Poet, educator, and activist Nikki Giovanni will speak at the University of Puget Sound’s Schneebeck Concert Hall on Feb. 28. At 7:30 p.m., Giovanni’s appearance is part of Susan Resneck Pierce Lectures in Public Affairs and the Arts.
Giovanni has won seven NAACP Image Awards, was the first recipient of the Rosa Parks Women of Courage Award and has been named Woman of the Year by Ebony, Ladies’ Home Journal, and Mademoiselle magazines.
“Nikki Giovanni’s visit is a wonderful opportunity for the Puget Sound community to listen and learn from one of our most prolific poets,” said Regina Duthely, an assistant professor of English at Puget Sound, whose work focuses on black feminist rhetorics. “Her decades-long career, beginning with the Black Arts movement, has served to challenge, disrupt, and transform the world. It is an honor to host Nikki Giovanni, and her lecture will be a profound moment in Puget Sound history.”
Described by the Poetry Foundation as “one of America’s foremost poets,” Giovanni was named Oprah Winfrey’s 25 Living Legends in 2005. Her work includes numerous poetry collections, including Black Feeling, Black Talk/Black Judgment (1968, 1970), widely considered one of the most important volumes of modern African-American poetry; Cotton Candy on a Rainy Day (1978), and New York Times best-seller Love Poems: Bicycles (2009). She also produced several works of nonfiction and children’s books. Her latest book, A Good Cry: What We Learn from Tears and Laughter, was published in 2017.
Before the lecture, Giovanni will visit the advanced poetry writing course taught by English professor William Kupinse. The lecture will be followed by a reception and book signing in Wyatt Hall.
Tickets are available at the Wheelock Student Center Information Center, online at tickets.pugetsound.edu, and by calling 253.879.3419