Post by madanie35 on May 20, 2012 21:08:51 GMT -5
Good Evening. Naomi Shihab Nye was born March 12, 1952 in St. Louis, Missouri to an American mother and Palestinian father. She grew up in San Antonio, TX and refers to that city as her home. Unlike some poets who were inspired to write poetry at an older, more mature age, Nye has been writing poems since she was a little girl. However it was during her teenage years when her poetry received a deeper message, inspired by her visiting her Palestinian grandmother when she was 14. She received a whole different perspective on poetry. Many of her works since then related back to her Palestinian roots, as well as her experiences as an Arab-American.
Nye has written many books of poetry. Some of her volumes have received prestigious awards: her book, You and Yours, won the Isabella Gardner Poetry award. Some of her other prominent works such as, 19 Varieties of a Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East, Red Suitcase, and Hugging the Jukebox. The majority of her poetry has to do with conflict in the Middle East. As a matter of fact, in many of her poems she attempts to promote world peace. Particularly, she focuses on the dispute between the Palestinians and the Israeli.
More recently, her works have been dedicated to her father, Aziz Shihab, who passed away. Her beloved father, writer, and journalist had a huge impact on her life, as well as her poetry. Her book, Transfer, alludes to the life of her father and the journey all people take when they die. She entitles her book “Transfer”, because she uses the word “transfer” to describe the stage between life and death. The poems in this book refer to her father’s very own “transfer”. She even merges some of her father’s writing into her own poems to create a spiritual connection with the life of her father. It also portrays her family’s eviction from Jerusalem by the Israeli government. In addition, it portrays the turmoil and violence that continue to go on in Israel between the Israeli and the Palestinians. It shows the present-day conflict of her people.
Nye has also received awards from the Carity Randall Prize, the Texas Institute of Letters, and the International Poetry Forum. She was also given the Lavan Award from the Academy of American Poets. Many of her poems and short stories have been featured in published works throughout America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. In 2010, she was selected as a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets.
In addition to her laudations and accomplishments as a poet, Nye has traveled to the Middle East on several occasions in order to promote international goodwill and world peace through the arts.
Nye’s works and accomplishments have proven her to be one of the world’s most remarkable poets. Poet Willam Stafford said “her poems combine transcendent liveliness and sparkle along with warmth and human insight. She is a champion of the literature of encouragement and heart. Reading her work enhances life."
Thank you all for coming out tonight. It is now my pleasure to introduce Naomi Shihab Nye.
Word Count: 520
Nye has written many books of poetry. Some of her volumes have received prestigious awards: her book, You and Yours, won the Isabella Gardner Poetry award. Some of her other prominent works such as, 19 Varieties of a Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East, Red Suitcase, and Hugging the Jukebox. The majority of her poetry has to do with conflict in the Middle East. As a matter of fact, in many of her poems she attempts to promote world peace. Particularly, she focuses on the dispute between the Palestinians and the Israeli.
More recently, her works have been dedicated to her father, Aziz Shihab, who passed away. Her beloved father, writer, and journalist had a huge impact on her life, as well as her poetry. Her book, Transfer, alludes to the life of her father and the journey all people take when they die. She entitles her book “Transfer”, because she uses the word “transfer” to describe the stage between life and death. The poems in this book refer to her father’s very own “transfer”. She even merges some of her father’s writing into her own poems to create a spiritual connection with the life of her father. It also portrays her family’s eviction from Jerusalem by the Israeli government. In addition, it portrays the turmoil and violence that continue to go on in Israel between the Israeli and the Palestinians. It shows the present-day conflict of her people.
Nye has also received awards from the Carity Randall Prize, the Texas Institute of Letters, and the International Poetry Forum. She was also given the Lavan Award from the Academy of American Poets. Many of her poems and short stories have been featured in published works throughout America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. In 2010, she was selected as a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets.
In addition to her laudations and accomplishments as a poet, Nye has traveled to the Middle East on several occasions in order to promote international goodwill and world peace through the arts.
Nye’s works and accomplishments have proven her to be one of the world’s most remarkable poets. Poet Willam Stafford said “her poems combine transcendent liveliness and sparkle along with warmth and human insight. She is a champion of the literature of encouragement and heart. Reading her work enhances life."
Thank you all for coming out tonight. It is now my pleasure to introduce Naomi Shihab Nye.
Word Count: 520