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| "Bicycles: because love requires trust and balance." |
Nikki Giovanni is an
author, commentator, activist, educator, and one of the world's most
well known African-American poets. She has written over thirty books
and received dozens of awards and honors. She currently is the
University Distinguished Professor of English at Virginia Polytechnic
University in Blacksburg, Virginia.
I had the privilege
of hearing her speak at the 21st annual Writer's Symposium
at Point Loma Nazarene University on February 18. She received a warm
welcome as she entered the stage with a lively gait, warm smile, and
colorful-red-plaid jacket.
She started the
evening by reading her poetry (without punctuation or pause) which
was followed by a lively conversation conducted by symposium founder
and PLNU journalism director, Dean Nelson. She always advises her
students to say something that people don't expect them to say, and
that is exactly what she did in this interview. She did it with the
humor and wisdom that only a 72-year-old woman who is content with
where she's at, and has lived her life in love, could do.
Here are some of my
favorite quotes:
“It's better to
take a chance and be wrong than to be safe and dull.”
“Tell your story
as you see it.”
“Write in love.”
“Make the stage
work for you.”
“I recommend being
black.”
“I highly
recommend old age: it's fun.”
“I keep
trying to learn something new, so that I can share what I'm
learning.” (My favorite.)
When asked why she
doesn't use punctuation when writing her poetry, she said, “she
assumes her readers are intelligent, and it is to be read as they
understand it.”
“Send notes to let
people know you care about them. (How else will they know?)”
“If I were
advising anyone: Write—the deal is you have to write.”
“Read something
everyday. I do.”
“I am a dreamer
and a storyteller.”
“Remember that
everyone is not always going to love you.”
“I'm not trying to
tell people what to do or what to think or none of that. I'm not a
leader, I'm not a guru. I'm just a poet looking at the world.”
* * *
Travel was not one
of the topics; however, she did share that she has the gift of
falling asleep easily on long airplane journeys. (I'm jealous of that
trait.) She also said that her favorite city is New York, where she
used to live, and would live again if she could afford it. She loves
to walk and misses her long walks in the city. One more thing: always
first class to Hong Kong or Singapore. (It's a 20 hour flight.)
I also found it
interesting that she has volunteered at Warm Hearth Village
Retirement Community in Virginia for twelve years. Her writing class
wrote and published three books during that time. The students
described Giovanni as warm and supportive, her criticism constructive
and gentle.
Thank you,
Nikki Giovanni, for traveling across the country to share your life
and thoughts with us. It was truly an inspirational and unforgettable
evening.
* * *
Videos of previous
Writers Symposiums are available online at UCSD TV—2016 will be
viewable in approximately one month.
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