Loba

The Penguin Poets

by Diane di Prima

Loba is a visionary epic quest for the reintegration of the femimine, hailed by many as the great female counterpart to Allen Ginsberg's Howl when the first half appeared in 1978. Now published for the first time in its completed form with new material, Loba, "she-wolf" in Spanish explores the wilderness at the heart of experience, through the archetype of the wolf goddess, elemental symbol of complete self-acceptance.

Genres: Poetry, Womens, Classics, Fiction, Feminism, Spirituality

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Diane di Prima was an American poet and member of the Beat Generation. She was San Francisco’s poet laureate from 2009 to 2011.

Reviews

[Adriana Scarpin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obra-primaça, tem a mesma potência arquetípica que os livros da Jean Shinoda Bolen e da Clarissa Pinkola Estés mas em linguagem poética, deguste um pouco por dia do livro para não acabar e remexer no feminino arquetípico que está em nós, pra isso Di Prima busca de Liltih à Eva, de Persefone à Maria, de Kali à Ishtar. Belíssimo.

[SamAnnElizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Full review available on my blog.

Organized into multiple parts and books, di Prima starts out in her youth and discusses the youth and beauty of a young powerful woman. From there, she moves into childbirth and motherhood, commenting on how it feels to have become a mother. From there, she talks about relationships with men and how men will hurt a woman. After that, I’m not exactly sure what happens. I got lost after the first third of di Prima’s book and only picked up at the end that she was discussing being and independent woman who, like a wolf, can hunt alone.

This book didn’t really do a lot for me. I’m not a big fan of poetry and I found this harder to follow than most. There are poems that i can appreciate for their beautiful words and images, but I didn’t see a lot of that in Loba.

[Madeline · Rating 2 out of 5]

Diane di Prima is actually pretty good at the putting together words part of poetry, but this book ... no. I knew, when I read that it was a female/feminist response to/version of Howl that my response to it wouldn't be favorable (because, sadly, I don't think much of Howl except culturally). I know ideas of gender and sexuality have changed, but - there are limits, anyway.

Also, there are so many poems here, that the book becomes repetitive, and no poem feels necessary unto itself. Or even necessary to the wholeness of the poetic vision.

If I am going to be reading dubiously gender essentialist feminist work, I'd rather read Irigaray. This was sort of ... The Mists of Avalon poetry.

[Levy Erwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I suggest all lesbians read this in the bath. Read this book naked. RIP DDP

[Charlotte Bouilloux · Rating 5 out of 5]

wondrous, mythic and utterly beautiful writing

[Lucy McLaughlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been gnawing my way through this four (!) months now as the density of the references to myriad religions, legends & myths can be tough going at times. I think this will benefit from several rereads (and not in chronological order next time) when I’ve had time to sharpen up my understanding of the various mythologies which inform this. Di Prima writes like no poet I’ve ever read and the way in which she weaves the visceral and grotesque with images of delicacy to express the feminine experience is so distinct. This is a complex and winding epic with so many interesting formal experimentations & I look forward to revisiting it when I have the mental capacity to do it justice

[Kent Winward · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beat Woman Runs With Wolves. One thing I have always loved about Beat writers is the lyrical language. On the page, de Prima does not come across as lyrical, but fragmented and choppy. The poem is packed with symbolic significance, obvious enough to know that it is meant to be symbolic and obscure enough to be annoying. This may be because of my preference that poetry be readily accessible in all my left-brained-ness. The Kali section was the strongest and that did not come until the end -- necklaces of human skulls always make things more interesting.

[Fred Pierre · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's poetry both beautiful and terrifying in this giant collection of di Prima's work. Mysticism, spirituality, eros, and mythology inform this bible of feminine power. di Prima's Loba is both goddess and wolf. She's speaks with the voice of the beat generation; and her voice that should not be ignored.

Her poem constructions are diverse. Poems have complex layouts. One poem includes drawings. There are poems about star-crossed lovers, divine destroyers, nature's power and animal instincts. You'll find many that stick with you after you close the book.

[Lisette · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the words of Di Prima herself:
“There is a woman whose poems are bread & meat
hyacinth nightmare crepe paper
I close a window, she is not reflected in it
but I see her silhouette against the glass
she is crisp as ice, is soft
as russian vowels”

Loba starts abruptly and crashes into hurdles of words until the metalanguage learns to slow down into a lumber. That lumber is limping, then shuffling, then strong, then graceful — in such a way that I think that this will stay with me for a while.

[manasa k · Rating 3 out of 5]

a little repetitive and its not the height of her writing. but it's still on a level that most things will just never reach. a solid counterpart to howl. to be like diane di prima sitting barefoot on her piano reading poems about anarchy to a room full of friends is an absolute dream.

[Nick Smucker · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 stars sober, 4 stars stoned

[Sasha Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's difficult to describe these poems; the more I try to bring them into focus, the more they fade from view. I found it did not pay to do any close analysis; it was better to read without pausing, letting the images wash over me. This is probably fitting for an author who taught at the Jack Kerouac School - the mirror image of Kerouac's spontaneous prose technique.

At first, the poems feel like they don't amount to much, but as the volume progresses, the Classical references grow dense. Di Prima also both draws on and at times criticises feminist Neopaganism; I would be intrigued to know which authors from that movement di Prima had read or interacted with, because it's very clear that there were some.

My favourite pieces appear towards the end: Part 15, a series of verses addressed to Kali-Ma after Ramprasad Sen; and Report to Aphrodite (Evening), which captures the contradictions of a spiritual life well.

[Frank Pajunen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somehow both of its time and transcending that time in different ways, this long long poem enchanted me way more than I expected. The focus on womanhood as motherhood didn't always hit home for me, but I can see how the ways in which motherhood was made visceral are important for then and now nevertheless. I loved the very first part, "Ave", which seemed to me like almost Whitmanish in its celebration of the diversity and struggles of womanhood. I will be revisiting this one to gather my thoughts better. However, on first reading I'm glad I delved into this one, if only for its celebration of wildness and flesh and spirit.

[G.A. Benoit]

If you liked Women Who Run With the Wolves- read this. And vice versa.

Covers a wide range of global mythologies and feminine
Energies. Makes me feel strong and dynamic, and accepting of my many facets.

[Noémi · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible mythology. Abundant with riotous energies and crystal clear images. Soulful and vicious at the same time.

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

wolf goddesses and beastiality and man-eating, oh my!

[María · Rating 5 out of 5]

My holy bible.

[puddl3 · Rating 3 out of 5]

moments of clarity are few and far between, but when they’re there, they kinda hit. but mostly saturated with bouts of beat, cunt centric feminism. good epigraphs.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have most of Diane Di Prima's works. She is one of the most famous female poets from the Beat era, and her career has been one of honesty and beauty.

[bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe I didn't know who I was until I read Loba. This will be carried around in my heart forever. I deeply want to share Loba with every woman in my life.