Nikki Giovanni "Talk To Me Poem"

Slice of the Writing Life: Nikki Giovanni

Award-winning author, poet and activist Nikki Giovanni was asked what advice she gives young writers.

Here’s her answer:

“Let's own it. This is mine. This is how I feel about it. The authority of the writer always overcomes the skepticism of the reader. If you know what you're talking about, or if you feel that you do, the reader will believe you. That's why we believe Frank Baum. Who would believe Dorothy and a house and a dog up in a tornado? We believe it because the author believes it. We believe Peter Rabbit because Beatrix Potter believes it. You have to. The authority of the writing will always overcome that. You can't hedge your bets. If you do, people will say, ‘Hmm. Where did you get that from?’ You can't do that. Just don't do it.”

Seven Questions with Poet/Author Nikki Giovanni

Seven Questions with Poet/Author Nikki Giovanni
Interview conducted by Serena M. Augusto-Cox
http://www.savvyverseandwit.blogspot.com/
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Augusto-Cox: What prompted you to become involved with Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat? Do you think poetry is important for children and adults and why?

Giovanni: I became interested a long, long time ago because my son listened to hip hop. I began even then to try to learn where this “new sound” was coming from since I well know everything old is new again, as the expression goes.

Augusto-Cox: Poetry and music seem very akin to one another; do you feel that other genres can apply the rhythm of Hip Hop and other styles to generate passion among children, such as a passion for reading?

Giovanni: I think there is an ebb and flow to everything; there is a rhythm to all speech whether spoken or written. The most important sound is always silence. It is the pauses that make up the meaning. I wanted to give some sense of that rhythm to young people as well as a bit of history.

Augusto-Cox: Do you believe that writing is an equalizer that can help humanity become more tolerant and collaborative?

Giovanni: Writing is an equalizer only in so far as what is being written is truthful. Written lies promote hatred and we've seen a lot of that lately. Writing is only a tool of the truth, and we who believe in a more tolerant world need to keep putting that truth out.

Augusto-Cox: Do you see spoken word, performance poetry, or written poetry as more powerful or powerful in different ways and why?

Giovanni: I think all art has its moments and reasons. I don't see any special reason to rank effectiveness since we all cross over and learn from each genre.

Augusto-Cox: Do you have a set writing routine? Do you get up early and start writing or do you write when the mood hits?

Giovanni: I am an early morning or late night writer. I am more comfortable when I know I will not be disturbed. I must say that mood has nothing to do with professionalism. All writers study all the time, learning something all the time, looking at things differently all the time. That's what is important.

Augusto-Cox: Can you describe your writing space?

Giovanni: I write in essentially a tight space. It is a small room with lots of books, a CD player, some photos, and my computer. I have a phone in here but it seldom rings. Also, my fax and Xerox machine. I sit on a rocker.

Augusto-Cox: Do you have any advice for writers/poets just starting out?

Giovanni: The only advice I have is you, the young writer, should always be reading something—a book, a magazine, a newspaper, anything. A writer who is not reading isn't doing her homework.

Advice from Poet/Author Nikki Giovanni

Award-winning poet/author Nikki Giovanni offers this advice for would-be poets: “A poem is a way of capturing a moment. I don’t do a lot of revisions because I think if you have to do that then you've got problems with the poem. Rather than polish the words, I take the time to polish the poem. If that means I start at the top a dozen times, that's what I do. A poem's got to be a single stroke, and I make it the best I can because it's going to live.”

And quoted on the Web site Writers on Writing, Books and Publishing, Giovanni said: “Writing is a conversation with reading; a dialogue with thinking. All conversations with older people contain repetition. Some of the ideas mean a lot to me, just interesting, so I both embrace and attack the ideas because I found them, well, delightful.”

Nikki Giovanni: Talk To Me Poem