As the keynote speaker of this year’s L.A. Writer’s Conference, accomplished poetess Nikki Giovanni began her monologue with the free-wheeling flair of a seasoned stand-up comic. “NASA wanted to purchase one of my poems to feature in their brochure,” she quipped with a look of restrained self-satisfaction. “That was kinda cool.”
Giovanni’s anecdote prompted an eruption of laughter from the crowd—a multigenerational blend of aspiring female storytellers hungry for direction from a master wordsmith. They seemed tickled by her coy display of indifference to NASA’s once-in-a-lifetime proposition, one that could thrust her career even further into the cosmos of literary success.
Over the following several minutes, Giovanni registered a scattered series of one-liners and nuggets of wisdom. She dedicatedsegments of her commentary to share personal memories of her deceased mother and relatives. “I’m the last Giovanni alive,” she murmured woefully, tears swelling in her eyes.
Giovanni, a boisterous feminist, eyed the few males in the audience and relished the opportunity to promote her convictions. “We [women] create life,” she grumbled in a matter-of-fact tone. A subsequent explosion of applause swept through the auditorium; the corners of Giovanni’s mouth lifted to form a dubious grin. “Men have a role to play,” she continued. “But we can eliminate them with a needle if they don’t behave.”
In a quick shift of her outward thoughts, Giovanni regaled listeners with tales of her international excursions with fellow poet and renaissance woman Maya Angelou. As traveling companions, the dynamic twosome became closely-knit and aware of each other’s passions. “Maya thought she was a better cook than I was,” Giovanni barbed. “That was far from the case.”
The remaining portion her oration was composed of poetry recitations, including her writings from a hospital bed where she spent extended time recovering from a debilitating stroke. To the delight of her supporters in attendance, Giovanni delivered a spirited rendition of her popular woman’s anthem “Ego-Tripping.” As if in a trance, the audience swayed to the rhythm of Giovanni’s soulful intonation.
America owes an everlasting salute of gratitude to its lineage of female poets, storytellers and civil rights ambassadors—namely those whose creative literary talents helped to reshape social consciousness despite the ruiling racial climate in the 1960’s-70s.
Among the titans of the spoken word, Giovanni’s numerous contributions continue to resonate in the spirit of contemporary literature.
