Make Me Rain: Poems & Prose

Written by Nikki Giovanni

Narrated by Nikki Giovanni

An extraordinary listening experience! Hear Nikki Giovanni read from her newest collection of poems!

One of America’s most celebrated poets challenges us with this powerful and deeply personal collection of verse that speaks to the injustices of society while illuminating the depths of her own heart.

For more than fifty years, Nikki Giovanni’s poetry has dazzled and inspired readers. As sharp and outspoken as ever, she returns with this profound book of poetry in which she continues to call attention to injustice and racism, celebrate Black culture and Black lives, and and give readers an unfiltered look into her own experiences.

In Make Me Rain, she celebrates her loved ones and unapologetically declares her pride in her Black heritage, while exploring the enduring impact of the twin sins of racism and white nationalism. Giovanni reaffirms her place as a uniquely vibrant and relevant American voice with poems such as “I Come from Athletes” and “Rainy Days”—calling out segregation and Donald Trump; as well as “Unloved (for Aunt Cleota)” and “”When I Could No Longer”—her personal elegy for the relatives who saved her from an abusive home life. 

Stirring, provocative, and resonant, the poems in Make Me Rain pierce the heart and nourish the soul. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Oct 20, 2020
• ISBN: 9780062999634

Nikki Giovanni

Nikki Giovanni (1943–2024), poet, activist, mother, grandmother, and educator, grew up in Tennessee and Ohio and graduated with honors from Fisk University in Nashville. The author of over thirty books, she was also the recipient of seven NAACP Image Awards, the Langston Hughes Medal for Outstanding Poetry, the Frost Medal, as well as thirty-one honorary degrees and an Emmy Award. She garnered her most unusual honor in 2007 when a South American bat species—Micronycteris giovanniae—was named in celebration of her. A devoted teacher and honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., she spent thirty-five years as University Distinguished Professor of English at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Reviews for Make Me Rain

[Rachel Matthews · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this! Hearing these words in Giovanni's voice just felt like balm for the soul. She made some of the darkest stains on America's history somehow beautiful with her seasoned, somewhat world-weary, melancholy tone.

There is a wonderful sense of humour on display here too. The piece where she talked about men's appendages disappearing due to being 'useless organs' - ha! I howled! This is the first collection from this author I have read but it certainly won't be the last.

[Ovie Dixon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Liked every minute of this great poets words. Couldn't have asked for more

[anna · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My favorite book of Giovanni so far, she’s outspoken and political here, telling things as they are.

[thornton37814 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this collection of poems. So much reminded me of simpler times. Recurring themes involved quilts, soup, and the culture of African-ancestored people. There are a few short prose pieces in the mix, but they are short. The overwhelming majority of the work showcases Giovanni's lovely poetic style.

[greeniezona · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have been a Nikki Giovanni fan for decades, and I was just as delighted by this collection as I expected to be. "A Short Bio of Nikki Giovanni" in particular sent me all-caps shouting onto social media immediately. I love her because she writes about the Struggle, but also about coziness and family and food and dreams. And yeah that includes anger sometimes, too, but always in a way that feels grounded.

I LOVE HER.

[booklover217 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"What sadness it brings that we no longer sit on front porches and call to each other. What terrible sadness it is that we want the folk who purchased us to like us. We have to like ourselves. We have to love each other."

This is exactly the book that I needed today. I devoured it in one sitting. At one point I was listening to neo-soul while reading "We Write" and just started crying because there was so much validation. It gave me the itch to pick up the pen and put voice to some of my emotions again. In Make Me Rain, Nikki Giovanni is raw and honest and calls out racism and white nationalism. She unapologetically declares her love for Black culture, history and people. She reminds us of what we have overcome and gives gentle warnings of how we reclaim ourselves.

She pierced my heart with her words and transparency about her own experiences. This book of poems was the hug from my ancestors I needed today. What a blessing it is to be able to have Giovanni's words to turn to on a cloudy day like today. I will revisit this one often because I'm still deep in thought about this collection. Please read this one at least once in your lifetrime. It released in paperback earlier this week. Nikki Giovanni deserves all the flowers and then some. Thanks to @williammorrowbooks and @tlcbooktours for the gifted copy.

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