Trailing Smoke of Stories

1. Trailing Smoke of Stories “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.” ~Naomi Shihab Nye~ Dana Rafferty, Christina Yerdon, Meagan Davis, Nicky Fraebel

2. Biography

3. 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

4. Style • Imagery (visual, kinesthetic, organic, auditory…) • Words flow like a storyteller • Metaphors • Repetition

5. Theme • Culture-clash • Religion • Death • Fear • Unity

6. 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.

7. “Naomi Shihab Nye, is an American, an Arab, a Poet, a parent, a woman of Texas, a woman of ideas.” Interview with Bill Moyers… “Hidden” 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…”

8. We Agree • Woman of ideas • Comforting • Great poet – writes about every day things

9. WeDisagree • Superiority • Boring for this day and age • Doesn’t evoke emotion

10. Influence in Poetry “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?’”

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

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

13. 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

14. “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.”