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