Aiken Taylor Award for Modern American Poetry
1 appearances
-
Edition 33 (2020) Winner
Nikky Finney
ニッキー・フィニー
Nikky Finney
Pen Names:
Lynn Carol Finney（Birth name）,
Nikky Finney（Pen name / nickname）
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1957-08-26 （Conway, South Carolina, U.S.）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Conway, South Carolina (birth and childhood) → Talladega, Alabama (college) → Atlanta, Georgia (residence / work) → San Francisco Bay Area (residency / work) → Lexington, Kentucky (long-term faculty appointment) → Columbia, South Carolina (after appointment at University of South Carolina)
Career
- Occupations
- Poet, Academic, Photographer
- Active Years
- 1979-
- Affiliations
- University of Kentucky, Department of English (Guy Davenport Endowed Professor), University of South Carolina (John H. Bennett, Jr. Chair in Southern Letters and Literature), Affrilachian Poets (founding member), Cave Canem Foundation (faculty and board involvement), The Wintergreen Women Writers Collective (member)
- Memberships
- Affrilachian Poets (founding member), Cave Canem Foundation (faculty and board), The Wintergreen Women Writers Collective (member)
- Influenced By
- Nikki Giovanni, Gloria Wade-Gayles, Toni Cade Bambara
- Influenced
- Younger African-American poets (mentorship), Members of the Affrilachian Poets
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Talladega College | — | — | — | 1975–1979 | United States |
| Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University) | African-American Studies | African-American Studies | — | — | United States |
Talladega College
Period:
1975–1979
Year of Graduation:
1979
Country:
United States
Attended the HBCU; graduated in 1979.
Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University)
African-American Studies
/ African-American Studies
Country:
United States
Attended graduate study but did not complete a graduate degree; left to pursue creative work.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | PEN/Beyond Margins Award (PEN Open Book Award) | Rice | — | PEN America (PEN/Open Book) | 受賞 |
| 2011 | National Book Award for Poetry | Head Off & Split | 詩 | National Book Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2004 | Benjamin Franklin Awards (Independent Booksellers Association) | The World Is Round | 詩 | Independent Booksellers Association | First Place（詩部門） |
| 2002 | Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent | — | — | Chicago (organizing body) | 殿堂入り |
| 2002 | Honorary Doctorate of Humanities (Claflin University) | — | — | Claflin University | 授与 |
| 2013 | Induction into the South Carolina Academy of Authors | — | — | South Carolina Academy of Authors | 選出 |
| 1999 | Kentucky Arts Council — Al Smith Fellowship | — | — | Kentucky Arts Council | 受賞 |
PEN/Beyond Margins Award (PEN Open Book Award)
1999
Work:
Rice
Organization:
PEN America (PEN/Open Book)
Result:
受賞
National Book Award for Poetry
2011
Work:
Head Off & Split
Category:
詩
Organization:
National Book Foundation
Result:
受賞
Benjamin Franklin Awards (Independent Booksellers Association)
2004
Work:
The World Is Round
Category:
詩
Organization:
Independent Booksellers Association
Result:
First Place（詩部門）
Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent
2002
Organization:
Chicago (organizing body)
Result:
殿堂入り
Honorary Doctorate of Humanities (Claflin University)
2002
Organization:
Claflin University
Result:
授与
Induction into the South Carolina Academy of Authors
2013
Organization:
South Carolina Academy of Authors
Result:
選出
Kentucky Arts Council — Al Smith Fellowship
1999
Organization:
Kentucky Arts Council
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
On Wings Made of Gauze
1985 PoetryHer first book of poems. Contains work reflecting youth, memory, and African-American connections to land.
memorylandfamily
Rice
1995 PoetryExplores community, relationships to land, African-American history and self-expression; garnered grassroots followings.
communityrace and historyland
Heartwood
1997 Short-story cycleA story cycle designed for literacy students; a collection of short pieces with educational aims.
educationcommunityfamily
The World Is Round
2003 PoetryA collection blending poetic experimentation with Southern themes; received critical recognition.
the Southhistoryidentity
Head Off & Split
2011 PoetryA powerful collection addressing race, violence, history and family. Winner of the 2011 National Book Award for Poetry.
raceviolencehistoryfamily
Lovechild’s Hot Bed of Occasional Poetry: Poems and Artifacts
2020 PoetryA recent collection blending poems and artifacts.
memorycreativity
Bibliography
- On Wings Made of Gauze (1985)
- Rice (1995)
- Heartwood (1997)
- The World Is Round (2003)
- Head Off & Split (2011)
- Lovechild’s Hot Bed of Occasional Poetry (2020)
- The Ringing Ear: Black Poets Lean South (editor, 2007)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- forceful, conversational poetic voicelyrical blends with narrative elementsforegrounding Southern and African-American voices
- Recurring Motifs
- land and sea (relationship to place)family and ancestral memoryrace and social justicecommunity and the passing of voice
Legacy
Nikky Finney has been a powerful voice articulating Southern and African-American histories and experiences in poetry and prose, influencing younger poets through teaching and mentorship. Her 2011 National Book Award win and other honors have established her as an important contemporary American poet.
Academic Societies
- South Carolina Academy of Authors (inductee)
Archives
- University of Kentucky Special Collections (related materials)
- Talladega College archives (alumni materials)
In Popular Culture
- Selected as a First Year Book at the University of Maryland (2015–16)
- Contributed to anthologies such as New Daughters of Africa
Quotes
-
Her National Book Award acceptance speech touched on race, reading and writing — John Lithgow called it 'the best acceptance speech for anything that I've ever heard in my life.'
Source: National Book Awards ceremony / Chicago Tribune (commentary on the speech) (2011)
Trivia
- Her nickname 'Nikky' likely references poet Nikki Giovanni, who later became a friend and mentor.
- Early in her career she worked as a photographer, documenting African-American cultural contributions.