Talking Volumes with Kerri Miller interviewing Nikki Giovanni

Nikki Giovanni writes poetry that dives into one's heart as if shot by an archer's bow.  Self-described as a "wildcard," host Kerri Miller had all she could do to moderate the dervish sitting across from her in a staged living room scene at the Fitzgerald in St. Paul last Thursday evening, January 22^nd. 

Giovanni, who recently released her fifteenth book of poetry, Bicycle, shared with a capacity audience her views on teaching, learning, grieving, writing, and politics during Talking Volumes, hosted by Miller and in partnership with Minnesota Public Radio, the Star Tribune, and the Loft Literary Center. 

  A professor at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, Giovanni served as a lynchpin to her students and co-faculty during the tragic events of the Virginia Tech massacre primarily through her poetry.   

"I did what I do, I went to my computer," said Giovanni as she described how she handled the tragedy that occurred back in April, 2007.  "My poem went out to the kids," she recounted, "I got the call at 5:00 that evening and the next morning was convocations.  I was asked to do something and the answer was 'yes.'" 

In the same way, Giovanni coped with the loss of her sister to lung cancer and her mother who died from the same disease.  "All of us have lost something," Giovanni explained, and in overcoming that loss, "we turn to poetry."  As Giovanni shared select poems from her book, Chris Thompson played complementary music on his saxophone.

Giovanni's strength lies in her pragmatic, affirming self-talk.  Several times throughout the evening Miller tried to prompt Giovanni into taking Miller's perspective on an issue, but Giovanni repeated, "I just don't think that way." 

When Giovanni writes poetry, she simply has an idea and plants the seed on a piece of paper, or in her case, on the computer screen, then watches it grow.  She doesn't worry about the politics of her words or the propriety.  She just writes. 

"You never have to be worried that someone's going to steal your idea because if you can do it, do it.  If someone else can do it, then it's time for you to move on," Giovanni quipped.   

About her role as an educator, Giovanni said, "To get to the inner voice, the answer is always, 'yes'," she explained as a mindset to help her students.  

"Agree with their imagination.  You're not there to correct them, you're there to fire their imagination," she encouraged the teachers in the audience.  "We need to keep the Arts open, to make a commitment to the Arts," she gently admonished.