From her work in the 1960s with the Black Arts Movement and SNCC to her iconic status in today’s hip-hop community, Giovanni has been a vital public presence for more than four decades. Her many accomplishments as an activist, educator, and one of the country’s most inspiring poets, have earned her honors including the Rosa Parks Woman of Courage Award and a place on Oprah Winfrey’s list of twenty-five “Living Legends.” Giovanni has published more than two dozen books, and her latest collection of poems offers intimate looks at some of the most joyous and painful moments of her life. She recalls her parents’ violent marriage and the grandparents who took her in, and she celebrates her long friendship with Maya Angelou.

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