Sc poet nikky finney earns place in history at new dc museum. You will find her in the poets corner, directly across from chuck berrys 1973 candy apple red cadillac eldorado. Finney is the provosts distinguished service professor of english at the university of kentucky, and lives in lexington. Nikky finneys 2011 national book award in poetry acceptance. Finney s acceptance speech at the awards ceremony was as poetic as anything in her winning book. Finneys acceptance speech at the awards ceremony was as poetic as. One of three children, finney is the only daughter of ernest a.
The visit to smith college was truly amazing, healing, and eyeopening. Apr 08, 2012 nikky finney is an award winning poet and the provosts distinguished service professor of english at the university of kentucky. But nothing resonates the way nikky finney s national book award speech does. Nov 29, 2011 nikky finneys acceptance speech for her 2011 national book award for poetry deserves an honor all by itself. Nikky finney, national book award acceptance speech, 2011 in nikky finneys acceptance speech for the 2011 national book award for poetry, she began with history. On our africanamerican poetry class trip to smith college for a conversation between nikky finney and elizabeth alexander in the poetry center. Her new collection of poems, love childs hotbed of occasional poetry, is forthcoming in 2020 from triquarterly books. April is national poetry month, a time when bookstores proudly display those slim volumes usually hidden in the back. Jan 23, 2012 nikky finney is an award winning, southernborn poet, whose critically acclaimed work is imbued with a distinct sense of lyricism and recurring themes of both social justice and communal history. The national book awards is one of the most anticipated events in the publishing world. April is national poetry month, a time when bookstores proudly display. Nikky finney is an awardwinning poet and the provosts distinguished service professor of english at the university of kentucky.
Nikky finney was born by the sea in south carolina and raised during the civil rights, black power, and black arts movements. Nikky finney won the national book award for poetry this year for head off and split. She was the guy davenport endowed professor of english. Finney s acceptance speech at the awards ceremony was as poetic as. Finney won the national book award for poetry in 2011. Nov 16, 2011 to be eligible for an award, a book must have been written by a united states citizen. Have you finished reading every book in the library. Nikky finneys acceptance speech for her 2011 national book award for poetry deserves an honor all by itself. Uk professor nikky finney wins national book award for. Finney is also a founding member of the affrilachian poets, a group of black appalachian poets. Northwestern university press book wins national book. Finney and her work have been featured on russell simmons def poetry hbo series, renowned chef marcus samuelssons feature the meaning of food a pbs production and national public radio. Not only does her story prove that a person with a dream can make that dream a reality, but that an african.
Its a completely different and wonderful experience to hear the sound of each word and line directly from the body of the poet. Finney says she worked on the speech through 39 drafts and she felt good about it, but shes. To view the award presentation for nikky finney, click on the above video at the 16. South carolina poet nikky finney hadnt planned on writing an acceptance speech for the national book award dinner in 2011. She is in the english department at the university of kentucky. 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. Published by triquarterly, an imprint of northwestern university press, her book of poetry has been described as an impassioned summary of africanamerican history. Nov 15, 20 but nothing resonates the way nikky finneys national book award speech does. National book award 2011 winners jesmyn ward and nikky finney.
Nov 19, 2011 finney said she prepared for the speech by reading past acceptance speeches for the national book award by writers such as w. Poet nikky finney tries to make sense of strom thurmond. November 16, 2011, 2011 national book awards ceremony. But nothing resonates the way nikky finneys national book award speech does. Her acceptance speech was described by the 2011 nba host, john lithgow, as the best acceptance. Nikky finney wins national book award in poetry the new. Finney, uks first national book award winner, attended the award ceremony in new york city nov.
Not only does her story prove that a person with a dream can make that dream a reality, but that an african american girl can as well. Her acceptance speech has gone viral among the literati. Political, sensual, historical, imaginative, finneys poems speak of struggle, beauty, love, and race with passion and tenderness. Nikky finneys 2011 national book awards in poetry acceptance.
In a 2011 interview with poets and writers magazine, finney declared, im trying to have a conversation about truth. Nikky finneys award speech tops record year for black. Nov 18, 2011 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. Nikky finneys 2011 national book awards in poetry acceptance speech. The renowned poets acceptance speech traced the history of repressed. Awards host john lithgow called this the best acceptance speech for anything i have ever heard. Nikky finney is an awardwinning, southernborn poet, whose critically acclaimed work is imbued with a distinct sense of lyricism and recurring themes of both social justice and communal history. Her acceptance speech, less than five minutes long, became a widely circulated statement on race, history and writing. Sep 22, 2016 finney won the national book award for poetry in 2011. Her work has been praised by walter mosley, nikki giovanni. Her acceptance speech at the awards ceremony, touching on race, reading and writing, was judged by host john lithgow as the best acceptance. Uk creative writing professor, nikky finney, wins prestigious. Nikky finney pennys poetry pages wiki fandom powered by.
The national book awards acceptance speech for poetry. Nikky finneys 2011 national book award in poetry acceptance speech. The beauty and difficulty of poet nikky finney wfsu. Nikky finney wins national book award for poetry chicago tribune. 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. Nikky finneys 2011 national book award in poetry acceptance speech duration. Nikky finney s acceptance speech for her 2011 national book award for poetry deserves an honor all by itself. Nikky finney acceptance speech national book award for poetry duration. She is an awardwinning american poet, respected academic, and social justice and cultural preservation advocate. Sc poet nikky finney earns place in history at new dc. On display this april is the work of kentucky poet nikky finney, who won the national book award last november for her.
Finney said she prepared for the speech by reading past acceptance speeches for the national book award by writers such as w. National book award 2011 winners jesmyn ward and nikky. Nikky finney acceptance speech national book award for. National book awards go to salvage the bones and swerve. Your search for meaning and truth begins here home about beacon press and skinner house books customer service retail booksellers. To be eligible for an award, a book must have been written by a united states citizen. 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. Ive never been far away from the humanrights struggle black people have been involved. She has received numerous awards for her work, including a pen america open book award and the benjamin franklin 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. South carolina poet nikky finney featured at new african. Of the four honorees, two were african american women who spoke about the importance of literature that represents black experiences. In south carolina, enslaved people were explicitly. Nov 21, 2011 nikky finney s 2011 national book award in poetry acceptance speech.
Nikky finney was inducted into the south carolina academy of authors in 20. Finney has long encouraged other lesbian poets to write, publish, and read their. 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. The poet demonstrates what can never be controlled. Poet nikky finney was born in 1957 in south carolina.
The schomburg center for research in black culture, where she has been teaching for several years, congratulates her on her wonderful achievement. Even the ceremonys emcee, actor john lithgow, exclaimed, thats the best acceptance. Nikky finney and jesmyn ward win national book awards. The daughter of a lawyer and teacher, finneys parents were both active in the civil rights movement and her childhood was shaped by the turmoil and unrest of the south in the 1960s and 70s. Finney says she worked on the speech through 39 drafts and she felt good about it, but shes still. Nikky finneys award speech tops record year for black women. Nikky finney pennys poetry pages wiki fandom powered. Finneys acceptance speech at the awards ceremony was as poetic as anything in her winning book. In an interview with the oxford american, finney noted.
Uk professor nikky finney wins national book award for poetry. 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. Northwestern university press book wins national book award. Finneys acceptance speech for her award combined poetry with a gorgeously stated discussion of race, writing and reading. Auden and rachel carson, one of the nations first environmentalists. Her acceptance speech at the awards ceremony, touching on race, reading, and writing, was so extraordinary that host john lithgow called it the best acceptance speech for anything that. Nikky finney acceptance speech national book award for poetry. Finney, uks first national book award winner, attended the award ceremony last night in new york city, where she accepted the highly prestigious honor. Nikky finney wins national book award for poetry chicago. In nikky finneys acceptance speech for the 2011 national book award for poetry, she began with history.
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