Yolande Cornelia "Nikki" Giovanni, Jr. (Nikki Giovanni) Quotes
My work is a part of me and I know it. I have no reason to try to pick one part of me out from the rest. I only see my work, or rather I should say I see my work only telling my part of the human experience.
Quotes to Explore
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I collect handkerchiefs. I know that's sort of old-timey, but my mom started the collection for me, and now I have a bunch. Basically, I have a myriad of beautiful handkerchiefs, and I carry them like a grandmother in my purse. And I opt for hankies in any situation.
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It was such a lovely day I thought it a pity to get up.
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I fought the best; I've never been afraid of anyone.
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And there is no trade or employment but the young man following it may become a hero.
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I began the process of recording myself seriously in the fall of 1999. If I could finish an album of my own music, I would. Five years later I am happy to say I have.
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The gruesomeness of 'Death Line' was an absolute necessity for me to bring up the political content of the film. I wanted to show how devastating class distinction could be.
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I have pictures of me sitting in the racquetball court in my pajamas with an acoustic guitar, and Wolfgang is probably just two-and-a-half-feet tall. I'll never forget the day I saw his foot tapping along in beat! I knew then, I couldn't wait for the day I'd be able to make music with my son. I don't know what more I could ask for.
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Our critics would love nothing more for us to go away and just be quiet. And we won't give them that satisfaction. We have young children that, one day, when they understand more of what's happened and what's transpired, we wanna be able to say to them, you know, we did our best. And we told the truth.
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It's funny; people get so doctrinaire about music. It should be the last thing you don't have an open mind about.
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We wish to ensure that young Africans do not feel disorientated in the century in which they live.
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We are all human beings, and our nationality is simply an accident of birth.
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I remember before the Olympics, I was asked, 'What do you think you're going to do in the Olympics?' and I said, 'I'm hoping I'm going to win a medal, and, if possible, it's going to be a gold one.'
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Everything I do is blown out of proportion. It really hurts my feelings.
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When I became a published writer, I said, 'Whatever I can do to help the libraries I want to do,' so all of my book tours since then have involved me coming to a library and talking about how important libraries are for a community.
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In the Senate, there is a wide spectrum of views on foreign policy.
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We are ready for any unforeseen event that may or may not occur.
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When I was in university, my dream was to be a coach, like a high school track coach. Not to teach.
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My mother gave me a push. If I hadn't had her, maybe I wouldn't have had the push. If I hadn't gone to military school, maybe I wouldn't have decided to get with the program. Maybe I'd be running a bulldozer, rather than going on and doing something more.
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A mediocre idea that generates enthusiasm will go further than a great idea that inspires no one.
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When a king speaks, the armies move. But when a wise man speaks, only the beard shakes.
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I would love to see Mr. (Henry) Ford in there, really. I don't know who started the idea that a President must be a Politician instead of a Business man. A Politician can't run any other kind of business. So there is no reason why he can run the U.S. That's the biggest single business in the World.
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What I'm trying to do is make music that people relate to, that talks about ideas that are personal but also make that connection to trying to make revolutionary change, and I don't need to change my music to get to a certain audience.
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I am as vulnerable and fragile as it is possible to be. I am shredded to the core. I am at the point where I am stripped bare.
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My work is a part of me and I know it. I have no reason to try to pick one part of me out from the rest. I only see my work, or rather I should say I see my work only telling my part of the human experience.
