Make Me Rain | Nikki Giovanni reads for social change
Nikki Giovanni, one of America’s beloved poets reaffirms her place as a uniquely vibrant and relevant voice through her latest collection, Make Me Rain.
Poetry Performance & Demo Author Bios
During her storied, decades long career, poet, activist, professor and mother NIKKI GIOVANNI has received nineteen honorary degrees from colleges and universities; and numerous achievement, humanitarian and other awards of recognition from government, private, and public organizations. She has been presented the keys to more than two dozen cities, including New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami, New Orleans, and Baltimore. The author of twenty-seven books, including the seminal “Black Feeling Black Talk, Black Judgment,” Nikki Giovanni is a University Distinguished Professor of English at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. She continues to read her work all across the country.
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Kim Dower, Former City Poet Laureate of West Hollywood, has published four highly acclaimed collections of poetry, including the Gold Ippy Award-winning collection, Sunbathing on Tyrone Power’s Grave. She was nominated for four Pushcarts, is widely anthologized, and teaches writing workshops for Antioch University, the West Hollywood Library, and UCLA Writer’s Extension.
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For 40 years, Luis J. Rodriguez’s words and teachings have echoed in prisons, juvenile lockups, jails, schools, libraries, conferences, colleges, universities, bookstores, cafes, community centers, and more. He has 16 books in all genres, including the memoir “Always Running, La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A.” Luis is founding editor of Tia Chucha Press and co-founder of Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore. From 2014-2016, Luis served as Los Angeles’ official Poet Laureate. His last poetry book is “Borrowed Bones.” His latest book is “From Our Land to Our Land: Essays, Journeys & Imaginings of a Native Xicanx Writer.”
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Ron Salisbury, selected as the inaugural Poet Laureate for San Diego 2020-2021. Ron teaches classes and workshops in poetry for San Diego Writers, Ink. He graduated from SDSU with an MFA-Poetry in 2016. His book, “Miss Desert Inn”, winner of the 2015 Main Street Rag Poetry Prize, published fall, 2015.
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Deborah Paredez is the author of “Selenidad: Selena, Latinos, and the Performance of Memory,” and the poetry collection “This Side of Skin.” She is the co-founder of CantoMundo, a national organization for Latinx poets, and a professor of creative writing and ethnic studies at Columbia University. Paredez lives in New York with her husband and daughter.
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Rae Armantrout’s most recent book, “Wobble,” was a finalist for the 2018 National Book Award. Her book “Versed” won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in poetry. A new collection, “Conjure,” is forthcoming in August 2020. After living most of her life in San Diego, Armantrout has recently moved to the Seattle area.
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Bob Perelman has published 14 books of poems, most recently “Jack and Jill in Troy”, and 3 critical books, most recently “Modernism the Morning After”. He is Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Pennsylvania and now lives in California.
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Kim Guerra is a writer and creator of Brown Badass Bonita, a movement set on empowering mujeres to give themselves wings through self love. She writes pieces and creates art that celebrate and explore the complexities of being a Latinx, mujer, person of color, survivor and guerrera. She considers her art and work to be responsibilities to her community of Latinx and mujeres.
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Gill Sotu is a veteran, poet, playwright, DJ, and performing artist. He is a 2x Grand Slam Poetry Champion, 2x Raw Performing artist of the year, and a 3x TEDx San Diego presenter. Currently, he is a teaching artist and a commissioned playwright with The Old Globe Theatre, a Program Director with Intrepid Theatre, CREATIVE DIRECTOR for TEDx San Diego, as well as the Artist In Residence at Makers Church. He has been commissioned to produce original pieces for leading arts and community organizations around the country and is honored to be a part of this event.
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Adam O. Davis’ poems have appeared in many journals, including The Believer, Boston Review, Gulf Coast, The Paris Review, The Southern Review, and ZYZZYVA. The recipient of the 2016 George Bogin Award from the Poetry Society of America, he has received grants and fellowships from Columbia University, Western Michigan University, and Vermont Studio Center. A graduate of the University of California, Riverside and Columbia University, he lives in San Diego, California where he teaches English literature at The Bishop’s School. He was also once hit by lightning. It felt, more or less, like you’d expect.
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