monday poem #5: Naomi Shihab Nye, "Bright Needle Poked Through Dark Cloth"

[heresluck]

Recently I've been re-reading the poetry chapbooks I own, trying to reassure myself that people do in fact purchase and read chapbooks (even if they are only people as strange and geeky as myself). One of my favorites is Naomi Shihab Nye's little book called Mint (State Street Press, 1991), a collection of paragraphs. Yes, paragraphs. As Nye says

Comments

[rliz]

Oh, I'm very fond of that poem. And I'd got to hear her read from Mint about a year ago-- not that poem, unfortunately, but several others; and her young-adult novel Habibi, which is really very sweet and beautifully-written. (I think it was written intending to be marketed as a literary novel, but ended up being promoted as a YA novel? This happens. It must be frustrating.)

She has a wonderful voice.

[heresluck]

Ah, lucky you, getting to hear her read! I met her once, years ago -- this would have been '88 or so, I think -- but not in the context of a reading. This was back when Yellow Glove was still in print. I didn't have my copy with me and thus couldn't have her sign it. Which is just as well, I suppose, since my copy is now charred and ruin-y.

She does have a lovely voice.