I just found out that the poet Nikki Giovanni taught Cho in 2005, and was so alarmed by his behaviour that she asked guards at the US campus to watch over her when he was in class.
According to The Sun, “She said his writing contained images of murder and rape. His work was so nightmarish that, after he recited his poetry, just seven out of 70 students attended the next lecture. Nikki said of Cho: “It was the meanness that bothered me. It was a really mean streak.”
Oh come on America, get a f***ing grip. I haven’t seen Cho’s poetry, but from what I’ve seen of Cho’s playwriting, I’d say Nikki had a bad day at the office when she didn’t spot that Cho was an angry, rational, controlled young writer.
Filed under: Cho Seung-Hui, Conceptual Writing, Creative Writing, Nikki Giovanni, Teaching, Teaching Creative Writing
