South carolina poet nikky finney never meant to write the speech that earned her a place in history at the new national museum of african american history and culture in washington. Nikky finney, national book award acceptance speech, 2011. As nikky finney began her acceptance speech for head off and split the 2011 winner of the national book award for poetry on wednesday evening, one might have mistaken it for a poem. One of three children, finney is the only daughter of ernest a. Nov 15, 20 but nothing resonates the way nikky finneys national book award speech does. In addition to ward, nikky finney won the national book award for poetry. In south carolina, enslaved people were explicitly barred from becoming literate by the negro act of 1740, enacted in response to the stono rebellion the previous year. Nov 21, 2011 nikky finneys 2011 national book award in poetry acceptance speech. Nikky finneys award speech tops record year for black women. Walker born in south carolina, who now teaches at the. But it was just finney, the provosts distinguished service chair professor of english at uk, being who she was and living, the only life ive. The daughter of activists and educators, she began writing in the midst of the civil rights and black arts movements.
Nikky finney wins national book award in poetry the new. Finney attended the award ceremony last night in new york city, where she accepted the highly prestigious honor. April is national poetry month, a time when bookstores proudly display those slim volumes usually hidden in the back. The video above has the speeches from the presenters of the four awards and the award winners acceptance speeches. Cheering, an image of the cover of the book, showing a fish wrapped in newspaper finney, a black woman with long dreds and a black dress, approaches the stage, crying. The poet demonstrates what can never be controlled. Current and previous winners of the national book awards, with information on the award and the books which have won it. On wings made of gauze, her first book of poems, was completed in atlanta. Nikky finneys 2011 national book award in poetry acceptance. Nikky finney won the national book award for poetry this year for head off and split.
Nikky finney is the author of four books of poetry. Poet nikky finney dazzles the national book awards. Jan 27, 2011 in 2007, finney edited the anthology, the ringing ear. Ward, finney are among 2011 national book award winners pbs. Uk professor nikky finney wins national book award for. Art is also about beauty and if you leave the latter out, the former doesnt matter.
According to the huffington post, actor john lithgow, host of the awards ceremony in new york city, commented that nikky finney gave the best acceptance speech ive ever heard for anything in my life. In addition to the national book award, finney has received a pen american open book award and the benjamin franklin award for poetry. At talladega college, nurtured by hale woodruffs amistad murals, finney began to understand the powerful synergy between art and history. The national book awards is one of the most anticipated events in the publishing world. But nothing resonates the way nikky finney s national book award speech does. National book awardwinning poet nikky finney knows the benefit of a good mentor. At the 62 nd annual national book awards ceremony, held yesterday at cipriani wall street in new york city, stories of struggle were honored and the award winners. Awards host john lithgow called this the best acceptance speech for anything i have ever heard. Finney has long encouraged other lesbian poets to write, publish, and read their. The schomburg center for research in black culture, where she has been teaching for several years, congratulates her on her wonderful achievement. In short, all that is breathtaking in this poets acceptance speech is breathtaking in her poems. Finney, uks first national book award winner, attended the award ceremony in new york city nov.
Nikky finney was born at the rim of the atlantic ocean, in south carolina, in 1957. Oct, 2011 a creative writing professor at the university of kentucky has been named a finalist for the 2011 national book award in poetry. She has received numerous awards for her work, including a pen america open book award and the benjamin franklin award for poetry. Conway is planning a big welcome home event for poet, educator, advocate and national book award winner nikky finney friday at coastal carolina university and saturday at the conway city hall.
Nikky finney is an awardwinning american poet, and the provosts distinguished service professor of english at the university of kentucky. Nikky finney acceptance speech national book award for. The settings offer a view into the kaleidoscope of human. Nikky finneys work, in book form and video, including her now legendary acceptance speech, is on display in the inaugural exhibition of the african american museum of history and culture in washington, d. National book award 2011 winners jesmyn ward and nikky. National book awards honor stories of struggle the. Finneys acceptance speech at the awards ceremony was as poetic as anything in her winning book. Nikky finney was born by the sea in south carolina and raised during the civil rights, black power, and black arts movements. Of the four honorees, two were african american women who spoke about the importance of literature that represents black experiences. South carolina poet nikky finney hadnt planned on writing an acceptance speech for the national book award dinner in 2011.
Uk professor nikky finney wins national book award for poetry. Nikky finney, jesmyn ward take national book awards poets. Nikky finneys award speech tops record year for black. She published her first book in 1985, and has taught writing for years at the. You will find her in the poets corner, directly across from chuck berrys 1973 candy apple red cadillac eldorado. Youll meet buck jones and mae bennet, whose anger has twisted them up inside, queenie sims and arizona scott, who can see the good in people, and trina sims and jenny bryan, two young women who discover how much they are alike despite. Nikky finney was my poetry teacher and mentor at the university of kentucky years ago. She published her first book in 1985, and has taught writing for years at.
Finney has taught at uk for decades and is a member of the affrilachian poets group that includes frank x walker and kelly norman ellis. Nov 18, 2011 nikky finney helped me and others in the audience find the true meaning of honor of honoring those who without measure of quantity pour generously into our lives. The rebellion, which saw black men and women come together with cries of liberty. He never had it made by nikky finney poetry of american. National book award winning poet nikky finney is an affrilachian writer of the school of black appalachians founded by frank x. Her acceptance speech has gone viral among the literati. Nikky finney s acceptance speech for her 2011 national book award for poetry deserves an honor all by itself. Current and previous winners of the national book awards. Nikky finney wins national book award for poetry chicago.
Art talk with nikky finney nea national endowment for the arts. Nikky finney acceptance speech national book award for poetry. Nikky finney biography, birth date, birth place and pictures. The beauty and difficulty of poet nikky finney wfsu. First up, poet elizabeth alexander, who read a poem at barack obamas inauguration, presenting the national book award for poetry. The well spoke with her about her poetry, what inspires her to write and how she wants to engage the university with creativity as our writerinresidence. The poet nikky finny won the national book award for poetry. Nikky finney in addition to the national book award, finney has received a pen american open book award and the benjamin franklin award for poetry in addition to the national book award, finney has received a pen american open book award and the benjamin franklin award for poetry. Northwestern university press book wins national book. Finney is currently a professor of english and creative writing at the university kentucky. Apr 08, 2012 the beauty and difficulty of poet nikky finney art is about being provocative, says the award winning poet. Nikky finney s work, in book form and video, including her now legendary acceptance speech, is on display in the inaugural exhibition of the african american museum of history and culture in washington, d. National book awardwinner nikky finney returns to conway for.
An alumna of talladega college, and author of four books of poetry and a short story cycle, finney is an advocate for social justice and cultural preservation. Finneys targeted result of her independent years was achieved. In celebration of national poetry month this april, the uk libraries is sponsoring a poetry reading by nikky finney. Nikky finney, recent national book award winner, took part in this interview over at the nea blog. Featuring introductions by john lithgow and elizabeth. Nikky finneys the afterbirth, 1931 appears in rice, a beautifully designed book filled with daring poems of painful eloquence. After all, history does not keep books on the handiwork of slaves. I dont wear a jersey, but i do go and scream for them. One of the most outstanding africanamerican poets of the turnofthecentury, nikky finney presents her second collection of poetry in rice. Nov 29, 2011 nikky finneys acceptance speech for her 2011 national book award for poetry deserves an honor all by itself. Chair of southern literature and creative writing at the university of south carolina, has benefited firsthand from the counsel and.
On display this april is the work of kentucky poet nikky finney, who won the national book award last november for her. She is in the english department at the university of kentucky. Nikky finney was born in south carolina, within listening distance of the sea. Nikky finneys 2011 national book award in poetry acceptance speech duration. In your national book award acceptance speech you said that being a poet. Not only does her story prove that a person with a dream can make that dream a reality, but that an african.
Get your team aligned with all the tools you need on one secure, reliable video platform. The beauty and difficulty of poet nikky finney wbur news. She is an award winning american poet, respected academic, and social justice and cultural preservation advocate. The place of poetry by liana ambrosemurray on our africanamerican poetry class trip to smith college for a conversation between nikky finney and elizabeth alexander in the poetry center.
National book awardwinning poet nikky finney will edit a usc press poetry series. A child of activists, she came of age during the civil rights and black arts movements. Herald leader, described it four days later as a spokenword poem that has flown. Political, sensual, historical, imaginative, finney s poems speak of struggle, beauty, love, and race with passion and tenderness. She keeps the glassy eyes and soft innards of american history. Nikky finney, national book award acceptance speech, 2011 in nikky finney s acceptance speech for the 2011 national book award for poetry, she began with history. She is a founding member of the affrilachian poets. She was the guy davenport endowed professor of english at the university of kentucky for twenty years. Nikky finney 1957 was born in south carolina and educated at talladega college.
Her new collection of poems, love childs hotbed of occasional poetry, is forthcoming in 2020 from triquarterly books. National book award winners stephen greenblatt, thanhha lai, nikky finney, and jesmyn ward. For one thing, presenter elizabeth alexander wiped tears from her eyes as finney spoke. Nikky finney pennys poetry pages wiki fandom powered. She has taught at the university of kentucky, is currently a professor at the university of south carolina. Finney s acceptance speech at the awards ceremony was as poetic as. Ive never heard a better acceptance speech in my life. Herald leader, described it four days later as a spokenword poem that has flown around the world and back along digital wires, bringing tears and awe in its wake. Published by triquarterly, an imprint of northwestern university press, her book of poetry has been described as an impassioned summary of africanamerican history. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Finney is the provosts distinguished service professor of english at the university of kentucky, and lives in lexington. Finney is also a founding member of the affrilachian poets, a group of black appalachian poets. Finney is a founding member of the affrilachian poets, a group of black appalachian poets. Nikky finney s 2011 national book award in poetry acceptance speech.
Finney, uks first national book award winner, attended the award ceremony last night in new york city, where she accepted the highly prestigious honor. The national book award for poetry goes to nikky finney, head off and split. In a 2011 interview with poets and writers magazine, finney declared, im trying to have a conversation about truth. Uk creative writing professor, nikky finney, wins prestigious. Nikky finney, the 61st national book of poetry award winner. I sit with a thousand words in my head trying to make. And the story goes as most stories commence, nikky said, paraphrase because as i get older memory fails toni wanted paper to write as she lay in the hospital. Nov 16, 2011 the 2011 national book awards were announced at a ceremony in new york wednesday night. That personal bias aside, this is an astounding, moving work by a woman who splits herself and you wide open as she pours out raw, haunting stories of her familys experience growing up poor, black and strong in. On creativity and slowing down bauhan publishing, 2011, now in its sixth edition, and the tortoise diariesdaily meditations on creativity and slowing down 2014. The reading will take place in the special collections library, in the great hall of the king building, with a reception to follow. Nikky finney reads margaret walkers for my people poetry. National book award 2011 winners jesmyn ward and nikky finney tackle race and history video the national book awards 2011 winners exhibited diversity in the literary world.
The national book awards acceptance speech for poetry. The girlfriends train poem by nikky finney poem hunter. On nikkey finneys acceptance speech for the 2011 poetry award, john litgow said, that was the best acceptance speech for anything ive ever heard in my life. Her acceptance speech was described by the 2011 nba host, john lithgow, as the best acceptance. South carolina poet nikky finney featured at new african. Some of my favorite poems in the book are black orion, burning hair and the goodfellows club. Black poets lean south university of georgia presscave canem, which has become an essential compilation of contemporary african american writers. Nikky finney and jesmyn ward win national book awards. The characters in this new book by poet nikky finney are the heartwood of their small kentucky communities. A truly mustread collection from one of americas greatest rising poets. Dec 01, 2011 how nikky finney found her own path to poetry ever since she was 19 years old, nikky finney dreamed of being a poet.
Nikky finney was inducted into the south carolina academy of authors in 20. How nikky finney found her own path to poetry ever since she was 19 years old, nikky finney dreamed of being a poet. The national book foundation, which sponsors the awards, presented two of its five major prizes to africanamerican women. Featuring introductions by john lithgow and elizabeth alexander. Allison glock talks with poet nikky finney about her work, growing up as an. Nikky finney acceptance speech national book award for poetry duration.
The beauty and difficulty of poet nikky finney art is about being provocative, says the award winning poet. That personal bias aside, this is an astounding, moving work by a woman who splits herself and you wide open as she pours out raw, haunting stories of her familys experience growing up poor, black and strong in southern america. Have you finished reading every book in the library. In 20, she accepted a position at the university of south carolina as the john h.
November 16, 2011, 2011 national book awards ceremony, cipriani, wall street, nyc. Even the ceremonys emcee, actor john lithgow, exclaimed, thats the best acceptance. Nikky finneys 2011 national book awards in poetry acceptance. Jeffrey eugenides is americas toughest novelist the. Nikky finney is an award winning poet and the provosts distinguished service professor of english at the university of. John lithgow revisit nikky finney s phenomenal national book award acceptance speech in the video linked below. The national book foundation presented the 2011 national book.