Naomi Shihab Nye "Cross that Line" / Barry Moser Broadside
This broadside was created to commemorate Naomi Shihab Nye's visit in October 2007. It was designed by Barry Moser, Printer to the College, who also designed and engraved the portrait of Paul Robeson, which was then printed by Arthur Larson at his letterpress studio, Horton Tank Graphics, in Hadley, Massachusetts.
"Cross that Line" was first published in You & Yours (2005), and is used by permission of the author.
- Signed by Naomi Shihab Nye and Barry Moser
- Numbered edition of 100
- 17" H x 11" W
Price: $200.00
Member Price: $180.00
Naomi Shihab Nye, born in St. Louis, Missouri, is an acclaimed poet, essayist, and children's author. She is of Palestinian, German, and Swiss descent and spent her adolescence in both Jerusalem and San Antonio, Texas. Nye earned a BA from Trinity University and has received numerous literary honors, including being named as Young People’s Poet Laureate (2019–2022) and serving as a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets.
Nye’s work is shaped by her multicultural background and her interest in ordinary life and diverse perspectives. Her poetry often addresses themes of cultural identity, everyday encounters, peace, and social justice, especially the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Her notable poetry collections include Different Ways to Pray, Hugging the Jukebox, Yellow Glove, Red Suitcase, Fuel, 19 Varieties of Gazelle, You and Yours, Transfer, and The Tiny Journalist. She also writes for children and young adults, including the novel Habibi and the picture book Sitti’s Secrets, and has edited several international poetry anthologies.
Nye lives in San Antonio, Texas, teaches creative writing at Texas State University, and continues to advocate for cultural understanding through her writing. She sees poetry as a way to slow down, observe, and honor the overlooked details of life.
(summarized from The Poetry Foundation website)
About the Boutelle-Day Poetry Center
Since 1997, The Boutelle-Day Poetry Center at Smith College has been devoted to promoting poetry within our vibrant campus as well as the wider New England community. The Poetry Center's ambitious reading series brings both internationally known writers and exceptional emerging poets to Smith College each year.
To commemorate the opening of the Poetry Center, an ongoing series of fine letterpress broadsides was initiated. Barry Moser, artist and printer to the college, donates his time to this project, designing and creating original engravings. These are limited edition broadsides, signed by both the author and the artist.