From The Writers Almanac: Its the birthday of poet and fiction author Naomi Shihab Nye, born in St. Louis, Missouri (1952). Her father was Palestinian, and her mother was American. Nye grew up in St. Louis, Ramallah, Jerusalem, and San Antonio, Texas. She began writing poetry almost as soon as she learned to write, and shes always been interested in the intersections of different cultures. Her work is often inspired by her Mexican-American neighbors in San Antonio, where she still lives. Since the 9/11 attacks, she has become an outspoken advocate for Arab Americans. Her latest book is a collection of very short stories: There is No Long Distance Now (2011). She said: Poetry calls us to pause. There is so much we overlook, while the abundance around us continues to shimmer, on its own.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 12:45:26 +0000