Diane Di Prima(1934-2020)

Undeniably the most well-known female Beat poet, Diane di Prima was born in Brooklyn, a second-generation American of Italian descent, and granddaughter of Domenico Mallozzi, a well-known anarchist. She began her life as a poet at age 14. She attended Swarthmore College, later moving to Greenwich Village to become part of the Bohemian intellectual culture: well-educated, white, middle-class individuals who led rebellious lifestyles, including sexual freedom and the use of drugs. Di Prima began a correspondence with the poet Ezra Pound, and became known as an important writer of the Beat movement. She co-founded the New York Poets Theatre and founded the Poets Press, which published the work of many new writers of the period. She also joined Timothy Leary's psychedelic community in the late 60s. Di Prima is the author of 35 books of poetry and prose. Her work has been translated into over 20 languages. She has received writing grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, an Award for Lifetime Achievement in Poetry from the National Poetry Association, and an honorary doctorate from St. Lawrence University. She was also nominated to be the first Poet Laureate of California. She has taught poetry and spirituality courses at New College of California, California College of Arts and Crafts, and the San Francisco Art Institute. She has lived in San Francisco since 1968.