One of America’s foremost poets, Nikki Giovanni has received many awards, including seven NAACP Image Awards and the Langston Hughes Award for Distinguished Contributions to Arts and Letters. Giovanni has published numerous collections of poetry, from her first self-published volume Black Feeling Black Talk (1968) to New York Times best-seller Bicycles: Love Poems (2009), several works of nonfiction and children’s literature, and recordings, including the Emmy-nominated The Nikki Giovanni Poetry Collection (2004). Her most recent publications include Make Me Rain: Poems and Prose (2020), and, as editor, The 100 Best African American Poems (2010). Giovanni has taught at Rutgers University, Ohio State University, and Virginia Tech, where she is a Distinguished Professor.

Composer, multimedia artist, and writer Paul D. Miller (aka DJ Spooky) immerses audiences in a blend of genres, global culture, and environmental and social issues. Miller has collaborated with an array of recording artists, including Metallica, Chuck D, Steve Reich, and Yoko Ono. His 2018 album DJ Spooky Presents: Phantom Dancehall debuted at #3 on Billboard Reggae. He is an Editor-at-Large for the Brooklyn Rail.