her work had on her readers. In 1968, Giovanni
self-published her first two books of poetry,
Black Feeling, Black TalkandBlack Judgement.
Her second book sold six thousand copies within
the first six months, with Giovanni distributing
the book in a limited area. In the 1973 essay
‘‘Fascinating Woman,’’ which focuses on Gio-
vanni’s poetry, Lorraine Dusky noted that ‘‘pub-
lishing houses consider a poetry book to be
doing well if it sells 2,500 copies in a year.’’ By
self-publishing her books, Giovanni had only
limited distribution contacts, and so her success
in selling so many books, almost 60 percent more
than were typically sold, was a remarkable
achievement. Clearly, she had already found a
supportive audience.
InRacism 101, Giovanni wrote that she self-
published her first books because she feared
rejection; however, rejection did not prove to
be a problem. By the time that she published
My Housein 1972, she was already a popular
and bestselling author. In a 2002 article about
Giovanni’s work, ‘‘Giovanni’s World,’’ Samiya
Bashir wrote that Giovanni’s readings of her
poetry ‘‘rivaled the popularity of Amiri Baraka,’’
the iconic poet and dramatist of the 1950s and
1960s. Giovanni’sMy Housecollection, accord-
ing to Bashir, ‘‘was a watershed with an unheard
of 50,000 copies, an unprecedented printing for a
black poet at the time [1972].’’ In 1973, Giovanni
staged a New York Philharmonic Hall celebra-
tion of her thirtieth birthday. Presenting both
readings and music, Giovanni entertained a
sold-out audience with her poetry.
Although there are no reviews of ‘‘Winter’’
orCotton Candy on a Rainy Day, it is possible to
judge Giovanni’s legacy as a poet by looking at
the reviews ofAcolytes, published in 2007. Eliz-
abeth Lund wrote in theChristian Science Mon-
itorthat Giovanni is both a cultural icon and a
poet of the people but that her reputation as a
household name can sometimes outshine her
poems. However, Lund found much to like in
this collection of poems. Many poems inSnowdrop flower(Image copyright Anette Linnea Rasmussen, 2009. Used under license from Shutterstock.com)
Winter