Poet Giovanni returns to Fisk


Renowned poet and Tennessee native Nikki Giovanni will return to her alma mater this fall as a distinguished visiting professor at Fisk University.
"I'm looking forward to it," Giovanni said. "I think that Fisk would probably benefit from someone thinking outside the box, and God knows I'm outside the box."

Giovanni, 64, is a distinguished professor at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg and has received numerous awards for her works of poetry. She recently authored children's books, including Rosa, a picture book on the life of Rosa Parks.
Her visit comes as Fisk faces financial woes, including a public battle over selling two paintings from its collection of modern art. The school could receive more than
$7 million, according to terms reached with the art museum blocking the sale, an amount one university official said could determine whether the school remains open.
Even if the situation is resolved in a court hearing later this month, the university has to decide how it will position itself for the future, Giovanni said.
"Fisk is like a jewel that got dropped in the mud," she said. "Fisk University is a diamond in African-American education. Fisk, as much as anyone, has forgotten its importance."

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20...EWS01/708210344/1001