"Those Who Ride the Night Winds" (1983) acknowledged black figures. Giovanni collected her essays in the 1988 volume "Sacred Cows ... and Other Edibles". Her more recent works include "Acolytes", a collection of 80 new poems, and "On My Journey Now". "Acolytes" is her first published volume since her 2003 "Collected Poems". The work is a celebration of love and recollection directed at friends and loved ones, and it recalls memories of nature, theater, and the glories of children. However, Giovanni's fiery persona still remains a constant undercurrent in "Acolytes", as some of the most serious verse links her own life struggles (being a black woman and a cancer survivor) to the wider frame of African-American history and the continual fight for equality.