Celebrating Diane di Prima February 19, 2010

San Francisco poets and artists will gather for a special poetry reading to celebrate Diane di Prima, the city’s new Poet Laureate. Mayor Gavin Newsome named di Prima San Francisco’s fifth Poet Laureate in May 2009, but her term officially began last month. The title was first granted upon Lawrence Ferlinghetti by Mayor Willie Brown in 1998.

On February 19 at 7:00 pm, Diane and the three previous Poets Laureate of San Francisco —Devorah Major, Jack Hirschman, and Janice Mirikitani—will read from their respective works. A host of noted San Francisco poets will also offer poems. Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts co-founder and fellow poet Roberto Vargas will serve as Master of Ceremony.

Di Prima is the author of 44 books of poetry and prose, including Pieces of a Song (City Lights, 1990), Loba: Books I and II (Penguin, 1998), Recollections of My Life as a Woman (Viking, 2001) and the new expanded version of Revolutionary Letters (Last Gasp Press of San Francisco, 2007). Her work has been translated into over twenty languages.

This event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Attendees will be admitted on a first come, first served basis.

Call 415.821.1155 for more information.