As part of the Writers Reading series, Naomi Shihab Nye will read from her short-story collection “There Is No Long Distance Now” and her new volume of poetry, “Transfer,” on March 22 at 7:30 p.m. in Cox-Snow Recital Hall.
As the daughter of a Palestinian father and an American mother, Nye grew up in St. Louis and Jerusalem. Her unique perspective—resulting from her heritage, the cultural diversity of her current home in Texas and her travels in Asia, Europe, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America and the Middle East—has focused her writing on our shared humanity. After September 11, 2001, Nye has also acted as an advocate for Arab-Americans and has spoken out against terrorism and prejudice.
Nye has written many books of poetry, including “Tattooed Feet,” “You and Yours” and Fuel (1998), perhaps her most acclaimed volume.
She has also produced prose works, fiction for children, poetry and song recordings and poetry translations. Her writing has won many prizes and awards, including a Lavan Award from the Academy of American Poets and four Pushcart Prizes. Her collection of poems “19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East” was a finalist for the National Book Award.
This event was made possible by a grant from Humanities Iowa and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The reading is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Natalie Hutchinson, library director, at 641-628-5220 or hutchinsonn@central.edu.
