Nikky Finney
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Nikky Finney (born Lynn Carol Finney on August 26, 1957, in
Conway, South Carolina Conway is a city in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 24,849 at the 2020 census, up from 17,103 in 2010 census. It is the county seat of Horry County and is part of the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area. It is the home ...
) is an American
poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...
. She was the Guy Davenport Endowed Professor of English at the
University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentu ...
for twenty years. In 2013, she accepted a position at the University of South Carolina as the John H. Bennett, Jr. Chair in Southern Letters and Literature. An alumna of
Talladega College Talladega College is a private historically black college in Talladega, Alabama. It is Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, ...
, and author of four books of poetry and a short-story cycle, Finney is an advocate for social justice and cultural preservation. Her honors include the 2011
National Book Award The National Book Awards are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors. The Nat ...
for her collection ''Head Off & Split''.Habash, Gabe (November 16, 2011)
"National Book Awards Go to Lai, Finney, Greenblatt, and Ward "
''
Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...
''.


Biography

One of three children, Finney is the only daughter of Ernest A. Finney, Jr.,
civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...
attorney and retired Chief Justice of the state of South Carolina,Guzior, Betsey (November 17, 2011)
"S.C. native, Nikky Finney, wins National Book Award for poetry"
, ''
The State A state is a centralized political organization that imposes and enforces rules over a population within a territory. There is no undisputed definition of a state. One widely used definition comes from the German sociologist Max Weber: a "stat ...
''
and Frances Davenport Finney, elementary school teacher. Finney's father began his career as a civil rights attorney, and in 1961, served as Head Legal Counsel for the
Friendship 9 The Friendship Nine, or Rock Hill Nine, was a group of African-American men who went to jail after staging a sit-in at a segregated McCrory's lunch counter in Rock Hill, South Carolina in 1961. The group gained nationwide attention because they f ...
, black junior college students arrested and charged when trying to
desegregate Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups, usually referring to races. Desegregation is typically measured by the index of dissimilarity, allowing researchers to determine whether desegregation efforts are having impact o ...
McCrory's lunch counter in
Rock Hill, South Carolina Rock Hill is the largest city in York County, South Carolina and the fifth-largest city in the state. It is also the fourth-largest city of the Charlotte metropolitan area, behind Charlotte, Concord, and Gastonia (all located in North Carolina, ...
. In 1994, Ernest Finney, Jr., was appointed by the State Legislature as the first
African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
Chief Justice of South Carolina since
Reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *'' Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...
. Both of Finney's brothers are attorneys in South Carolina: her older brother, Ernest "Chip" Finney, III, elected Solicitor of the Third Judicial Circuit, and her younger brother, Jerry Leo Finney, in private practice in
Columbia, SC Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...
.Lett, Mark E. (June 5, 2011)
"12 Lives: People Changing South Carolina. Ernest Finney: From Waiter to State Supreme Court Chief Justice"
, ''The State''.
Both Finney's parents were raised on the family-owned land: Justice Finney on a farm in Virginia, and Frances Davenport Finney on a farm in
Newberry, SC Newberry is a city in Newberry County, South Carolina, United States, in the Piedmont northwest of Columbia. The charter was adopted in 1894. The population was 10,277 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Newberry County; at one time i ...
. Themes of the African-American relationship to the land surface throughout Finney's work. Educated first in Catholic grade school, and then in South Carolina public schools during the riotous struggle over
integration Integration may refer to: Biology *Multisensory integration *Path integration * Pre-integration complex, viral genetic material used to insert a viral genome into a host genome *DNA integration, by means of site-specific recombinase technology, ...
, Finney was anchored in her youth by her maternal grandmother Beulah Lenorah Butler Davenport and by the inimitable constancy of the nearby South Carolina sea. A bookworm in childhood, she composed poetry and acquired the nickname "Nikky", likely in reference to poet
Nikki Giovanni Yolande Cornelia "Nikki" Giovanni Jr. (born June 7, 1943) is an American poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. One of the world's most well-known African-American poets,Jane M. Barstow, Yolanda Williams Page (eds)"Nikki Giovanni" ''E ...
, who would later become a friend and mentor. Graduated from Sumter High School in 1975, Finney matriculated at
Talladega College Talladega College is a private historically black college in Talladega, Alabama. It is Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, ...
, an
HBCU Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of primarily serving the African-American community. Mo ...
in Alabama, where she was mentored by poet and essayist Dr Gloria Wade Gayles. After studying with Dr.
Howard Zehr Howard J. Zehr (born July 2, 1944) is an American criminologist. Zehr is considered to be a pioneer of the modern concept of restorative justice. He is Distinguished Professor of Restorative Justice at Eastern Mennonite University's Center for ...
and graduating from Talladega College in 1979, Finney began her artistic career as a photographer. Finney committed to documenting the trajectory of African-American contributions to American creativity and culture. In Alabama, Finney continued to advance as an autodidactic poet and creative artist. Finney matriculated at
Atlanta University Clark Atlanta University (CAU or Clark Atlanta) is a private, Methodist, historically black research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Clark Atlanta is the first Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the Southern United States. Fou ...
, working in the African-American Studies department, under African-American historians Dr. Richard Long and Dr. David Dorsey. While in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, Finney joined the Pamoja Writing Collective, the community writing workshop led by
Toni Cade Bambara Toni Cade Bambara, born Miltona Mirkin Cade (March 25, 1939 – December 9, 1995), was an African-American author, documentary film-maker, social activist and college professor. Biography Early life and education Miltona Mirkin Cade was bor ...
. Finney also immersed herself in study of the poetry and visual arts of the
Black Arts Movement The Black Arts Movement (BAM) was an African American-led art movement that was active during the 1960s and 1970s. Through activism and art, BAM created new cultural institutions and conveyed a message of black pride. The movement expanded from ...
. Ultimately, limited potential for creative work in academic programs caused Finney to abandon the constraints of graduate study and return to Talladega to work as a photographer. Hired as photographer and reporter by Byllye Y. Avery, for the newly organized, Atlanta-based
National Black Women's Health Project Black Women's Health Imperative, previously the National Black Women's Health Project, was formed in 1984 in Atlanta, Georgia out of a need to address the health and reproductive rights of African American women. NBWHP was principally founded by ...
, Finney traveled to
Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...
,
Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
, for the End of the Decade of Women Conference in 1985, and covered the historic UN conference for the National Black Women's Health Project.


Career

Finney's targeted result of her independent years was achieved: ''On Wings Made of Gauze'', her first book of poems, was completed in Atlanta. The book was read and ushered to the late Eunice Riedel by Nikki Giovanni. Riedel acquired and edited ''On Wings Made of Gauze'', which was published by William Morrow, in 1985. After publication of her first book of poems, Finney relocated to the
Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Gov ...
, where she involved herself with progressive causes, and continued independent work as a poet. She was recruited to a position as Visiting Writer in the English department at the
University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentu ...
(1989–90), by South Carolina-born novelist and poet
Percival Everett Percival Everett (born December 22, 1956) is an American writer and Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Southern California. Life Everett lives in Los Angeles, California. Literary career While completing his AM degree at B ...
. In 1993, Finney was offered a post on the permanent faculty. Her second book of poetry, ''Rice'', was completed in
Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, Fayette County. By population, it is the List of cities in Kentucky, second-largest city in Kentucky and List of United States cities by popul ...
, and was published in 1995 by SisterVisions, a Canadian press. In 1997, ''Rice'' received a PEN American Open Book Award. ''Rice'' stands as the book that brought Finney her many grassroots followers. Her story cycle ''Heartwood'', designed for literacy students, was published in 1998, by the
University Press of Kentucky The University Press of Kentucky (UPK) is the scholarly publisher for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and was organized in 1969 as successor to the University of Kentucky Press. The university had sponsored scholarly publication since 1943. In 194 ...
. Finney took a leave from the University of Kentucky in 1999 to hold the Goode Chair in the
Humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture. In the Renaissance, the term contrasted with divinity and referred to what is now called classics, the main area of secular study in universities at the t ...
at
Berea College Berea College is a private liberal arts work college in Berea, Kentucky. Founded in 1855, Berea College was the first college in the Southern United States to be coeducational and racially integrated. Berea College charges no tuition; every adm ...
(founded in 1855), the first interracial and coeducational college in the South. After returning to the English Department at the University of Kentucky, Finney's third book of poetry, ''The World is Round'', was published by Inner Light Publishing in 2003. In 2005, she became Full Professor in the English Department at the University of Kentucky. In 2006, she was appointed Interim Director of the African American Studies and Research Program at the University of Kentucky. After the publication of ''The World is Round'', Finney was invited to
Smith College Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smith (Smith College ...
, in
Northampton, Massachusetts The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of Northampton (including its outer villages, Florence and Leeds) was 29,571. Northampton is known as an acade ...
, where she served for two years as the Grace Hazard Conkling Writer-in-Residence, from 2007 to 2009.Nance, Kevin
"The Wider Sky: A Profile of Nikky Finney"
''
Poets & Writers Poets & Writers, Inc. is one of the largest nonprofit literary organizations in the United States serving poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. The organization publishes a bi-monthly magazine called ''Poets & Writers Magazine'', ...
'', March / April 2011, pp. 42–49.
Finney edited and wrote the introduction to ''The Ringing Ear: Black Poets Lean South'', which was published by the
University of Georgia Press The University of Georgia Press or UGA Press is the university press of the University of Georgia, a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia. It is the oldest and la ...
in 2007, under the auspices of Cave Canem, an organization that works to increase opportunities for African-American poets. ''The Ringing Ear'', with entries selected and edited by Finney, showcased the work of one hundred African-American poets who are southern or who wrote on southern subjects. Finney's fourth book of poems, ''Head Off & Split'', was published by
Northwestern University Press Northwestern University Press is an American publishing house affiliated with Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. It publishes 70 new titles each year in the areas of continental philosophy, poetry, Slavic and German literary criticism ...
in 2011. On October 12, 2011, ''Head Off & Split'' was announced as a finalist for the 2011 National Book Awards,Staff (October 12, 2011)
"National Book Awards Finalists Announced on OPB"
, ''
Oregon Public Broadcasting Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) is the primary television and radio public broadcasting network for most of the U.S. state of Oregon as well as southern Washington. OPB consists of five full-power television stations, dozens of VHF or UHF tra ...
''.
with Finney honored as the 2011 winner of the National Book Award for Poetry on November 16, 2011.Priest, Joy (November 16, 2011)
"Professor wins National Book Award for Poetry"
''
The Kentucky Kernel The Kentucky Kernel is the student newspaper of the University of Kentucky. The ''Kernel'' is distributed free on and around the University of Kentucky campus. It claims a circulation of 8,000 and readership of more than 30,000. Its sole source ...
''.
Her acceptance speech at the awards ceremony, touching on race, reading and writing, was judged by host
John Lithgow John Arthur Lithgow ( ; born , 1945) is an American actor. Lithgow studied at Harvard University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before becoming known for his work on the stage and screen. He has been the recipient of numerous ...
as "the best acceptance speech for anything that I've ever heard in my life". ''Head Off & Split'' was selected as the 2015–16 First Year Book by the
University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...
, College Park. This work provides an opportunity for students and faculty to delve into complex topics using a common text. Finney was also commissioned to write a new poem entitled "The Battle of and for the Black Face Boy" to be presented to the campus community in October 2015. She is a contributor to the 2019 anthology ''
New Daughters of Africa ''Daughters of Africa: An International Anthology of Words and Writings by Women of African Descent from the Ancient Egyptian to the Present'' is a compilation of orature and literature by more than 200 women from Africa and the African diaspora, ...
'', edited by
Margaret Busby Margaret Yvonne Busby, , Hon. FRSL (born 1944), also known as Nana Akua Ackon, is a Ghanaian-born publisher, editor, writer and broadcaster, resident in the UK. She was Britain's youngest and first black female book publisherJazzmine Breary"Let' ...
. Finney is a founding member of the Affrilachian Poets, a writing collective based in Lexington, Kentucky. She has served on the faculty and Board of the Cave Canem Foundation, where she shepherds younger poets in the spirit of her mentorship experience.


Awards and honors

*1999:
Kentucky Arts Council The Kentucky Arts Council, established in 1966, is the Kentucky state arts agency, and is responsible for developing and promoting support for the arts in Kentucky. Part of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, the Kentucky Arts Council ...
, Al Smith Fellowship *1999:
PEN/Beyond Margins Award PEN/Open Book (known as the Beyond Margins Award through 2009) is a program intended to foster racial and ethnic diversity within the literary and publishing communities, and works to establish access for diverse literary groups to the publishing i ...
, ''Rice'', New York City *2002: Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent, Chicago, Illinois *2002: Honorary Doctorate of Humanities,
Claflin University Claflin University is a private historically black university in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Founded in 1869 after the American Civil War by northern missionaries for the education of freedmen and their children, it offers bachelor's and master's ...
*2004: Benjamin Franklin Awards (Independent Booksellers Association), First Place for Poetry, ''The World Is Round'' *2011:
National Book Award for Poetry The National Book Award for Poetry is one of five annual National Book Awards, which are given by the National Book Foundation to recognize outstanding literary work by US citizens. They are awards "by writers to writers".
, ''Head Off & Split''"National Book Awards – 2011"
National Book Foundation The National Book Foundation (NBF) is an American nonprofit organization established, "to raise the cultural appreciation of great writing in America". Established in 1989 by National Book Awards, Inc.,Edwin McDowell. "Book Notes: 'The Joy Luc ...
. Retrieved April 8, 2012. (With acceptance speech, interview, reading, and other material.)
*2013: Induction into the South Carolina Academy of Authors


Works

*''On Wings Made of Gauze'', W. Morrow, 1985, *''Rice'', Sister Vision, 1995, * *''The World is Round'', InnerLight Pub., 2003, *''Head Off & Split: Poems'', Northwestern University Press, 2011, *''Lovechild’s Hot Bed of Occasional Poetry: Poems and Artifacts'', Northwestern University Press, 2020,


As editor

*


References


External links

*
Notable Kentucky African Americans

African American Studies Department UK

"Interview with: Nikky Finney"
''The Oxford American'', April 6, 2011 {{DEFAULTSORT:Finney, Nikky 1957 births 20th-century African-American women 20th-century African-American writers 21st-century African-American people 21st-century African-American women 21st-century African-American writers Affrilachian Poets African-American poets African-American women writers American poets American women academics American women poets Berea College faculty Clark Atlanta University alumni Kentucky women writers Living people National Book Award winners People from Conway, South Carolina Poets from South Carolina Talladega College alumni University of Kentucky faculty Women anthologists