Nikky Finney is the author of five books of poetry and a collection of short stories, including On Wings Made of Gauze, Rice, Heartwood, and her latest collection Lovechild’s Hot Bed of Occasional Poetry: Poems and Artifacts (Northwestern University Press, 2020). Born in South Carolina to activist parents, Finney came of age during the Civil Rights and Black Arts Movements, noting, “I’ve never been far away from the human-rights struggle black people have been involved with in the South. That has been one of the backdrops of my entire life.” Co-founder of the Affrilachian Poets group, Finney’s Head Off & Split was awarded the 2011 National Book Award for poetry.