Nikki Giovanni

You will definitely see a lot of posts about poetry on the this blog. I am a poetry fiend! I love Nikki Giovanni's work! I had the pleasure of meeting her years ago. It was a great expereince for me! She is a legend and also on my list of favorite authors. She signed a copy of  the book  A Blues For All Changes.


Short Bio
 The civil rights and black power movements inspired her early poetry that was collected in Black Feeling, Black Talk (1967), Black Judgement (1968), and Re: Creation (1970). She has since written more than two dozen books including volumes of poetry, illustrated children's books, and three collections of essays.


Giovanni's writing has been heavily inspired by African American activists and artists. Her book, Love Poems (1997), was written in memory of Tupac Shakur and she has stated that she would "rather be with the thugs than the people who are complaining about them."

She also tours nationwide and frequently speaks out against hate-motivated violence. At a 1999 Martin Luther King Day event, she recalled the 1998 murders of James Byrd, Jr. and Matthew Shepard: "What's the difference between dragging a black man behind a truck in Jasper, Texas, and beating a white boy to death in Wyoming because he's gay?"

Those Who Ride the Night Winds (1983) acknowledged notable black figures. Giovanni collected her essays in the 1988 volume Sacred Cows ... and Other Edibles. Her most recent works include Acolytes and On My Journey Now.

In 2004 Giovanni was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards for her album "The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection." She also featured on the track Ego Trip By Nikki Giovanni on Blackalicious' 2000 album Nia. In November 2008, a song cycle of her poems, Sounds That Shatter the Staleness in Lives by Adam Hill, was premiered as part of the Soundscapes Chamber Music Series in Taos, New Mexico.

She was commissioned by National Public Radio's All Things Considered to create an inaugural poem for President Barack Obama. Giovanni read poetry at the Lincoln Memorial as a part of the bicentennial celebration of Lincoln's birth on February 12, 2009.

Taken from Wikipedia... read more.

To the left I am holding a very serious book of poems by Ms. Giovanni. Black Feeling, Black Talk, Black Judgement. It is a must read for Nikki Giovanni fans. In the bottom pic I am holding up the signed copy of A Blues For All Changes. Click pic to enlarge.