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Naomi Shihab Nye
Thursday, June 9
Naomi Shihab Nye is a poet, essayist, children’s author, and songwriter. She was born to a Palestinian father and an American mother and grew up in St. Louis, Jerusalem, and San Antonio. Drawing on her Palestinian-American heritage, the cultural diversity of her home in Texas, and her experience traveling in many parts of the world including Asia and the Middle East, Nye uses her writing to attest to our shared humanity.
Nye is the author and/or editor of more then twenty volumes. Her books include 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East, and Fuel (poems); Never in a Hurry (a collection of essays); Habibi (a novel for young readers); and Lullaby Raft (a picture book). Her other works include a picture book, Baby Radar, and an anthology entitled Is For Forever, Or What?: Poems & Paintings from Texas (Greenwillow/HarperCollins). Her next book of poems, A Maze Me: Poems for Girls (Greenwillow/HarperCollins) will be published in April 2005.
Kenny Leon is co-founder and artistic director of True Colors Theatre Company and is a highly acclaimed director, actor, and producer. Leon had the privilege of directing two shows on Broadway last year: the Tony Award-winning revival of A Raisin in the Sun featuring Sean “P. Diddy” Combs and Phylicia Rashad, and August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean. He also directed an evening of readings at Tribeca Film Institute's All Access Open Stage, a year-round program that promotes artists of color in film and theater. Other directing credits include The Wiz (True Colors’ all-youth holiday production); Tambourines to Glory (True Colors in Atlanta and Washington, DC); Blue (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park); the world premiere of The Subject Tonight is Love (Alliance); Fences (True Colors); and Much Ado About Nothing (Georgia Shakespeare Festival). A graduate and honorary Ph.D. of Clark Atlanta University, Leon is very active in the community. He is a member of 100 Black Men of Atlanta and recently directed Snapshots: From A Decade of Directing American Theatre, a retrospective of his directorial work, for the DeKalb County School System. He was named one of the “Top 20 Southerners to Watch” by The Financial Times, and last May he was chosen as one of People Magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People.” In May 2005, Leon will direct the world premiere of Toni Morrison’s opera, Margaret Garner, featuring Denyce Graves and Jessye Norman, at the Detroit Opera House.
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