The Sweet Briar College International Writers Series will conclude with a visit from Palestinian poet Naomi Shihab Nye, who will deliver a lecture and reading, respectively, on Wednesday and Thursday, April 7 and 8 at the Florence Elston Conference Center. The 8 p.m. events are free and open to the public.
The International Writers Series presents acclaimed writers from around the world for lectures, readings, and informal discussions. The series highlights authors who, through their work and their lives, bear eloquent testimony to the power and independence of art. The 2003-'04 series has included visits from Salman Rushdie, Caryl Phillips, Christina Garcia, Ken Wiwa, and Adam Zagajewski.
Nye - a poet, essayist, children's author, and songwriter - was born to a Palestinian father and an American mother and grew up in St. Louis, Jerusalem, and San Antonio. Drawing on her heritage, the cultural diversity of her Texas home, and experiences traveling in Asia and the Middle East, Nye uses her writing to attest to our shared humanity.
She is the author of more than 20 volumes including "19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East," "Fuel," "Never in a Hurry," and "Lullaby Raft." Nye is now working on a picture book, "Baby Radar," and a novel for teens, "Florrie Will Do It."
For 28 years, Nye has worked as a visiting writer in schools. She was a Guggenheim Fellow for 1997 and 1998, as well as a Wittner Bynner Fellow (Library of Congress) for 2000. She has received a Lavan Award from the Academy of American Poets, four Pushcart Prizes, and awards and citations for children's literature including two Jane Addams Children's Book Awards. She has been featured on two PBS poetry specials: "The Language of Life with Bill Moyers" and "The United States of Poetry."
Nye currently lives in San Antonio with her husband, photographer Michael Nye, and their teenage son.
For more information, contact Shannon Wells, SBC media relations coordinator, (434) 381-6388, or visit
www.sbc.edu/worldwriters. The series is sponsored by the SBC Lectures and Events Committee and its Creative Writing program.
