High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Nikky Finney (born Lynn Carol Finney on August 26, 1957 in Conway, South Carolina) is an award-winning American poet, and the Provost’s Distinguished Service Professor of English at the University of Kentucky. An alumna of Talladega College, and author of four books of poetry and a short story cycle, Finney’s commitment to social justice and cultural preservation is revealed through the themes of her work. Her numerous honors include the 2011 National Book Award for Head Off & Split.