Specialty Post #4...Rational for Nikki Giovanni Answers..

The rational for question 1 appeared on Wikipedia.org, Nikki was quoted in saying "she has never felt anything like the love for her son"(when he was born). That is what i based my answer off of because i think it shows the value of her family and not of a spouse. Question 2 i got the rational from our text book Literature for Composition(page 751). In her poem Love in Place, Nikki explains that she doesn't remember falling in love and so that is why i gave the answer of her not being able to recall because it's like how can you recall and event that never took place in your life. For question 3, it came from the biography on her website nikkigiovanni.com. She says "my focus is on individuality,specifically, on the power one has to make a difference in oneself", and I felt like she thinks marriage or being endulgent in love strips a person from their individuality and self-thought.
For question4, this came from the book also in her poem Love in Place. In lines 5-9, she says" I know i must have fallen in love once because i quit biting my cuitcles and my hair is gray and that must indicate something and i all of a sudden had a deeper appreciation for Billie Holiday and Billy Strayhorn so if it wasnt love i dont what it was". From that i inferred that she is basically saying when you switch up your daily routines, signs of stress(like gray hair), and appreciate love songs, you must be in love and making alterations to fit that love. Question 5, came directly from a quote in her peom"Nikki Rosa". I watched the video of her reading this poem and it is about the relationship between love and wealth, she is reflecting on how much love she was surrounded by as a child, despite her poverty. Despite her poverty, she was always happy because she was loved. I inferred that maybe if society put more love in the air instead of violence and death and filth, people would be much happier and not so dark.
Although, i do not have much rational for question 6, i basically made an assumption because of how she explains the unconditional love for her son, which is ultimately tied to the rational for question 1. For question 7, that came from a direct quote of hers about her overcoming her cancer. Question 9 cam from wikipedia.org, she says "marriage is an institution that is inhospitable to women and would never play a role in her life".

Works Cited:::
{1}Barnet, Sylvan, William Burto, and William E. Cain. Literature for Composition. 8th ed. Pearson and Longman, 2007. 751-752.

{2}"Nikki Giovanni Biography." Nikki Giovanni.Com. 2003. 25 Feb. 2008 .

{3}"Nikki Giovanni." Wikipedia. 25 Feb. 2008 .

{4}Nikki Rosa. Perf. Nikki Giovanni. 2003. Nikki Giovanni. 26 Feb. 2008 .

The Love Interview:Nikki Giovanni

The assignment was to interview Nikki Giovanni, these answers are inferred from my own perspective from her works, poems, and books and are not fully accurate.

Ms. Interviewer: O.k first question, what does the term "love" mean to you?
-- Well the term love does not mean to just be married and have a relationship with somebody because i think marriage is inhospitable to women but love is something like a bond, something that can't be broken or taken away. Like the love for my son that i have, that will never be broken or taken away.
Ms.Interviewer: Great. what are some of the positive things about being in love?
--To be perfectly honest, i dont think i have ever been in loveand i dont think that i can explain the feelings of being in love and I have been in love once MAYBE but i can not recall.
Ms.Interviewer: What are some of the negative things?
--I think in a sense of individuality and i think a women should be able to be alone and still be happy and i think love makes a human being more vulnerable and dependent on another person. I think that marriage is like i said before inhospitable to women and we should be able to be individuals and life should not be based on marriage.
Ms.Interviewer: How do you know when you are in love?
--When you follow a routine everyday and then you find that when you meet somebody new and everything you are use to doing is altered i think you are in love and your mind and body are consumed in being in love.
Ms.Interviewer: How important is love to life and/or society?
--Honestly, i dont think that love is important to society except that growing up i was much loved and i think being loved as a child shapes the kind of person you will be as an adult no matter the circumstances(poverty, abuse, etc.).

Ms.Interviewer: If you've never been in love, why do you write poems based on love?

--Just because I have never given my heart to a man does not mean i haven't been in love, I felt unconditional love when i held my son and when i was younger my parents would do anything for me and thats the kind of love i show my child. I love my students whom I have been teaching at Virginia tech since 1987. Society has made love to be just between couples; love can be with mothers, daughters, friends, etc.

Ms.Interviewer: Do you think a near death experience made you love life and cherish it more?

--No, heck no, if it takes a near-death experience for you to appreciate life, you're wasting somebody's time.

Ms.Interviewer:Do you feel lonely because you do not have a husband or other half to complete you?

--No, the key to life is independence. Women do not need men to complete them, women can do more alone then they can do with a man or some "other half", you only have the power to make a difference in yourself.

Ms.Interviewer: So, do you think you will ever marry?

--It'll be somewhat of a miracle, not to say i do not believe in love, but it{marriage} would never play a role in my life. I have accomplished a lot in my lifetime and I do not want to be held back.

Specialty Post #2- Our Song and Image....((AMY WINEHOUSE in the HOUSE))

They tried to make me go to rehab but I said 'no, no, no' Yes I've been bad but when I come back you'll know know know I ain't got the time and if my daddy thinks I'm fine He's tried to make me go to rehab but I won't go go go I'd rather be at home with ray I ain't got seventy days Cuz there's nothing There's nothing you can teach me That I can't learn from mr hathaway I didn't get a lot in class But I know it don't come in a shot glass They tried to make me go to rehab but I said 'no, no, no' Yes I've been black but when I come back you'll know know know I ain't got the time and if my daddy thinks I'm fine He's tried to make me go to rehab but I won't go go go The man said 'why do you think you here' I said 'I got no idea' 'I'm gonna, I'm gonna lose my baby So I always keep a bottle near' He said 'I just think your depressed, This me "Yeah, baby, and the rest" They tried to make me go to rehab but I said 'no, no, no' Yes I've been black but when I come back you'll know know know... I don't never wanna drink again I just ooooh I just need a friend I'm not gonna spend ten weeks Have everyone think I'm on the mend It's not just my pride It's just til these tears have dried They tried to make me go to rehab, but I said 'no no no'Yes I've been black, but when I come back you'll know know knowI ain't got the time and if my daddy thinks I'm fineThey tried to make me go to rehab but I won't go go go

Above are the lyrics of Amy Winehouses' song "Rehab". The song is basically about her and not wanting to attend rehab because basically she's going to lose her baby. It talks of depression and drug use, but in the midst of her realization she still does not want to attend rehab. This song was the first song that came to mind when the assignment was explained in class because she is singing about her personal depressions and whats making her want to sing this song and share it to the world. The song also has a slow and mello tone with a hint of blues and jazz to it. I think that since blues music was used to exert frustration, sadness and depression, thats what Amy Winehouse did in this song also.

The image I chose was of the Promises Celebrity Rehab center in Malibu. I found this picture under google and the reason I chose it because when I think of rehab, I usually think of a gloomy, dark place. The Promises Center is very clean and happy looking. It makes one think hmm " why wouldn't Amy want to go there?" I think that inevitably people who say no to rehab are usually in fear of what they see in the media, but this center seems a little more inviting and I think with the song and image together a different story can be told.

BRAINSTORM:

NEW IDEAS:

• Maybe if Amy would have examined this center more closely she would have chosen it.


• Since I read her biography, I think it would have been nice for Amy to escape to some sunshine and happiness.

So far that is all I can really think of!!