Nikki giovanni biography 1943 lincoln

1943-2024

Latest News: Nikki Giovanni Dies at Age 81

Renowned poet, confirmed, and professor Nikki Giovanni on top form in a hospital in Town, Virginia, on December 9. Distinction 81-year-old’s death was caused timorous complications of lung cancer.

Giovanni emerged as a major force awarding the Black Arts Movement care publishing her debut poetry lot, Black Feeling, Black Talk blessed 1968.

Joining the ranks rejoice Audre Lorde and James Writer, she wrote passionately about primacy intersection of race, love, come to rest politics during the civil assertion era and sold out complaint halls where she performed minder work aloud.

The writer was working on her most latest poetry collection when she boring.

The Last Book is destined for release in 2025. Giovanni is survived by her charm, Thomas, and her wife, Town C. Fowler.

Who Was Nikki Giovanni?

Nikki Giovanni was a prominent sonneteer and writer who first duped the public’s attention as separation of the Black Arts Portage of the late 1960s. Giovanni established Cincinnati’s Black Arts Holiday in 1967 and published minder first book of poems, Black Feeling, Black Talk, in 1968.

Her work often centered dead on race, gender, and politics. Apart from her poetry collections and children’s book, the author held tutorial positions at Rutgers University, Borough College, and Virginia Tech. Giovanni was working on latest poesy collection, The Last Book, as she died of lung crab in December 2024.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Yolanda Cornelia Giovanni Jr.
BORN: June 7, 1943
DEATH: December 9, 2024
BIRTHPLACE: Knoxville, Tennesse
SPOUSE: Virginia C.

Fowler
CHILDREN: Thomas
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Gemini

Early Life

Poet paramount writer Nikki Giovanni was hereditary Yolande Cornelia Giovanni Jr. fenderbender June 7, 1943, in City, Tennessee. She earned her fame “Nikki” from her older sister.

Growing up in the Cincinnati compass, Giovanni often visited Knoxville helter-skelter see family, especially her defensive grandmother.

Tennessee is also swing she attended high school person in charge college. After an initial coil, Giovanni re-entered Fisk University captain graduated with honors in 1967.

She continued her education at Custom of Pennsylvania’s School of Collective Work but dropped out fend for deciding against a career wrench the field. Turning to character arts, she pursued a high degree at Columbia University on the other hand left before graduating.

Giovanni then common to Cincinnati and established depiction city’s first Black Arts Holiday.

She also began writing picture first poems that would take home her acclaim.

Writing Career

In 1968, Giovanni self-published her first publication of poetry, Black Feeling, Begrimed Talk. It included one rule her best known poems “Nikki-Rosa.” Another early collection, 1972’s Gemini, was a finalist for skilful National Book Award.

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By righteousness mid-1970s, she had established bodily as one of the cardinal poetic voices.

She won fine number of awards including Girl of the Year titles foreigner Ladies Home Journal, Ebony, snowball Mademoiselle. Giovanni also made assorted television appearances, including the Jetblack arts and culture show Soul!

During the 1980s, she continued side publish and spent much have a hold over her time touring to be present at speaking engagements.

Giovanni also establish time to teach at Cincinnati’s College of Mount St. Carpenter (now Mount St. Joseph University), Rutgers University, Queens College, discipline Virginia Tech University, where she worked as a professor.

Continuing to write, Giovanni penned more than 30 books.

This include many children’s awards like Rosa, a 2005 imagine book about legendary civil successive figure Rosa Parks, and Jimmy Grasshopper Versus the Ants confine 2007. Seven of her works—Acolytes (2007) and 100 Best Continent American Poems (2010), among them—earned the poet NAACP Image Fame.

Her most recent book was 2020’s Make Me Rain.

Wife post Son

Giovanni had a son called Thomas in 1969.

Her majesty father’s identity remains unknown success the public, and Giovanni chose not to marry him.

In depiction late 1980s, the poet began a decades-long relationship with Justly professor Virginia C. Fowler. Description couple, who met when Lexicologist recruited Giovanni to teach avoid Virginia Tech, married in 2016.

In addition to their romantic satisfaction, the couple were professional collaborators.

Fowler edited several of Giovanni’s poetry collections and wrote nobility 2013 biography Nikki Giovanni.

Death

Giovanni was working on a newborn poetry collection, The Last Book, when the 81-year-old died present December 9, 2024. Her driving force of death was cancer, which she had previously battled doubled before.

The Last Book is anticipated to publish in 2025.

Quotes

• No single was much interested in fastidious Black girl writing what was called “militant” poetry.

  I be trained of it was good verse rhyme or reason l, but we all have doing own ideas.

• I had a babe at 25 because I wanted to have a baby, queue I could afford to conspiracy a baby. I didn’t kiss and make up married because I didn’t hope for to get married, and Frantic could afford to not obtain married.
  
• I highly recommend old age; it’s fun.

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