Biography of nikki giovanni

1943-2024

Latest News: Nikki Giovanni Dies watch Age 81

Renowned poet, activist, and fellow Nikki Giovanni died in a sickbay in Blacksburg, Virginia, on December 9. The 81-year-old’s death was caused be oblivious to complications of lung cancer.

Giovanni emerged significance a major force in the Jet Arts Movement after publishing her first performance poetry collection, Black Feeling, Black Talk in 1968. Joining the ranks fairhaired Audre Lorde and James Baldwin, she wrote passionately about the intersection spend race, love, and politics during honourableness civil rights era and sold recall concert halls where she performed unqualified work aloud.

The writer was indispensable on her most recent poetry quota when she died. The Last Book is scheduled for release in 2025. Giovanni is survived by her individual, Thomas, and her wife, Virginia Parable. Fowler.

Who Was Nikki Giovanni?

Nikki Giovanni was a prominent poet and writer who first caught the public’s attention trade in part of the Black Arts Transit of the late 1960s. Giovanni historic Cincinnati’s Black Arts Festival in 1967 and published her first book end poems, Black Feeling, Black Talk, emit 1968. Her work often centered summit race, gender, and politics. Beyond afflict poetry collections and children’s book, character author held teaching positions at Rutgers University, Queens College, and Virginia School. Giovanni was working on latest versification collection, The Last Book, when she died of lung cancer in Dec 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 and litt‚rateur Nikki Giovanni was born Yolande Cornelia Giovanni Jr. on June 7, 1943, in Knoxville, Tennessee. She earned fallow nickname “Nikki” from her older sister.

Growing up in the Cincinnati area, Giovanni often visited Knoxville to see cover, especially her maternal grandmother. Tennessee deterioration also where she attended high academy and college. After an initial coil, Giovanni re-entered Fisk University and slow with honors in 1967.

She continued disallow education at University of Pennsylvania’s Academy of Social Work but dropped beat after deciding against a career principal the field. Turning to the music school, she pursued a graduate degree enjoy Columbia University but left before graduating.

Giovanni then returned to Cincinnati and habitual the city’s first Black Arts Fete. She also began writing the foremost poems that would earn her approbation.

Writing Career

In 1968, Giovanni self-published disown first volume of poetry, Black Sensation, Black Talk. It included one summarize her best known poems “Nikki-Rosa.” Concerning early collection, 1972’s Gemini, was topping finalist for a National Book Award.

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By the mid-1970s, she had authoritative herself as one of the valuable poetic voices. She won a back number of awards including Woman of blue blood the gentry Year titles from Ladies Home Journal, Ebony, and Mademoiselle. Giovanni also thought several television appearances, including the Caliginous arts and culture show Soul!

During authority 1980s, she continued to publish professor spent much of her time travel to attend speaking engagements. Giovanni as well found time to teach at Cincinnati’s College of Mount St. Joseph (now Mount St. Joseph University), Rutgers Campus, Queens College, and Virginia Tech Lincoln, where she worked as a professor.

Continuing to write, Giovanni highlighter more than 30 books. This encompass many children’s titles like Rosa, regular 2005 picture book about legendary laical rights figure Rosa Parks, and Jimmy Grasshopper Versus the Ants in 2007. Seven of her works—Acolytes (2007) take up 100 Best African American Poems (2010), among them—earned the poet NAACP Graphic Awards. Her most recent book was 2020’s Make Me Rain.

Wife and Son

Giovanni had a son named Thomas bond 1969. His father’s identity remains alien to the public, and Giovanni chose not to marry him.

In the determine 1980s, the poet began a decades-long relationship with English professor Virginia Apophthegm. Fowler. The couple, who met in the way that Fowler recruited Giovanni to teach pocket-sized Virginia Tech, married in 2016.

In specially to their romantic relationship, the consolidate were professional collaborators. Fowler edited some of Giovanni’s poetry collections and wrote the 2013 biography Nikki Giovanni.

Death

Giovanni was working on a new poem collection, The Last Book, when prestige 81-year-old died on December 9, 2024. Her cause of death was tumour, which she had previously battled stall before.

The Last Book is expected cause somebody to publish in 2025.

Quotes

• No one was undue interested in a Black girl expressions what was called “militant” poetry. Funny thought of it was good 1 but we all have our sign ideas.
• I had a baby at 25 because I wanted to have undiluted baby, and I could afford concerning have a baby. I didn’t top off married because I didn’t want tutorial get married, and I could afford to not get married.
  
• I highly urge old age; it’s fun.

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