Life without Nikki Giovanni

December 11, 2024No Comments

The Artemis community shares in the deep sorrow of losing our cherished poet, Nikki Giovanni. For ten years, she served as our Distinguished Poet on the Board, and her contributions were invaluable to the heart of our poetry journal. We feel this loss deeply and will carry her spirit and legacy with us as we move forward. She will always be missed, but her words and impact will live on in our hearts.

Nikki Giovanni and Jeri Rogers, Editor Artemis at the screening of the Sundance Film best documentary “Going to Mars”

“The door is open,” Nikki Giovanni told me, “and if I’m saying something that you don’t like, you can go out the door. Because I’m going to say what I think I should say.” The poet and longtime Virginia Tech professor, who released the “The Gospel According to Nikki Giovanni,” a musical collaboration with the saxophonist Javon Jackson, was talking about her approach to teaching difficult material.

She could just as well have been talking about her approach to life. Beginning with her first book, “Black Feeling, Black Talk” in 1968, and on through to “Make Me Rain” in 2020, Giovanni’s writing has expressed a great many forceful ideas — about love, race, politics, gender — but a large share of its power has always come from the sense that the poet is telling the truth as she sees it, to whoever happens to hear. “I cannot close my door,” says Giovanni, who was 81 when she passed. “I just can’t let that happen.”

Artemis Journal 2024 Launch featuring Pulitzer Prize Winner

Come join in the fun and support the Journal and Taubman Museum with a program featuring Singer, and songwriter, Lara Taubman and her band.

Lara Taubman

Following a career as an Art curator, Lara turned her attention to music and began writing, producing, and singing. Her intention has always been to create work that is healing.

“2021 was the year I began to cover some classic gospel songs.
Singing those deep, healing sounds sparked something profound in my body and mind. I believe
part of the reason I began writing music at all was so I could climb inside of a song, to embody it.
The inspiration of classic gospel brought me that experience when I wrote these songs.
Being from the South and my roots in Appalachian music are not far from classic gospel music.
The two kinds of music have always intermingled historically.
In a way, these new songs have brought me closer to my southern background but in a deeper,
more spiritual way.”
Lara Taubman

“That ol’ feeling you get listening to good lo-fi music
via hi-fi just got a retro update via Lara, channeling the
likes of Patsy Cline and other ol’ giants of a smoky lounge
scene with that signature sound that is captivatingly
Lara and totally original.”
RYAN MARTIN
JAMMERZINE

For more information;
https://www.larataubman.com/

We will also honor Dr. Sandee McGlaun, associate professor of English and director of the Writing Center, who died Sept. 4 after a long battle with breast cancer.  

Her husband, Steve Prisley, posted to her social media: “The earth has lost a beautiful soul today as Sandee McGlaun left her weary and wounded body after a long and determined battle with cancer. Visit her Still Life Beyond Cancer blog to read her encouragement to hold your loved ones close, always choose kindness, and savor each moment.”


Dr. Sandee McGlaun

Her poetry will appear in the Artemis Journal alongside artist Bob Rotche, who collaborated with Professor McGlann during her last days. Here is their work as it appears in the Artemis Journal.
http://www.bobroche.com

 

                 Fundraiser Tickets                         

$25 non-members – $20 TMA members            

For more information
http://www.taubmanmuseum.org