The daughter of a lawyer and teacher, finney s 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. Nikky finneys award speech tops record year for black women. 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. Nikky finney pennys poetry pages wiki fandom powered. Nov 29, 2011 nikky finneys 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. Nikky finneys 2011 national book awards in poetry acceptance. Featuring introductions by john lithgow and elizabeth alexander. Nikky finney acceptance speech national book award for poetry duration. But she wanted it, and she wasnt going to be ambushed by false modesty. Pen american open book award national book award for poetry nikky finney born lynn carol finney on august 26, 1957, in conway, south carolina is an american poet. Lois reitzes sits down with poet nikky finney to talk about her acceptance speech at the 2011 national book awards, her radical libretto the battle of and for the black.
In professor finneys acceptance speech below she recalls her greatest teacher saying, ms. Nikky finney won the national book award for poetry this year for head off and split. Finney is also a founding member of the affrilachian poets, a group of black appalachian poets. 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. National book award 2011 winners jesmyn ward and nikky. Poet nikky finney was born in 1957 in south carolina. 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.
Sc poet nikky finney earns place in history at new dc. Nikky finney born lynn carol finney on august 26, 1957, in conway, south carolina is an american poet. Published by triquarterly, an imprint of northwestern university press, her book of poetry has been described as an impassioned summary of africanamerican history. Finneys acceptance speech at the awards ceremony was as poetic as. 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 awards is one of the most anticipated events in the publishing world. Her acceptance speech was described by the 2011 nba host, john lithgow, as the best acceptance. Its a completely different and wonderful experience to hear the sound of each word and line directly from the body of the poet. One of three children, finney is the only daughter of ernest a.
Nov 21, 2011 nikky finney s 2011 national book award in poetry acceptance speech. Immediately, the book opens with a powerful introduction poem, titled resurrection of the errand girl. Northwestern university press book wins national book award. South carolina poet nikky finney hadnt planned on writing an acceptance speech for the national book award dinner in 2011. Click here to view video of her accepting the award. First up, poet elizabeth alexander, who read a poem at barack obamas inauguration, presenting the national book award for poetry. 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. Apr 08, 2012 nikky finney is an award winning poet and the provosts distinguished service professor of english at the university of kentucky. Her acceptance speech, less than five minutes long, became a widely circulated statement on race, history and writing. 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. Returning to the same fishmonger as an adult and hearing the phrase after so many years hurtles her back into memories of her childhood. Nikky finneys 2011 national book award in poetry acceptance. Nikky finneys 2011 national book award in poetry acceptance speech.
She has received numerous awards for her work, including a pen america open book award and the benjamin franklin award for poetry. In a 2011 interview with poets and writers magazine, finney. Nikky finney is an award winning poet and the provosts distinguished service professor of english at the university of kentucky. Have you finished reading every book in the library. 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. Finneys acceptance speech for her award combined poetry with a gorgeously stated discussion of race, writing and reading.
South carolina poet nikky finney featured at new african. April is national poetry month, a time when bookstores proudly display those slim volumes usually hidden in the back. Nikky finney was inducted into the south carolina academy of authors in 20. Awards host john lithgow called this the best acceptance speech for anything i have ever heard. The video above has the speeches from the presenters of the four awards and the award winners acceptance speeches.
Of the four honorees, two were african american women who spoke about the importance of literature that represents black experiences. Her acceptance speech at the awards ceremony, touching on race, reading and writing, was judged by host john lithgow as the best acceptance. Uk professor nikky finney wins national book award for poetry. 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. The awardwinning poet is a professor of english and creative writing at the university of kentucky and was being honored for. National book award 2011 winners jesmyn ward and nikky finney. Finney and her work have been featured on russell simmons def. Nikky finney wins national book award for poetry chicago. 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. Finney won the national book award for poetry in 2011.
Her acceptance speech has become a thing of legend. Northwestern university press book wins national book. 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. Nikky finney acceptance speech national book award for. Nikky finney and jesmyn ward win national book awards. She was the guy davenport endowed professor of english. To view the award presentation for nikky finney, click on the above video at the 16. The poet demonstrates what can never be controlled. Nikky finney s acceptance speech for her 2011 national book award for poetry deserves an honor all by itself.
Nikky finney wins national book award in poetry the new. Your search for meaning and truth begins here home about beacon press and skinner house books customer service retail booksellers. 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. To hear nikky finney give what host john lithgow described as the best acceptance speech for anything ive ever heard in my life, listen to her national book award. Nikky finneys acceptance speech for her 2011 national book award for poetry deserves an honor all by itself. Nikky finney is an awardwinning poet and the provosts distinguished service professor of. Sep 22, 2016 finney won the national book award for poetry in 2011. She was the guy davenport endowed professor of english at the university of kentucky for twenty years. Nikky finney, 2011 national book award winner alice james books has been one of the major forces in american poetry for the past four decades and has launched the careers of too many important american poets to list. In south carolina, enslaved people were explicitly barred from becoming. Featuring introductions by john lithgow and elizabeth. Not only does her story prove that a person with a dream can make that dream a reality, but that an african.
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. Finney attended the award ceremony last night in new york city, where she accepted the highly prestigious honor. Aug 26, 2017 nikky finney was born on august 26, 1957. 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. In an interview with the oxford american, finney noted. The beauty and difficulty of poet nikky finney wfsu. The national book awards acceptance speech for poetry. The schomburg center for research in black culture, where she has been teaching for several years, congratulates her on her wonderful achievement. Nikky finney born august 26, 1957 is an awardwinning africanamerican poet and academic. Political, sensual, historical, imaginative, finneys poems speak of struggle, beauty, love, and race with passion and tenderness. Nikky finney wins national book award for poetry chicago tribune.
The daughter of a civil rights attorney and a teacher in south carolina, finney is a founder of affrilachian poets, a group of africanamerican poets who challenge simple notions of an allwhite appalachia. The visit to smith college was truly amazing, healing, and eyeopening. But nothing resonates the way nikky finneys national book award speech does. In a 2011 interview with poets and writers magazine, finney declared, im trying to have a conversation about truth. Nikky finney didnt know whether she would win the national book award for poetry on wednesday night in new york. Nov 19, 2011 nikky finney didnt know whether she would win the national book award for poetry on wednesday night in new york. Poet nikky finney tries to make sense of strom thurmond. Uk creative writing professor, nikky finney, wins prestigious. Nikky finney pennys poetry pages wiki fandom powered by. Finney attended the award ceremony last night in new york city, where she. Her new collection of poems, love childs hotbed of occasional poetry, is forthcoming in 2020 from. Nikky finney is an awardwinning poet and the provosts distinguished service professor of english at the university of kentucky.
She is an awardwinning american poet, respected academic, and social justice and cultural preservation advocate. On display this april is the work of kentucky poet nikky finney, who won the national book award last november for her. Her acceptance speech has gone viral among the literati. The video above has the speeches from the presenters of the four awards and the awardwinners acceptance speeches. See more ideas about national book award, books and national book award winners. Her new collection of poems, love childs hotbed of occasional poetry, is forthcoming in 2020 from triquarterly books. Finney, uks first national book award winner, attended the award ceremony in new york city nov. Nikky finneys award speech tops record year for black.
She is in the english department at the university of kentucky. The beauty and difficulty of poet nikky finney wbur news. Ive never been far away from the humanrights struggle black people have been involved. An alumna of talladega college, and author of four. Finneys father began his career as a civil rights attorney, and. Uk professor nikky finney wins national book award for. Nov 15, 20 but nothing resonates the way nikky finneys national book award speech does. Jul 06, 2012 nikky finney invites us to take the journey with her, and, from the introduction to the last poem, we know we are in the hands of a courageous and compassionate guide. Post jobs, find pros, and collaborate commissionfree in our professional marketplace. Finney s acceptance speech at the awards ceremony was as poetic as. Finney is the provosts distinguished service professor of english at the university of kentucky, and lives in lexington. Nikky finney was born by the sea in south carolina and raised during the civil rights, black power, and black arts movements. On our africanamerican poetry class trip to smith college for a conversation between nikky finney and elizabeth alexander in the poetry center.
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