one of my favorite poets... Ms. Giovanni is outspoken and exudes strength. her latest work speaks of the trials she endured as she went thru the battle of her life, cancer.



http://nikki-giovanni.com/

Yolande Cornelia "Nikki" Giovanni, Jr., born in Knoxville, Tennessee, is a world-renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. Over the past thirty years, Nikki’s outspokenness, in her writing and in person, has brought the eyes of the world upon her. One of the most widely read American poets, she prides herself on being "a Black American, a daughter, a mother, a professor of English." Giovanni remains as determined and committed as ever to the fight for civil rights and equality. Always insisting on presenting the truth as she sees it, she has maintained a prominent place as a strong voice of the Black community. Her focus is on the individual, specifically, on the power one has to make a difference in oneself, and thus, in the lives of others. Nikki Giovanni has written more than two dozen books, including volumes of poetry, illustrated children’s books, and three collections of essays. Her book Racism 101 includes bold, controversial essays about the situation of Americans on all sides of various race issues. She has received 21 honorary doctorates and a host of other awards, including "Woman of the Year" awards from three different magazines as well as Governors’ Awards in the Arts from both Tennessee and Virginia. Her three most recent volumes of poetry, Love Poems, Blues: For All the Changes and Quilting the Black-Eyed Pea, were winners of the NAACP Image Award, in 1998, 2000, and 2003. Since 1987, she has taught writing and literature at Virginia Tech, where she is a University Distinguished Professor. As a devoted and passionate writer, teacher, and speaker, she inspires not only her students, but also readers and audiences nationwide. The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection, a spoken-word CD, was a finalist for the 2003 Grammy Award in the category of spoken word.

love, light & peace, Ginnie

She's quitting? I did not know that she was in that music group.

SausagePlatter said:

Poem


like a will-o'-the-wisp in the night
on a honeysuckle breze
a moment sticks
us together

like a dolphin being
tickled on her stomach
my sea of love flip-flops all
over my face

like the wind blowing
across a field of wheat
your smile whispers to my inner ear

with the relief of recognition
i bend to your eyes
casually
raping me

by Nikki Giovanni


light, love & peace Ginnie

OMG! I love Nikki Giovanni! When I was little girl in 1970's Cleveland, they used to teach her poetry during black history month as early as 2nd grade (although my 2nd grade teacher used to feed our multi-cultural class all sorts of literature from the great black poets and activists year round!) ...Giovanni, Brookes, Hughes....by the time you reached 5th or 6th grade they would have concerts where you could compete in a poetry recitation catagory: I remember it as being a very inspiring and exciting time to be a child in public grade schools; kids were on stage ORATING as if they were little baby ANGELOUS!!!!...Unfortunately it looks like times have changed a bit since then...I am meeting young people who do not become familiar with historically ground breaking artists such as Giovanni or even Sweet Honey In The Rock until they are in their teens, or even in college ...it all makes me feel very old, and sad for struggles hard won and lost....

She's quilting? Is this so they won't get cold on the tour bus?

Ottensen said:

use it as fuel... share with those who cross ur path, that's all any of us can do. most of the gift giving i do is some type of literature.

and by the way, i adore Hughes. 'my world' is one of the poems closest 2 my heart.

Ottensen, thanks 4 posting/sharing

love, light & peace, Ginnie

Balances


in life
one is always
balancing
like we juggle our mothers
against our fathers
or one teacher
against another
(only to balance our grade average)
3 grains of salt
to one ounce truth
our sweet black essence
or the funky honkies down the street
and lately I've begun wondering
if you re trying to tell me something
we used to talk all night
and do things alone together
and i've begun
(as a reaction to a feeling)
to balance
the pleasure of loneliness
against the pain
of loving you

by Nikki Giovanni

I found this thread to be much too confusing.

Natsume said:

confusing? how so?

JediMaster said:

THAT WIZARD ANI!

[Edited 10/10/05 23:29pm]

dolphngin said:

I get that too when I masturbate lying on my back...

MartyMcFly said:

u can masterbate while laying on ur stomach? now that's talent!


[Edited 10/11/05 12:21pm]

I'm in lust with Aria Giovanni, off topic, I know, but god she's hot.

jerseykrs said:

i take it she isn't in the literary world

who is she? an actress? a porn star?

dolphngin said:

LMFAO

porn