Nikki Giovanni
Author of Rosa
About the Author
Nikki Giovanni is one of the most prominent black poets of her generation. Born on June 7, 1943, in Knoxville, Tenn., she graduated from Fisk University and later studied at Columbia University. Giovanni creates strongly written poems to convey messages of love, frustration, alienation, and the show more black experience. She gained national fame with the publication of Black Feeling, Black Talk, Black Judgement in 1970. Full of the spirit of the black community during this era, her works captured the anger and frustration of many of its members. Giovanni has been the recipient of grants from both the National Endowment for the Arts and the Ford Foundation. She has taught English at Rutgers University, Ohio State University, and Queens College and has given frequent poetry readings. She is also known for several sound recordings of her poetry, including Truth Is On Its Way. She has also been a Professor of English at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Series
Works by Nikki Giovanni
Gemini: An Extended Autobiographical Statement on My First Twenty-Five Years of Being a Black Poet (1971) 91 copies
Grand Mothers: Poems, Reminiscences, and Short Stories About the Keepers of Our Traditions (1994) — Editor — 76 copies
Shimmy Shimmy Shimmy Like My Sister Kate: Looking At The Harlem Renaissance Through Poems (1996) 70 copies
Grand Fathers: Reminiscences, Poems, Recipes, and Photos of the Keepers of Our Traditions (1999) — Editor — 25 copies
Jubilee 4 copies
Anthology of Application Writers 2 copies
Good Night 2 copies
Two Friends 2 copies
73 Poems for 73 Years: Celebrating the Life of Lucille Clifton — Producer — 1 copy
Night comes softly 1 copy
Like A Ripple On A Pond 1 copy
Nikki-Rosa 1 copy
Giovanni, Nikki Archive 1 copy
Entropy 3 1 copy
Associated Works
Daughters of Africa: An International Anthology of Words and Writings by Women of African Descent from the Ancient… (1992) — Contributor — 156 copies
Writing Women's Lives: An Anthology of Autobiographical Narratives by Twentieth-Century American Women Writers (1994) — Contributor — 119 copies
These United States: Original Essays by Leading American Writers on Their State within the Union by John Leonard (1995) — Contributor — 88 copies
Honey, Hush! An Anthology of African American Women's Humor (1657) — Foreword; Contributor — 74 copies
Black Ink: Literary Legends on the Peril, Power and Pleasure of Reading and Writing (2018) — Foreword — 66 copies
Angles of Ascent: A Norton Anthology of Contemporary African American Poetry (2013) — Contributor — 42 copies
The Word: Black Writers Talk About the Transformative Power of Reading and Writing (2011) — Contributor — 32 copies
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You: Aretha Franklin, Respect, and the Making of a Soul Music Masterpiece (2004) — Foreword, some editions — 24 copies
The Unforgetting Heart: An Anthology of Short Stories by African American Women (1859-1993) (1993) — Contributor — 22 copies
The Artists' and Writers' Cookbook: A Collection of Stories with Recipes (2016) — Contributor — 17 copies
The Bluelight Corner: Black Women Writing on Passion, Sex, and Romantic Love (1998) — Contributor — 9 copies
Heav'nly Tidings From the Afric Muse: The Grace and Genius of Phillis Wheatley Poet Laureate of the American Revolution (2017) — Foreword, some editions — 4 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Giovanni, Yolande Cornelia, Jr.
- Birthdate
- 1943-06-07
- Gender
- female
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
- Places of residence
- Virginia, USA
- Education
- Fisk University (BA, Honors|History|1967)
University of Pennsylvania
Columbia University - Occupations
- poet
essayist
professor - Organizations
- Virginia Tech University
- Awards and honors
- NAACP Image Award (1998, 1999, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)
The Langston Hughes Award for Distinguished Contributions to Arts and Letters (1996)
Maya Angelou Lifetime Achievement Award (2017)
Caldecott Honor Book Award (2006)
Carl Sandburg Literary Award (2007)
Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize (2022)
Members
Reviews
An phenomenal poetry books for all ages. Ashley Bryan, a Newberry Honoree, hand selected Nikki Giovanni's poems to illustrate. Each page has a poem along with colorful, mosaic illustrations. 11 poems are included that promote unconditional and affirming love. The last poem, "I am a Mirror" includes a mirror on the page for the reader to view themselves as loved. The poems go back in time generationally mentioning mothers and grandmothers, fathers, and grandfathers. Some of the included poems are bittersweet, talking about aging and loss, but most are inspiring readers to love and be loved for their true self. This is an inspiring read for anyone and would make a great read aloud for younger children.… (more)
This book is a love story from a young girl to the library. I would call it historical fiction based on the illustrations which show clothing and cars from the 1960s or so and also card catalogs. The author's note mentions her experiences with segregation during her childhood, also adding to the timeframe. The illustrations are drawn with the same love that the writing shares. One image shows the girl with her eyes closed and a book in her lap by a bookshelf bathed in a shower of sparkling light. That one image captures for me the feeling that a trip to the library often brought for me at that age.… (more)
Alove letter to libraries.
A Black child, with hair in two puffballs tied with yellow ribbons, a blue dress with a Peter Pan collar, and black patent leather Mary Janes, helps Grandmother with the housework, then, at Grandmother’s suggestion, heads to the library. The child’s eagerness to go, with two books under an arm and one in their hand, suggests that this is a favorite destination. The books’ wordless covers emphasize their endless possibilities. The protagonist’s description of the library makes clear that they are always free to be themselves there—whether they feel happy or sad, whether they’re reading mysteries or recipes, and whether they feel “quick and smart” or “contained and cautious.” Robinson’s vibrant, carefully composed digital illustrations, with bright colors that invite readers in and textures and patterns in every image, effectively capture the protagonist’s passion for reading and appreciation for a space where they feel accepted regardless of disposition. In her author’s note, Giovanni states that she spent summers visiting her grandmother in Knoxville, Tennessee, where she went to the Carnegie Branch of the Lawson McGhee Library. She expresses gratitude for Mrs. Long, the librarian, who often traveled to the main library to get books that Giovanni could not find in their segregated branch. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A lushly illustrated homage to librarians who provide a welcome and a home away from home for all who enter. (Picture book. 4-7)
-Kirkus Review… (more)
A Black child, with hair in two puffballs tied with yellow ribbons, a blue dress with a Peter Pan collar, and black patent leather Mary Janes, helps Grandmother with the housework, then, at Grandmother’s suggestion, heads to the library. The child’s eagerness to go, with two books under an arm and one in their hand, suggests that this is a favorite destination. The books’ wordless covers emphasize their endless possibilities. The protagonist’s description of the library makes clear that they are always free to be themselves there—whether they feel happy or sad, whether they’re reading mysteries or recipes, and whether they feel “quick and smart” or “contained and cautious.” Robinson’s vibrant, carefully composed digital illustrations, with bright colors that invite readers in and textures and patterns in every image, effectively capture the protagonist’s passion for reading and appreciation for a space where they feel accepted regardless of disposition. In her author’s note, Giovanni states that she spent summers visiting her grandmother in Knoxville, Tennessee, where she went to the Carnegie Branch of the Lawson McGhee Library. She expresses gratitude for Mrs. Long, the librarian, who often traveled to the main library to get books that Giovanni could not find in their segregated branch. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A lushly illustrated homage to librarians who provide a welcome and a home away from home for all who enter. (Picture book. 4-7)
-Kirkus Review… (more)
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Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 75
- Also by
- 55
- Members
- 6,986
- Popularity
- #3,504
- Rating
- 4.0
- Reviews
- 295
- ISBNs
- 199
- Languages
- 4
- Favorited
- 18
After I finished the book I did take a peek at some of the reviews on Goodreads. At first glance it seems this collection was not a favorite of some Giovanni fans. Perhaps this wasn't the best choice for me to start off with but I will consider reading another book of poetry by this author, someday.… (more)