Naomi Shihab Nye of San Antonio has been writing poems since she was six. She believes all people have a “poetry channel” inside, whether they turn it on a lot or not. It’s there. And any one of us could write a book about our own family—stories, mysteries, questions unending.
Naomi joins the Book Festival as a contributor to Praisesong for the People: Poems from the Heart and Soul of Texas.
“We turn to poetry in our greatest moments of joy and sorrow to help us tune in to our emotions and connect with others,” writes Johnston. In "Praisesong for the People," poetry brings us together to celebrate the people across the state who make this land feel like home.
Edited by Amanda Johnston, the 61st Texas Poet Laureate and first Black woman to receive this honor, this vibrant anthology collects the work of 70 emerging and established poets across the state. Commissioned to write original poems celebrating everyday people, the poets in "Praisesong for the People: Poems from the Heart and Soul of Texas" are as diverse as the landscapes they inhabit, and reflect the intersecting identities of Texas’s population across age, gender, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, disability, and immigrant communities. In these poems, their voices gather in a heartfelt chorus to praise the people in their communities who offer small kindnesses, asking nothing in return.
Praise the bus driver who ferries us safely across town. Praise the abuela who dries our tears. Praise the librarian who protects young curiosity. Praise the therapist with an open door, the teacher fluent in the language of affirmation. With story, testimony, and song, these poets give our unsung community heroes their flowers.
