logo
Wrong email address or username
Wrong email address or username
Incorrect verification code
back to top
Search tags: Nikki-Giovanni
Load new posts () and activity
Like Reblog Comment
review 2018-10-22 17:05
Review: The 100 Best African American Poems- Edited by Nikki Giovanni

 

7960189

 
'The 100 Best African-American Poems' compiled by Nikki Giovanni is a very fine work, a kaleidoscope of images, emotions and observations of the Black Experience in America. It's an anthology of some of the works by various poets including titans like Amiri Baraka, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Sonia Sanchez, Langston Hughes and Giovanni herself.

 

Ego Tripping (there may be a Reason)

 

I was born in the congo
I walked to the fertile crescent and built
the sphinx
I designed a pyramid so tough that a star
that only glows every one hundred years falls
into the center giving divine perfect light
I am bad

 

I sat on the throne
drinking nectar with allah
I got hot and sent an ice age to europe
to cool my thirst
My oldest daughter is nefertiti
the tears from my birth pains
created the nile
I am a beautiful woman

 

I gazed on the forest and burned
out the sahara desert
with a packet of goat's meat
and a change of clothes
I crossed it in two hours
I am a gazelle so swift
so swift you can't catch me

 

For a birthday present when he was three
I gave my son hannibal an elephant
He gave me rome for mother's day
My strength flows ever on

 

My son noah built new/ark and
I stood proudly at the helm
as we sailed on a soft summer day
I turned myself into myself and was
jesus
men intone my loving name
All praises All praises
I am the one who would save

 

I sowed diamonds in my back yard
My bowels deliver uranium
the filings from my fingernails are
semi-precious jewels
On a trip north
I caught a cold and blew
My nose giving oil to the arab world
I am so hip even my errors are correct
I sailed west to reach east and had to round off
the earth as I went
The hair from my head thinned and gold was laid
across three continents

 

I am so perfect so divine so ethereal so surreal
I cannot be comprehended except by my permission

 

I mean...I...can fly
like a bird in the sky...

 

Such collections are always subjective- you'll always wonder why something was left out, and I noticed a couple of absences myself- but that's part of the fun, and I discovered a few gems I'd never seen before such as Old Lem, Mercy Killing, Freedom Candy and those Winter Sundays, as well as the immortal standards Harlem, Nikki-Rosa, Lift Every Voice and Sing and of course Giovanni's own magnum opus: Ego Tripping- There May Be A Reason Why, which I will always consider to be one of the finest examples of not only African-American but American culture ever created (see above). The cd is a treat- readings of about a third of the selections done by the authors themselves and notables like Ruby Dee and of course, Giovanni.

 

It's an excellent collection of poetry and very much a time travel device, taking you for a look back to those days when... though sometimes they don't seem all that distant. This would be a wonderful gift for anyone of any age or race but especially to African-Americans. Like singing in the cotton fields it's a chorus of bright, strong voices from our past to lighten the load a little and help guide the way as you ease on down the road.

 
5/5 Stars
Like Reblog Comment
review 2016-12-01 21:16
The Collected Poetry, 1968-1998 - Nikki Giovanni,Virginia C. Fowler

This actually made me feel a bit of comfort after the recent election. It's not that Giovanni's poetry is sweetness and light, but more of a controlled rage. And in that rage is a sense of comfort, strangely enough.

Like Reblog Comment
review 2016-10-03 23:41
Rosa - Nikki Giovanni,Bryan Collier

This was a very interesting book. It kept my attention with the details and the vocabulary was very appropriate for students. It is a great source for the story about Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights Movement. This book paints a picture of how Rosa's Park's day went from a normal December afternoon, to a monumental day! It tells more than a history book as it dives into Rosa's thoughts and how her close friends reacted to her arrest. This would be a great source for a unit on the Civil Rights Movement. I would read this book in a 4th or 5th grade classroom. 

Like Reblog Comment
review 2014-03-28 00:00
Rosa
Rosa - Nikki Giovanni,Bryan Collier Wonderful picture book biography. It has a strong, encouraging message, accurate details, and vocabulary that children can easily understand.
Like Reblog Comment
review 2014-02-22 00:00
Chasing Utopia
Chasing Utopia - Nikki Giovanni So much joy in this book!
More posts
Your Dashboard view:
Need help?