D.L. Lang

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.

She has published 16 full-length books of poetry, and served as the Poet Laureate of Vallejo, California.

Diana Lucille Lang (née Kettle) was born in Bad Hersfeld, West Germany where her American father was stationed in the military, and met her mother who is German.

As a result of growing up in a military family as a child Lang relocated frequently, residing in Herleshausen, West Germany, Santa Fe, Texas, Alexandria, Louisiana, and Enid, Oklahoma.

Lang graduated from Enid High School in 2001, received an Associate of Science in General Studies at Northern Oklahoma College, and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Film Studies with a minor in Judaic Studies from the University of Oklahoma.

After college she moved to California in 2005 and married Timothy Lang in 2006, living in San Rafael, California prior to moving to Vallejo.

While in college Lang worked as a video editor at television station KXOK-LD, as webmaster for University of Oklahoma student radio station the Wire, and as a band promoter for Grey from Enid, Oklahoma.

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, which was broadcast on Oklahoma PBS affiliate OETA, and The Hebrew Project, a Hebrew language film that featured University of Oklahoma professors Ori Kritz and Norman Stillman, which was broadcast on The Jewish Channel.

Lang began writing poetry as a child, first attempting to write song lyrics.

She cites The Beatles, Pete Seeger, Allen Ginsberg, Jim Morrison, and Bob Dylan as influences.

In addition to writing about her life, Lang writes on themes of Judaism, social justice, political protest, feminism, anti-capitalism, anti-racism and pacifism.

Lang began performing her poetry in 2015 at Poetry by the Bay.

Her poems have been published in newspapers, journals, and anthologies.

D. L. Lang was appointed Poet Laureate of Vallejo, California in September 2017 and served through December 2019.

As poet laureate Lang edited the poetry anthology Verses, Voices & Visions of Vallejo and performed 141 times in 18 different cities.

Lang gave the invocation at the 2019 Vallejo Women's March.

During her tenure she also performed her poetry at many local events, including Vallejo Unites Against Hatred, Unity Day, International Peace Day and Why Poetry Matters.

Lang also gave a presentation on Emma Lazarus and Alicia Ostriker for AAUW Voices of Change.

Lang also judged seven contests including the county Poetry Out Loud high school recitation competition, Joel Fallon poetry scholarship, Solano County Fair talent competition, Vallejo poetry slam, and county library teen writing competition.

She performed regularly on air on KZCT and on stage at Poetry by the Bay.

Like her predecessor, she led the Poetry in Notion poetry circle and hosted annual events for National Poetry Month.

She attended poets laureate conferences in Tujunga and San Mateo.

Lang was preceded as Vallejo's poet laureate by Dr. Genea Brice, and succeeded by Jeremy Snyder, then host of Poetry by the Bay.

In 2020 she was a featured act at the Solano County Virtual Fair, and judged the library's teen poetry competition.

In 2021 she performed virtually for Poetry Flash and Point Arena Third Thursday Poetry.

She also performed with Brice and Snyder at Alibi Bookshop, and for the Jewish Democrats of Solano County.

In 2022 she performed for the AAUW, Solano County Library, San Francisco Public Library, a beat poetry festival at the Empress Theatre, the abortion rights group RiseUp4AbortionRights, the Beat Museum and LaborFest with the Revolutionary Poets Brigade, judged the Solano library's teen poetry competition, and appeared on the Rooted in Poetry podcast.

She continues to perform poetry live on air at KZCT radio.

In 2023 she performed at the Flyway Festival, Cordelia Library for Poetry Month, Vallejo Poetry Festival, Laborfest at the Tenderloin Museum, Revolution Books in Berkeley to support freeing Iranian political prisoners, and a labor protest against Elon Musk.

In 2023 she was also one of ten winners of the Curbside Haiku contest in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and performed at the 2023 Woody Guthrie Folk Festival in Okemah, Oklahoma.

Lang was a member of the committee to choose Snyder’s successors as poet laureate, and judged the Solano Library's teen poetry competition.

In 2024 Lang performed at the Starry Plough Pub in Berkeley in support of Toomaj Salehi, and a Jewish art exhibit at the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum.

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.