Nikki Giovanni
speaker
68 appearances
2 recordings
1 series
first heard Dec 2024
last heard Dec 2024
Nikki Giovanni’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.
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Appearances
Yeah, you'd go get the chicken. Chicken was, unfortunately for the chicken, alive. And so Grandmother would wring its neck. And then I would be the one to have to pluck it. And I learned to pluck the chicken. But I also learned to cook chitlins. because I learned to turn the children's intestines. I learned to turn them inside out and pull the fat out. But I also learned to break string beans.
And when you do that, you want to pull the string out. So I love every time I'm cooking something, I'm thinking about grandmother and how she did it.
You know, it's like she's with me. It's like, you know, but I do. It always makes me happy. And I like other people's cooking sometimes. But mostly, if I have my way, I do my own.
I don't know if I'm talking out loud so much as remembering. And you go and I made some lamb chops that I have to tell you were delicious. Incredible. And I was trying to remember what it was that grandmother did. It was grandmother. And I remembered, oh, it was she put a little cinnamon. And so I put a little cinnamon and a little apple vinegar.
Oh, God. They were so good. You know, and I didn't I don't think I said aloud to grandmother, you know, look what I've done. But, you know, it's one of those like I didn't share. I have people. You just ate it for yourself. I didn't. You didn't invite people. They should go get somebody else. If they're hungry, go to Wendy's.
Well, I am, and I almost hate to use this word because there's so many fools out there, but I am a Christian.
No, because it gets you caught up in your life, and that's not what your life is. Your life is not about your life. Your life is about your duty. Hmm. And so, no, I don't think about it, you know.
Oh, I've seen a lot. I know a lot of famous people, and they're all, you know, I wonder what my stamp would look like. I'll be dead, so it doesn't matter. No, I'm serious. Someone did not say that to you. Yeah. Oh, wow. And so you just look, no, no, I'm just... glad when me and cancer wake up. And now when me and cancer and pneumonia wake up. And one day we won't. And I don't know.
Maybe I'll be sad. Maybe not. I don't know. It's interesting. My friend Toni Morrison, whom I do and still do love so very much, and my favorite Toni Morrison, among other things, is Sula. And when Sula is dying, she says, oh, wait till I tell Nell, because Nell is her best friend. And she says, wait till I tell Nell. It doesn't hurt. Wait till I tell Nell.
Oh, there are moments that I feel proud because I've worked hard. And I think the word that means, as you probably also have heard in this conversation, a lot to me is duty.
opening of the African American Museum in D.C., you go around and around. I certainly recommend anybody doing it. And I had forgotten because a lot of those things I don't handle and I'm not interested in. I forgot we gave permission to use my poetry and we gave permission to use my, it's not something, if you start paying attention to that, you'd be crazy.
And when I turned to the right, there was a photograph of me. And I just automatically, it brings tears to my eyes, I automatically just turn over my shoulder to my left to say, look, Grandmother, I did my duty. And it still amazes me that I did. I mean, it's like she was there. I did my duty. And that's what matters to me.
Well, I am, and I almost hate to use this word because there's so many fools out there, but I am a Christian. And I think Jesus is a really interesting guy. I really... and fascinated by the way he conducted his life. And I think 90% of all black women you would run into are Christians. We believe that. He may not come. There's an expression that black women have, and I share that expression.
He may not come when you call, but he always comes on time. So we've learned to wait on the Lord. And I think that that's the most important thing. Do you pray? Oh, no. No, none of that. No, no. So how does that— I tell them, go to church.
He's a good guy. A Christian god who you're into. Well, he's a very interesting guy. And, of course, when he did come from the tomb— There are lots of interesting guys, Nikki, but like— No, there are not. Let's face that one. But, you know, when he came out of the tomb, he went to Mary Magdalene. So the first thing he went to was a black woman. So you have to appreciate that.
And I think that what he said to her was, you know, I've got to go. I've got things to do. But you call me. I'll be there. But just wait on the Lord. And all of the black women I know believe that. And it made sense to me. You may as well. He'll come when you call. That's why I have patience. No question about it. You know, you wait. You want the Lord to do something.
But I'm not asking for, you know, lottery numbers. You know, you know. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I'm not asking for, you know. Do Jesus help me win the super lotto? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, none of that. Please let me get well, you know. I don't, you know, I'm worried about this cancer. I didn't ask for any of that because that's a foolish thing to ask for. What you're asking for is let me.
Continue my life of duty with grace. And that's all. If I can gracefully do what I have to do, I'm happy. Do you think there's such a thing as heaven, Nikki? There's a heaven. And my grandmother's sitting up there. I'm going to hell because I hate my father. And I'm going to sit down and tell him why. But I'm sure grandmother and mommy will, you know, talk to Jesus or God, whoever's there.
You know, let her come up and visit, you know. And everybody knows I like champagne, so I'm sure they'll have a glass of champagne. And we'll sit there and talk. Well, you got to go now. You've been here for two days. Do you actually think that? It doesn't matter what I actually think.
What matters is what gets me through the next day.
Showing 41–60 of 68 · page 3 of 4
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