19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East [Hardcover]

Naomi Shihab Nye (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

"Tell me how to live so many lives at once ..."

Fowzi, who beats everyone at dominoes; Ibtisam, who wanted to be a doctor; Abu Mahmoud, who knows every eggplant and peach in his West Bank garden; mysterious Uncle Mohammed, who moved to the mountain; a girl in a red sweater dangling a book bag; children in velvet dresses who haunt the candy bowl at the party; Baba Kamalyari, age 71; Mr. Dajani and his swans; Sitti Khadra, who never lost her peace inside.

Maybe they have something to tell us.

Naomi Shihab Nye has been writing about being Arab-American, about Jerusalem, about the West Bank, about family all her life. These new and collected poems of the Middle East -- sixty in all -- appear together here for the first time.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

As she grieved over the "huge shadow [that] had been cast across the lives of so many innocent people and an ancient culture's pride" after September 11, 2001, poet and author Naomi Shihab Nye's natural response was to write, to grasp "onto details to stay afloat." Accordingly, Nye has gathered over four dozen of her own poems about the Middle East and about being an Arab American living in the United States. Devoted followers of the award-winning and beloved poet will recognize some of their favorites from her earlier collections (The Space Between Our Footsteps: Poems and Paintings from the Middle East, etc.), while absorbing themselves in her new haunting and evocative poems. Nye writes of figs and olives, fathers' blessings and grandmothers' hands that "recognize grapes, / and the damp shine of a goat's new skin." She writes of Palestinians, living and dead, of war, and of peace. Readers of all ages will be profoundly moved by the vitality and hope in these beautiful lines from Nye's heart. (Ages 9 to adult) --Emilie Coulter

From Publishers Weekly

Beginning with a work inspired by the events of September 11, Naomi Shihab Nye brings together 60 of her poems in 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East including "Different Ways to Pray," "The Palestinians Have Given Up Parties" and "Football." Many of the poems, which focus on the Middle East and the Arab-American experience, have appeared in previous collections; others are published here for the first time. An excellent way to invite exploration and discussion of events far away and their impact here at home.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 142 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books; 1 edition (April 16, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060097655
• ISBN-13: 978-0060097653
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #304,893 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #11 in Books > Children's Books > History > Middle East
  • #49 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Explore the World > Middle East

More About the Author

Naomi Shihab Nye, poet, essayist, anthologist, has been a recipient of writing fellowships from the Lannan Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation and the Witter Bynner Foundation/Library of Congress. Author of more than twenty volumes, her recent books inc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "There's a place in this brain where hate won't grow.", September 15, 2002

By 

S. Brooks "sbrooks" (NH United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East (Hardcover)

This collection is a perfect example of the ability of a gifted poet to communicate difficult truths simply. Each piece is a work of art and sings in the voices of immigrants and immigrants' children and with the rhythms of life in the Middle East. This is a fantastic book in its own right and a great introduction to the talent and skill of Naomi Shihab Nye.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars subtle stories, April 22, 2002

By 

brigid o'shaughnessy (San Francisco, California United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East (Hardcover)

this book was recommended to me by a friend, so i wasn't sure what to expect. i am really glad to have bought it, the poems are like little stories someone tells you on the porch while it's getting dark. very vivid, i felt as if i knew these people...fathers, mothers, grandmothers, schoolchildren, old arab men selling crafts...

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars poems of beautiful simplicity and loving honesty, December 27, 2005

By 

Renee "poet" (CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East (Hardcover)

In her introduction to "19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East," Naomi Shihab Nye writes that after the September 11 attacks, "a huge shadow had been cast across the lives of so many innocent people and an ancient culture's pride." (Nye, xv) As an American born girl with a Middle Eastern father, Nye can write from behind that shadow, shedding light on the tormented hearts of Arab-Americans trying to come to terms with September 11th.

When Americans think of the Middle East, we often think only of the hatred and violence of terrorism. It is important, therefore, to read poetry by writers like Nye, who help us to remember that there is love, generosity and beauty to be found there too. Her poems have a beautiful simplicity and loving honesty that can speak to both children and adults.

I especially connected to the poems Nye wrote about the members of her family, such as "For Mohammed on the Mountain" and "My Grandmother in the Stars". The poem about her uncle inspired me to write about family members I hardly know or have never met. Reading Naomi Shihab Nye's poetry reminded me of the great wealth we all have of places and people who are especially deep in our hearts--a richness unique to our own experience that can be a wonderful source of writing material.

Nye is a shining example of a writer who uses her gift to promote a message of peace and understanding in a world stained with fear, hate and close-mindedness.