NAOMI SHIHAB NYE was born in St. Louis, Missouri to a Palestinian father and an American mother. She grew up in St. Louis, Jerusalem, and Antonio, Texas, where she now lives with her family. Her six books of poetry include Fuel (1998), Words Under the Words: Selected Poems (1995), Red Suitcase (1994), and Hugging the Jukebox (1982). As the editor of the popular anthologies This Same Sky: A Collection of Poems from around the World, and The Tree Is Older Than You Are she has been instrumental in introducing the next generation to poetry from many cultures. She has twice traveled to the Middle East and Asia promoting international goodwill through the arts. Nye is also an award-winning author of children’s books and young adult fiction. Her many honors include Guggenheim and Witter Bynner Fellowships, two Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards, and the Lavan Award from the Academy of American Poets.