Remembering Poet Nikki Giovanni

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

Lemonada Media

Society & Culture, Film Interviews, Tv & Film

4.8 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 11 December 2024

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

For the past 50 years, Nikki Giovanni has been one of our preeminent poets. Rest in Power to the legendary writer and activist, who passed this week at the age of 81.

Today we return to our conversation from 2021, reflecting on how her childhood led to a life of writing (6:21), the enduring impact of a televised conversation with James Baldwin (13:40), the story behind her famous poem, “I Married My Mother” (18:30), and why she doesn't believe in role models (28:15).

On the back-half, we work our way to the present, as Nikki shares her experience of visiting the African American Museum (30:14), the evolution of her poetry (36:40), and how she grappled with two cancer diagnoses (40:20). To close, Nikki reads from her inventive about the author page (45:49).

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Once upon a time, Amazon Music met audiobooks and listeners everywhere rejoiced.
0:05.8	Oh yeah.
0:06.6	Because now they could listen to one audiobook title a month from an enormous library of popular audiobook titles, including romanticity,
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0:19.3	Suddenly listeners didn't mind sitting in traffic or even missing their
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0:28.4	listening. Terms apply. Hey everyone, Sam here. If you're someone who loves books and the stories behind
0:34.1	them, as I know I do, I want to tell you about a new podcast devoted to the art of a good story.
0:39.7	For the past nine years, Jack Wilson of the History of Literature podcast, has been talking
0:45.2	to writers, professors, biographers, and other literary folks as he tries to learn more about
0:50.5	how literature works and what impact it has on the world.
0:55.7	Jack covers the greatest books, diving both into well-known classics and underappreciated gems with passionate
1:01.1	enthusiasm. His mission? To expand his mind and heart and soul by using literature as an
1:07.9	inspiration and guide. If this sounds like a journey you'd like to join twice a week for an hour or so,
1:13.8	check out the History of Literature Podcasts, available on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Pushkin.
1:28.6	Pushkin. This is Talk Easy. I'm Stamphregoso. Welcome to the show. Today, we return to my conversation with poet Nikki Giovanni.
2:09.8	She passed away earlier this week at the age of 81.
2:13.8	Giovanni emerged from the Black arts movement of the 1960s.
2:18.3	She was alongside writers like Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Sonia Sanchez.
2:24.6	She became a leading voice in the era, publishing over 20 poetry collections,
2:30.0	including Black Feeling, Black Talk, Cotton Candy on a rainy day, and Make Me Rain,
2:35.9	which is now available on paperback through Harper Collins.
	...

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