You may think of Nilkil Giovanni as a writer of wonderlulwonderful children's poetry. "ThatsThat's true, but she is also much more. As well as poetry, she writes essays and short storys about individual growth, personal struggles for independence and fultillmentfulfillment, and her concerhconcern for humanity as a global community. She has published her conversations with James Baldwin and with Margaret Walker, two high-profile AlfricanAfrican american writers. She has contributed to books such as "The 100 Best Colleges for African American Students and African American “Literature: An Anthology of Nonfiction, Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Giovanni gives lectures and poetry readings all over the United States, speaking about the past, the present and the future of African Americans. She teaches coarsescourses at many universities, and she havehas accepted a permanent position as Professor of English at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, She has been Woman of the Year three times: for Ebony, Modemoiselle, and Ladies Home lournalJournal. She has recorded at least seven albums and CDs, induding 1997's In PhilodelphiaPhiladelphia. A 1967 PBS film SpinitSpirit to Spirit: The Poetry of Nikki Giovanni, winnedwon the Oakland Museum Fllm Festival's silver Apple Award and is now ailableavailable on videotape. "Her nineteen ninety-seven book Love Poems contains twenty original poems along wilthwith many of her best-inownbest-known love poems from previous books.