Nikki Giovanni is an American poet, writer, and professor born in 1943 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Some of her most famous poems include "Ego Tripping (Knoxville, Tennessee)" and children's poems like "The Sun Is So Quiet." She has received many awards for her poetry focusing on love, life, and social issues. Giovanni began writing in college and has been a professor at Virginia Tech since 1987, inspiring others with her insightful and moving work.