Considered one of the world’s greatest living poets, Nikki Giovanni carved out a revolutionary legacy during the civil rights era with poems that uplifted the experiences of Black Americans. Decades later, Nikki’s writing and interviews have grown increasingly personal, offering insight into her childhood, health struggles and thoughts on growing older. She shares her story in the new documentary, “Going To Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project.” Nikki tells Tom about being involved in the birth of hip-hop, why artists should go to space, and how she packed a club of 100 people, including guests like Morgan Freeman and Nina Simone.
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Tonya Williams: The Young and the Restless, Reelworld Film Festival, and her barrier-breaking work
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Fred Nguyen Khan: The Sympathizer, training with Shaolin monks, and acting in Vietnamese for the first time
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Alex Garland on his new film Civil War + Hamza Haq on how Transplant saved his career
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Mike Post on writing some of TV’s greatest theme songs + Joel Plaskett’s new spoken word piece
Ian Williams on courageous conversations, cancel culture and taking risks + Magdalene Odundo on her life in clay
Rudy Mancuso: Música and what it’s like living with synesthesia
Dawn Landes: The Liberated Women’s Songbook and the history of women’s activism through music
Joan Baez: Folk music, “Bobby” Dylan, and what it means to have an honest legacy
Brendan Healy: The Inheritance, learning from the past, and how to stage an epic seven-hour play
Guillaume Côté on retiring from the National Ballet of Canada + TOBi on his big Junos wins
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Ani DiFranco: Hadestown and her new chapter on Broadway
Mary Elizabeth Winstead: A Gentleman in Moscow, Ahsoka, and Scott Pilgrim
Shakira on the resilience behind her new album + Zehra Naqvi on her debut poetry collection
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