Trailing Smoke of Stories~Naomi Shihab Nye~

Dana Rafferty, Christina Yerdon, Meagan Davis, Nicky Fraebel

“For me the primary source of poetry has always been local life,

random characters met on the streets, our own ancestry sifting

down to us through small essential daily tasks.”

Biography

• Born - March 12, 1952 • Half Palestinian and half American • St. Louis, Jerusalem, San Diego• B.A. English and world religions• “Wandering poet” – Storyteller• Songs and novels along with poems• Married 1978

Style

• Imagery (visual, kinesthetic, organic, auditory…)

• Words flow like a storyteller

• Metaphors

• Repetition

• Culture-clash• Religion• Death• Fear• Unity

Theme

Review by Brad Bostian…“These talents are

wonderful, but they’re

the powers of someone

with a superior eye and

tongue.” “As with most collections, Fuel is too long, and sometimes quite ordinary.

This tendency to get watered down by saying too much comes with the age we live in, but doesn’t become a sage.”

She is courteous, even

ladylike, but equally

bold in thought.

“Naomi Shihab Nye, is an American, an Arab, a Poet, a parent, a woman of Texas, a woman of ideas.”

Interview with Bill Moyers…

Moyers found comfort

in her poetry while in

the hospital.“Her poems speak of ordinary things – things we take for granted until it’s too late…”

“Hidden”

We Agree• Woman of ideas

• Comforting

• Great poet – writes about every day things

We Disagree• Superiority

• Boring for this day and age

• Doesn’t evoke emotion

“My German-American grandmother gave me a powder puff that when tapped 30 years

later, still emits a small mysterious cloud. My Palestinian grandmother gave me a laugh

and a tilt of the head. My Great uncle Paul gave me a complete sewing kit, 100 years old and 1 inch tall.

Whenever people have asked, ‘Where do you get ideas to write about?’ I wonder, ‘Where

do you not?’”

Influence in Poetry

• How does the poet’s gender/life experiences/cultural background influence his or her poetry (3-4 slides)

• http://www.forpoetry.com/Archive/review_naomi_shihab_nye.htm

Pictures I used

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.uncoverage.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/american-flag-2a11.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.uncoverage.net/2010/03/haiti-bans-american-flag-obama-approves/&usg=__TTmqZPMm1c2UeuQeLF8xSvrCA-8=&h=480&w=640&sz=55&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=HXYlGLwl61xuFM:&tbnh=125&tbnw=161&ei=ne5KTZ-FHpLegQezwoT4Dw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Damerican%2Bflag%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1148%26bih%3D663%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1&iact=rc&oei=ne5KTZ-FHpLegQezwoT4Dw&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0&tx=57&ty=23

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.uncoverage.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/american-flag-2a11.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.uncoverage.net/2010/03/haiti-bans-american-flag-obama-approves/&usg=__TTmqZPMm1c2UeuQeLF8xSvrCA-8=&h=480&w=640&sz=55&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=HXYlGLwl61xuFM:&tbnh=125&tbnw=161&ei=ne5KTZ-FHpLegQezwoT4Dw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Damerican%2Bflag%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1148%26bih%3D663%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1&iact=rc&oei=ne5KTZ-FHpLegQezwoT4Dw&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0&tx=57&ty=23

“My German-American grandmother gave me a powder puff that when tapped 30 years later, still emits a small mysterious cloud. My Palestinian grandmother gave me a laugh and a tilt of the head. My Great uncle Paul gave me a complete sewing kit, 100 years old and 1 inch tall.Whenever people have asked, ‘Where do you get ideas to write about?’ I wonder, ‘Where do you not?’”

“For me the primary source of poetry has always been local life, random characters met on the streets, our own ancestry sifting down to us through small essential daily tasks.”