“Lessons for the End of the World” by Hanif Abdurraqib

Nikki Giovanni signs a copy of “Black Judgement” for Hanif Abdurraqib on Saturday, June 11, 2022.

Nikki Giovanni signing Hanif’s copy of “Black Judgement” on Saturday, June 11, 2022.

Nikki Giovanni signs a copy of “Black Judgement” for Hanif Abdurraqib on Saturday, June 11, 2022.

Nikki Giovanni and Hanif Abdurraqib on Saturday, June 11, 2022.

Today (Sunday, February 2, 2025), The New Yorker published an essay by writer Hanif Abdurraqib called “Lessons for the End of the World” which mentions a moment I was truly honored to capture on June 11, 2022. He asked Nikki Giovanni to sign an old copy of a poetry book he owned, and she quickly looked through it, and obliged.

Naturally, Hanif wrote about the moment more beautifully than I ever could and an excerpt of his essay can be found below. A few of the images I made of them together after Giovanni’s performance with Javon Jackson can be found above.

Her death is a massive loss and I am so grateful that I was hired to document this evening two years ago for BAM and I will forever remember how effortlessly funny she was that night.