Meet poet, activist, professor, and mother
Nikki Giovanni
Reading and sharing from the New York Times bestseller she edited,
Hip Hop Speaks to Children (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, $19.99)
Friday, November 20, 2009, 7pm
Books & Books Coral Gables
265 Aragon Ave.
Coral Gables, FL 33134
305-442-4408
THE CAFÉ at Books & Books
305.448.9599
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Daily 9am–11pm
“National treasure” Nikki Giovanni comes to Books & Books as our prize – and what a prize! – for winning Sourcebooks’ National Poetry Month Contest for kids in April. Through Books & Books and the poetry workshops led by poet and professor Denise Lanier, Frances Aldana of Hollywood crafted the winning entry with her hip hop poem about her best friend.
And now Nikki Giovanni brings us the winning entries from her new poetry classic for the next generation – Hip Hop Speaks to Children. This New York Times bestseller is a celebration of poetry with a beat. Poetry can have both a rhyme and a rhythm. Sometimes it is obvious; sometimes it is hidden. But either way, make no mistake, poetry is as vibrant and exciting as it gets.
And when you find yourself clapping your hands or tapping your feet, you know you’ve found poetry with a beat in the 50 poems and CD in this book – including words from Maya Angelou, Queen Latifah, Walter Dean Myers, Mos Def and, of course, Nikki Giovanni.
Giovanni is a seminal voice for our country in times of change, in times of sorrow, and in times of celebration. Join us for this special treat, a celebration of the poetry for young and old alike from one of our preeminent poets.
About the Author
Nikki Giovanni is a world-renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. Giovanni was born in Knoxville, Tenn. One of the most widely-read American poets, she prides herself on being “a Black American, a daughter, a mother, a professor of English.” Since 1987, she has been on the faculty at Virginia Tech, where she is a University Distinguished Professor.
Among her many and varied honors: Her autobiography, Gemini, was a finalist for the National Book Award. Her children’s picture book Rosa was a Caldecott Honors Book. She has been given the key to the City of Miami, along with more than two dozen others. She was nominated for a Best Spoken Word Grammy in the 46th Annual Grammy Awards in 2004 for her album The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection. The recipient of some twenty-five honorary degrees, she has been named Woman of the Year by Mademoiselle Magazine, The Ladies Home Journal, and Ebony Magazine. And she was named one of Oprah Winfrey’s 25 “Living Legends.”
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