Naomi Shihab Nye
The Jeanne Harris Hansell Endowed Fund for Poetry
Hosts its 6th Annual Presentation with
Naomi Shihab Nye
Acclaimed Poet and Author
Naomi Shihab Nye
Acclaimed Poet and Author
Wednesday, October 24
7 p.m. | Heller Auditorium
7 p.m. | Heller Auditorium
Free and open to the public
Reserve your seat here
Nye describes herself as a “wandering poet.” She has spent 40 years traveling the country and the world, leading writing workshops and inspiring students of all ages. Nye was born to a Palestinian father and an American mother and grew up in St. Louis, Jerusalem and San Antonio. Drawing on her Palestinian-American heritage, the cultural diversity of her home in Texas and her experiences traveling in Asia, Europe, Canada, Mexico and the Middle East, Nye uses her writing to attest to our shared humanity.
Nye is the author and/or editor of more than 30 volumes. Her books of poetry include 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East, A Maze Me: Poems for Girls, Red Suitcase, Words Under the Words, Fuel and You & Yours (a 2006 bestselling poetry book). She has also written essays, short stories, novels for young readers, picture books and several prize-winning poetry anthologies for young readers. Honeybee, her collection of poems for young adults, won the 2008 Arab American Book Award in the Children’s/Young Adult category. Her novel for children, The Turtle of Oman, was chosen as a Best Book of 2014 by The Horn Book and a 2015 Notable Children’s Book by the American Library Association and also awarded the 2015 Middle East Book Award for Youth Literature.
The Parker community and public at large are welcome to join us for a reading with award-winning Palestinian-American poet, writer, anthologist and educator Naomi Shihab Nye, followed by a Q&A and book signing.
Nye describes herself as a “wandering poet.” She has spent 40 years traveling the country and the world, leading writing workshops and inspiring students of all ages. Nye was born to a Palestinian father and an American mother and grew up in St. Louis, Jerusalem and San Antonio. Drawing on her Palestinian-American heritage, the cultural diversity of her home in Texas and her experiences traveling in Asia, Europe, Canada, Mexico and the Middle East, Nye uses her writing to attest to our shared humanity.
Nye is the author and/or editor of more than 30 volumes. Her books of poetry include 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East, A Maze Me: Poems for Girls, Red Suitcase, Words Under the Words, Fuel and You & Yours (a 2006 bestselling poetry book). She has also written essays, short stories, novels for young readers, picture books and several prize-winning poetry anthologies for young readers. Honeybee, her collection of poems for young adults, won the 2008 Arab American Book Award in the Children’s/Young Adult category. Her novel for children, The Turtle of Oman, was chosen as a Best Book of 2014 by The Horn Book and a 2015 Notable Children’s Book by the American Library Association and also awarded the 2015 Middle East Book Award for Youth Literature.
This event is made possible through a gift from the Hansell family. The Jeanne Harris Hansell Endowed Fund for Poetry, established in the name of Jeanne Harris Hansell ’45, will ensure continued success of the “Poetry at Parker” series, as well as allow the school to host renowned guest poets and speakers about poetry in years to come. Former Poet Laureate Billy Collins was Parker’s inaugural visiting poet in the 2012–13 academic year, followed by Nikky Finney, Louise Glück, Kevin Young and Joy Harjo.
Francis W. Parker School educates students to think and act with empathy, courage and clarity as responsible citizens and leaders in a diverse democratic society and global community.