Nnikky finney national book award acceptance speech transcript

Nikky finney wins national book award for poetry chicago. Nikky finney s acceptance speech for her 2011 national book award for poetry deserves an honor all by itself. Finney, uks first national book award winner, attended the award ceremony last night in new york city, where she accepted the highly prestigious honor. 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. Nikky finneys 2011 national book award in poetry acceptance speech duration. Lexington poet nikky finney has been on the road, visiting 20 cities in three months. Posted in rpoetry by ugraysontylerjohnson 2 points and 0 comments. South carolina poet nikky finney featured at new african. Nikky finney wins national book award for poetry lambda. She is an award winning american poet, respected academic, and social justice and cultural preservation advocate. Nikky finney was inducted into the south carolina academy of authors in 20. November 16, 2011, 2011 national book awards ceremony. The national book awards acceptance speech for poetry. You will find her in the poets corner, directly across from chuck berrys 1973 candy apple red cadillac eldorado.

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 finney s acceptance speech for the national book award for the ones who longed to read and write, but were forbidden, and those who have the freedom to do so. John lithgow revisit nikky finney s phenomenal national book award acceptance speech in the video linked below. Nikky finney s national book award speech the gorgeous, passionate, engrossing, inimitable nikky finney took to the stage after winning the national book award for her volume of poetry head off and split and gave a speech host john lithgow called the best acceptance speech hed heard, for anything, ever. Even the ceremonys emcee, actor john lithgow, exclaimed, thats the best acceptance. Nikky finney wins national book award in poetry the new. Nikky finney acceptance speech national book award for. She published her first book in 1985, and has taught writing for years at. Awards host john lithgow called this the best acceptance speech for anything i have ever heard. Nikky finneys 2011 national book award in poetry acceptance. That was the best acceptance speech for anything ive ever heard in my life.

The poet demonstrates what can never be controlled. Finney has long encouraged other lesbian poets to write, publish, and read their. Awards ceremony host john lithgow judged her acceptance speech, touching on race, reading and writing, to be the best acceptance speech for. Nikky finney is an award winning poet and the provosts distinguished service professor of english at the university of.

April is national poetry month, a time when bookstores proudly display those slim volumes usually hidden in the back. South carolina poet nikky finney hadnt planned on writing an acceptance speech for the national book award dinner in 2011. 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. 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. She is in the english department at the university of kentucky. 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. One of three children, finney is the only daughter of ernest a. Nikky finney won the national book award for poetry this year for head off and split. How will the global economy ever recover from the coronavirus. In nikky finneys acceptance speech for the 2011 national book award for poetry, she began with history. The beauty and difficulty of poet nikky finney wfsu. The beauty and difficulty of poet nikky finney art is about being provocative, says the award winning poet. Her acceptance speech was described by the 2011 nba host, john lithgow, as the best acceptance.

Her acceptance speech at the awards ceremony, touching on race, reading. Her work has been praised by walter mosley, nikki giovanni, gloria naylor and the late cbs60 minutes news. Her acceptance speech has gone viral among the literati. 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. American abbey d agostino stopped to help new zealand runner nikki hamblin after a fall. Finneys acceptance speech at the awards ceremony was as poetic as. Nikky finney ponders possibilities of the poetry profession. Art talk with nikky finney nea national endowment for the arts. Nikky finneys 2011 national book award in poetry acceptance speech. In south carolina, enslaved people were explicitly.

Nikky finneys 2011 national book award acceptance speech. Of the four honorees, two were african american women who spoke about the importance of literature that represents black experiences. Split won the 2011 national book award, and her extraordinary acceptance speech is. She was the guy davenport endowed professor of english. In your national book award acceptance speech you said that being a poet. Nikky finney s 2011 national book award in poetry acceptance speech duration. If you need to be further inspired to buy this book then simply look at the authors acceptance speech at the 2011 national book award in poetry. Get your team aligned with all the tools you need on one secure, reliable video platform. National book awards go to salvage the bones and swerve.

Finney won the national book award for poetry in 2011. On display this april is the work of kentucky poet nikky finney, who won the national book award last november for her. But nothing resonates the way nikky finneys national book award speech does. Finney s acceptance speech prompted host john lithgow to remark, thats the best acceptance for anything ive ever heard in my life. South carolina poet nikky finney never meant to write the speech that earned her a place in history at the new. 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. Nikky finneys award speech tops record year for black. April is national poetry month, a time when bookstores proudly display those. Political, sensual, historical, imaginative, finney s poems speak of. Nikky finney s 2011 national book award in poetry acceptance speech. Nikky finneys acceptance speech for the national book award. Have you finished reading every book in the library. Nikky finney has 19 books on goodreads with 4837 ratings. Nikky finney pennys poetry pages wiki fandom powered.

Nikky finneys powerful speech at national book awards. Ive never heard a better acceptance speech in my life. In professor finney s acceptance speech below she recalls her greatest teacher saying, ms. Finney renders her responsibility as a poet in her willingness to make sure. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Art is also about beauty and if you leave the latter out, the former doesnt matter. My book is about what the magic of the written word is. Finney was presented the poetry award on wednesday, november 16 at the national book foundation sponsored ceremony in new york,ny. 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 at national book awards, 2011 one. Nikky finney acceptance speech national book award for poetry. Uk professor nikky finney wins national book award for. Nikky finney took the prize for poetry and thanhha lai for young peoples literature. In a 2011 interview with poets and writers magazine, finney declared, im trying to have a conversation about truth.

The beauty and difficulty of poet nikky finney wbur news. How nikky finney found her own path to poetry ever since she was 19 years old, nikky finney dreamed of being a poet. Watch finney s acceptance speech at the 2011 national book. Lexington poet nikky finney wins national book award.