A Talk with Nikki Giovanni

Abstract

We met Giovanni in an unused lounge in the student union building. Although two other people were also present, Giovanni, occasionally puffing on her long, brown cigarettes, did most of the talking. In fact, during the lengthy, rambling conversation, it was sometimes difficult for us to squeeze in our questions. Giovanni had a lot to say--some of it amusing, some of it angry, all of it interesting. The interview covered a wide range of subjects. Giovanni, punctuating her conversation with gestures, y'know and mean, talked about baseball: she had bet $100 on the Cincinnati Reds to win the World Series, and they were about to play the seventh, decisive game. She talked about cooking: she considers herself an excellent cook (she's fond of New England boiled dinners, she said), and produced an unsolicited testimonial to crock pot cookery. She talked about birthday gifts: she wants a peanut butter maker for her next birthday. But most of all, Giovanni talked about her work, her politics, and her views on the women's movement. On that last subject, her views proved surprising. Although her poetry would seem to indicate otherwise, Giovanni does not consider herself a feminist. And she seemed to resent being asked, Why not? hate to say it, but I don't think that's a proper question, she replied. Maybe 'cause not a feminist, I couldn't define it, and tell you why Its like why not Jewish, why not a Catholic, or why I don't like sauteed crabs. You ask a question that's impossible; I can't tell you why not, because not. Perhaps it is because she doesn't feel oppressed as a woman. I'm oppressed as a black, certainly, and I think that probably women are oppressed, because I take their word for it. But not particularly interested in banding with any group of women because the problems that I face, predominantly, are problems of racism in America. Giovanni is disillusioned with the women's movement, she said, because of its failure to support other oppressed people. For example, women demonstrated against busing in Boston and Louisville, and the women's movement did nothing to stop them. Gloria Steinem goes all over the world, she goes to Mexico City to build the case for women, but she can't go up to Boston to say, 'Please stop throwing bricks at those kids.' Those are her