SHIMMER

I opened my Writer's Almanac today even though I didn't have time to read it, really...and this was waiting for me.

I had the honor of writing with Naomi when I was a child at Satori. Days of finding a place to be still, to find quiet, to see what words would come out if you gave them the time and a blank piece of paper. She was a wonderful soul, peaceful, encouraging.

So, Happy Birthday Naomi - thank you for gifting me a passion for writing.

Today is the 60th birthday of poet and fiction author Naomi Shihab Nye (books by this author), born in St. Louis, Missouri (1952). Her father was Palestinian, and her mother was American. Nye grew up in St. Louis, Ramallah, Jerusalem, and San Antonio, Texas. She began writing poetry almost as soon as she learned to write, and she's always been interested in the intersections of different cultures. Her work is often inspired by her Mexican-American neighbors in San Antonio, where she still lives. Since the 9/11 attacks, she has become an outspoken advocate for Arab-Americans. Her latest book is a collection of very short stories: There is No Long Distance Now (2011).

She said, "Poetry calls us to pause. There is so much we overlook, while the abundance around us continues to shimmer, on its own."