naomi shihab nye born: march 12, 1952 in st. louis, missouri arab/american background- specifically...
TRANSCRIPT
Naomi Shihab Nye
• Born: March 12, 1952 in St. Louis, Missouri
• Arab/American background- specifically half Palestinian and American
• Has moved many times throughout her lifetime
• First poem was published when she was seven in a children's magazine
• Also a songwriter and novelist
• Wrote a realistic fiction teen novel entitled Habibi that is about her experiences from moving from St. Louis to Palestine
“To Any Would-Be Terrorists”
• Letter Nye wrote to “terrorists” but did not send
• Referring to 9/11
• Suggests that the terrorists should speak to children, grandparents, and worship a non-violent religion in order to change their views on life and Americans
• Overall letter shows how peaceful of a person Nye is
Total of 30 different types of written works
Has won a variety of awards
Award winning works include “Hugging the Jukebox”, Sitti’s Secrets, Habibi, and “19 Varieties of Gazelle”
Elected to the bored of Chancellors of the Academy of American Poets in 2010
Achievements
Now
59 years old
Lives in San Antonio, Texas
Columnist for Organica
Poetry editor for the Texas Observer