Diane di Prima was a towering figure in American poetry, and is sorely missed. Her passing in 2020 at the age of 86 has had to wait ’til now to be fully memorialized. There is no admission charge for our reading on Saturday nor for the grand event at the Castro on Sunday, though donations at both events will help the di Prima family cover the considerable expenses involved. There’s precious little time before the Castro Theater as we know it is reconfigured, and it would be a great mistake to miss this gathering to celebrate an individual whose position in San Francisco’s cultural history is impossible to overstate, and whose work, practice, influence, generosity and friendship have shaped generations the world over.

(note that our address is misstated in the flyer reproduced above. That’s the address where Diane first read for us, though, and where she brought her students so they could get the hang of being poets and being poets reading in public, so it bears a look. The food served there now is quite good, too. In any case, we’re now around the corner and up the block at 653 Chenery Street, where Diane did many wonderful readings as well. In addition to her readings, she also kindly did benefits to sustain the bookshop in both locations on more than a few occasions.)

READ ABOUT SUNDAY’S CASTRO THEATER TRIBUTE & CELEBRATION AT THIS LINK:
https://centerforthehumanities.org/programming/celebrating-the-life-and-legacy-of-diane-di-prima-presented-by-her-family

Please donate to help the di Prima family put on this tribute and celebration:
https://gofund.me/215f9a4e