First published 2009
Nikki Giovanni builds on her 1997 collection LOVE POEMS with this new gathering of romantic verse. The poet has weathered profound changes since that earlier work. Her mother died. Her sister died. A gunman killed students at the university where Giovanni teaches. Life felt chaotic and uncertain. Then love returned to her world. Giovanni calls romantic connection the cure for despair. These poems explore physical desire, emotional bonds, and the restless heart that seeks another. Giovanni writes about race, violence, gender, and family with the same directness she brings to intimate relationships. The collection serves as a follow-up to LOVE POEMS, which expressed romantic feelings in unexpected ways. Giovanni has spent decades as both artist and activist, entertaining readers while challenging social injustice. Her voice has guided the nation through difficult periods. BICYCLES captures love in all its forms during a time when both the country and the poet faced crisis.
Genres: romance, african-american, poetry, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, lyrical
Tropes: found-family, love-story
109 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow
Content warnings: violence