Below are some quotes from D.L. Lang pulled from various press articles and interviews over the years. Click the links to read full news articles and interview.
Quotes by D.L. Lang on Poetry and Poets
“Poetry is how I make sense of the world, how I cheer myself up when I’m down, a way of bearing witness to history, and a vehicle for expressing spiritual and political insights.” — D.L. Lang on the purpose of poetry.
“It brings people together over boundaries, and it can be cathartic in hard times, for the writer and the listener, because it reaches straight for your heart.” — D.L. Lang on the power of poetry.
“When I am able to use my poetry for a higher cause be that performing at a protest or benefit, or contributing to a charity anthology, then I believe I am fulfilling my purpose in life. Poetry for poetry’s sake is always a lot of fun, but when poetry can contribute in some way to helping people it becomes a purpose.” — D.L. Lang on poetry as purpose.
“The Beats paved the way for modern poets by fighting censorship laws, so that we are all more free to speak our minds without fear. I’ve been into the Beats since I was a teenager, admiring their adventures and the freedom with which they lived. I first visited Vallejo on a Greyhound bus when I was 21—during that trip I also made sure to visit City Lights.” – D.L. Lang about the Beats
“QR was beloved in the poetry community — we lost him in 2020 while things were shut down from the pandemic, and we didn’t have the closure and comfort of doing an in-person memorial then. He was a master at wordplay and a fiery reader, an activist poet, and deeply spiritual as well. I was impressed by his musical reading style, his down-to-earth nature, and his work in the civil rights movement with Malcolm X.” – D.L. Lang about Q.R. Hand
“Her poem was powerful and she gave a stellar performance. It was a refreshing message of hope that not only recognizes the generational problems we must overcome, but envisions what this country could become– ‘a union with purpose’ and ‘a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions”‘ with ‘harm to none and harmony for all.’” — D.L. Lang about Amanda Gorman
“We’re all very different stylistically in our poetry, and I think it provides variety. I appreciated Genea’s fiery voice and I appreciate Jeremy’s ability to manipulate language.” — D.L. Lang on her fellow poets laureate.
“I’ve gotta consider myself intergalactically published instead of just internationally.” — D.L. Lang on having a poem on the moon with the Lunar Codex.
“While I wish I would have focused more on writing in my twenties than I did, I think having a more well-rounded life made me a stronger writer, so while I could tell my yourself, “Don’t wait. Don’t listen to people who say it cannot be done.” I can also say, “It’s never too late.” ” — D.L. Lang on becoming a performer in her 30s.
Quotes by D.L. Lang On Travel
“I have a lot of different places and memories and cultures to draw from. I’ve been inspired a lot by road trips with my dad, driving across the country a few times. There’s always new people to meet and every place is a little bit different.” — D.L. Lang about road trips.
“I cannot remember a time when I haven’t travelled, having spent several hours on trains and planes since I was a baby, and in more recent years road trips to other states in the Northwest and Southwest. Travel and relocating a lot puts you into close proximity with a lot of different cultures, languages, and subcultures, and it forces you to be open minded about different ideas and welcoming towards strangers.” — D.L. Lang about travelling.
Quotes by D.L. Lang on her intellectual influences
“I studied as much as I could about the 1960s as a historical and artistic era, and that had the largest effect on me when I was younger. I like artists and writers that push boundaries and expand my consciousness beyond my own personal life experiences.” — D.L. Lang about the 1960s.
“I’m a poet who breathes in music and exhales poetry like some kind of ekphrastic bong hit. The first band I loved was Sharon, Lois and Bram from the Elephant Show. I think that was the genesis of my musical taste—meaningful, fun, music with a lot of vocal harmony. Generally, I like deep songs with meaningful lyrics which I find is well represented in folk music, folk revival in the 1960s, psychedelic and progressive rock, and reggae.” — D.L. Lang on music.
Visit this page for more interviews from radio broadcasts with D.L. Lang.
