To support. To love. To care.
That’s what “Mama” Nikki Giovanni meant to Chicago Poet Laureate Avery R. Young. Colleagues through the arts community, Young revered Giovanni’s work and shared a few laughs with the legendary poet during her life.
When Young learned of Giovanni’s death on Monday, Dec 9., time paused.
“It was heavy,” Young said.
He knew that he had to do something to honor her memory. So, the poet ordered a bouquet and a teddy bear and placed it at the Poetry Foundation in her honor as an impromptu memorial. Young encouraged other poets touched by Giovanni’s influence to do the same.
A small tribute to Nikki Giovanni was set up at the Poetry Foundation in Chicago on Dec. 12, 2024.
“God blessed me with enough breath in my lungs and mobility in my limbs to do that, so I did it,” Young said. “She was such a powerful, powerful human being.”
Yolande Cornelia “Nikki” Giovanni Jr., truly has a larger-than-life spirit. Following her death, due to complications with cancer last week, there have been memorials in Tennessee, Ohio, Virginia and beyond.
Where to find Nikki Giovanni’s works in Knoxville
Throughout her life, Giovanni wrote more than 25 books. This includes 13 children’s poetry books, a dozen essays and conversations, and 20 poetry books, according to her website. Not to mention her films, CDs and Grammy-nominated records.
Her books are available locally at The Bottom, Union Ave Books and Fable Hollow Coffee & Bookeshoppe, among others. Nationally, you can find Giovanni’s writing at Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million and more.
What are Nikki Giovanni’s most famous poems?
Giovanni was a prolific writer, though one of her most popular poems was written early in her career. “Nikki-Rosa” was written in 1968, touching upon Giovanni’s fear that others misinterpret poverty for unhappiness.
“Black love is Black wealth and they’ll / probably talk about my hard childhood / and never understand that / all the while I was quite happy,” Giovanni wrote in “Nikki-Rosa.”
Other famous poems by Giovanni include:
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“Black Feeling, Black Talk” (1968)
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“Gemini: An Extended Autobiographical Statement on My First Twenty-Five Years of Being a Black Poet” (1971), finalist for the 1973 National Book Award
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“Ego-Tripping and Other Poems for Young People” (1973)
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“Those Who Ride the Night Winds” (1983)
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“Knoxville, Tennessee” (1994)
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“The Collected Poetry of Nikki Giovanni: 1968-1998” (2003)
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“Bicycles: Love Poems” (2009)
Author and poet Nikki Giovanni signs a copy of her book “Knoxville, Tennessee” following the ceremony in her honor at the Cal Johnson Recreation Center on Hall of Fame Drive on Thursday, May 23, 2019.
When will Nikki Giovanni’s new book be released?
Giovanni still has one more book to share with the world.
Her final book “The New Book: Poems, Letters, Blurbs, and Things” will be released on Sept. 2, 2025, according to Amazon. The book is available for pre-order now.
Where to watch ‘Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project’
“Going to Mars” is a documentary that looks at the historical periods that Giovanni lived through, from the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter. The documentary features live readings on Giovanni’s poems
The film won an Emmy for Exceptional Merit In Documentary Filmmaking in 2024 among many other prestigious honors.
You can stream Going to Mars: A Nikki Giovanni Project on HBO Max.
Knoxville Memorial Service on Thursday
A Special Memorial Tribute will be held at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee, at noon, Thursday, Dec. 19, with words of commemoration by Rev. Reneé Kesler, president of Beck Cultural Exchange Center.
Giovanni to be buried in Cincinnati cemetery
The famous poet will be laid to rest in Cincinnati, where she spent her formative years. Giovanni will be buried in Spring Grove Cemetery.
A public graveside burial service for Giovanni will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 19 at Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, according to a press release on behalf of her family.
Memorial Service planned at Virginia Tech
A memorial service is in the works for Giovanni at Virginia Tech, where the poet served as a professor for 35 years. Giovanni retired from teaching in 2022.
The service will take place in February 2025, according to a Virginia Tech press release.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Remembering Knoxville’s Nikki Giovanni: How to honor poet’s legacy
