poets laureate conferences in Tujunga and San Mateo. [43] [44] Lang was preceded as Vallejo's poet laureate by Dr. Genea Brice, [3] and succeeded by Jeremy Snyder, then host of Poetry by the Bay. [45] The California State Senate, California Arts Council, and Vallejo City Council awarded Lang with proclamations for serving as poet laureate. [46]
In 2020 she was a featured act at the Solano County Virtual Fair, [47] and judged the library's teen poetry competition. [48] In 2021 she performed virtually for Poetry Flash [49] and Point Arena Third Thursday Poetry. [13] She also performed with Brice and Snyder at Alibi Bookshop, [50] and for the Jewish Democrats of Solano County. [51] In 2022 she performed for the AAUW, [52] Solano County Library, [53] San Francisco Public Library, [54] a beat poetry festival at the Empress Theatre, [55] [56] the abortion rights group RiseUp4AbortionRights, [57] the Beat Museum [58] and LaborFest with the Revolutionary Poets Brigade, [59] judged the Solano library's teen poetry competition, [60] and appeared on the Rooted in Poetry podcast. [61] In 2023 she performed at the Flyway Festival, [62] Cordelia Library for Poetry Month, [63] Vallejo Poetry Festival, [64] Laborfest at the Tenderloin Museum, [65] Revolution Books in Berkeley to support freeing Iranian political prisoners, [66] and a labor protest against Elon Musk. [67] [68] In 2023 she was also one of ten winners of the Curbside Haiku contest in Tulsa, Oklahoma, [46] [62] [69] and performed at the 2023 Woody Guthrie Folk Festival in Okemah, Oklahoma. [46] [70] Lang was a member of the committee to choose Snyder’s successors as poet laureate, [71] [72] [73] and judged the Solano Library's teen poetry competition. [74] [75]
In 2024 Lang performed at the Starry Plough Pub in Berkeley in support of Toomaj Salehi. [76] She also gave a reading at a Jewish art exhibit at the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum, [77] with fellow poets laureate at the Fairfield Library, [78] the Solano County Fair, [79] Mare Island Art Studios, [80] and the Beat Museum. [81] She also interviewed on KZCT. [82] In March 2024 Lang was among several Vallejo women activists who received a proclamation from the Vallejo City Council in honor of Women's History Month. [83] She also performed at Ink and Inspiration in Enid, Oklahoma, [84] the Scissortail Creative Writing Festival in Ada, Oklahoma, [85] [46] and the 2024 Woody Guthrie Folk Festival. [86] She continues to perform poetry live on air at KZCT radio. [87] Radio stations KPOO, KPFA, and KALW have also broadcast Lang’s poetry. [46]
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