Her staying power over half a century comes from a stream of acclaimed work, her proclivity for a punishing schedule of tours and readings, and a fearlessness born of not caring what foolish people think.
"The best thing you can do for yourself is to not pay attention," Giovanni said during a video interview from her home in Christiansburg, Va.
"People who pay attention all end up on drugs or alcohol, or crazy, or mean," she added. "You can't let people you don't know decide who you are."
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/16/books/nikki-giovanni-make-me-rain.html