Nikki Giovanni

Easton Press Nikki Giovanni books

A Good Cry: What We Learn From Tears and Laughter - signed modern classic - 2018

 

Nikki Giovanni biography

Nikki Giovanni, born Yolande Cornelia Giovanni on June 7, 1943, in Knoxville, Tennessee, is a highly acclaimed African American poet, writer, activist, and educator. Over the span of her prolific career, Giovanni has become an influential figure in the realm of literature, known for her poignant poetry, commitment to civil rights, and her contributions to the Black Arts Movement. Raised in a close-knit family, Nikki Giovanni developed an early appreciation for literature and language. She attended Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she became involved in the Civil Rights Movement and gained exposure to the burgeoning Black Arts Movement. Giovanni's early works, such as her debut poetry collection "Black Feeling, Black Talk" (1968), reflected the social and political upheavals of the 1960s.

Her most famous work, Black Feeling, Black Talk/Black Judgement (1970), solidified her standing as a leading voice in African American literature. Giovanni's poetry explored themes of racial injustice, identity, and the Black experience in America, earning her recognition as a key contributor to the Black Arts Movement alongside luminaries like Amiri Baraka and Sonia Sanchez. Nikki Giovanni continued to produce impactful poetry throughout her career, with notable collections including Ego-Tripping and Other Poems for Young People (1973) and Cotton Candy on a Rainy Day (1978). Her writing demonstrated a mastery of language and a deep commitment to expressing the struggles and triumphs of the Black community.

In addition to her work as a poet, Giovanni has been an influential educator. She taught at several institutions, including Rutgers University and Virginia Tech, where she gained national attention for her inspirational and engaging teaching style. Giovanni's commitment to education was recognized with numerous awards and honors, and she remains a respected figure in academia. Beyond her literary and educational contributions, Nikki Giovanni has also been involved in activism and social justice. She participated in the Civil Rights Movement, spoke out against racial injustice, and continued to advocate for equality throughout her life. Nikki Giovanni's impact extends beyond the literary world; her work has resonated with readers of all backgrounds, sparking important conversations about race, identity, and societal change. Her legacy as a poet, educator, and activist continues to inspire generations of writers and activists, making her a revered figure in American literature and cultural history.

 

A Good Cry - What We Learn From Tears and Laughter

One of America’s most celebrated poets looks inward in this powerful collection, a rumination on her life and the people who have shaped her.

The poetry of Nikki Giovanni has spurred movements, turned hearts and informed generations. She’s been hailed as a firebrand, a radical, a healer, and a sage; a wise and courageous voice who has spoken out on the sensitive issues, including race and gender, that touch our national consciousness.

As energetic and relevant as ever, Nikki now offers us an intimate, affecting, and illuminating look at her personal history and the mysteries of her own heart. In A Good Cry, she takes us into her confidence, describing the joy and peril of aging and recalling the violence that permeated her parents’ marriage and her early life. She pays homage to the people who have given her life meaning and joy: her grandparents, who took her in and saved her life; the poets and thinkers who have influenced her; and the students who have surrounded her. Nikki also celebrates her good friend, Maya Angelou, and the many years of friendship, poetry, and kitchen-table laughter they shared before Angelou’s death in 2014.

Love Poems: Nikki reads a stunning collection of more than 20 romantic, bold, and erotic love poems, expressing notions of love in ways that are delightfully unexpected and full of fearless passion and spirited wit. From the revolutionary "Seduction" to the tender "Just a Simple Declaration of Love" and the elegiac "All Eyez on U". written for Tupac Shakur, these poems embody the fearless passion and spirited wit for which Nikki Giovanni is beloved and revered.

A Good Cry: With her new collection, Nikki offers listeners an intimate, affecting, and illuminating look at her personal history and the mysteries of her own heart. Reading her work, she takes us into her confidence, describing the joy and peril of aging and recalling the violence that permeated her parents' marriage and her early life. Nikki also celebrates her good friend Maya Angelou and the many years of friendship, poetry, and kitchen-table laughter they shared.