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Voices in the Air

Poems for Listeners

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

"Nye once again deftly charts the world through verse."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"A beautifully constructed, thoughtful, and inspiring collection."—School Library Journal (starred review)

Young People's Poet Laureate and National Book Award Finalist Naomi Shihab Nye's uncommon and unforgettable voice offers readers peace, humor, inspiration, and solace. This volume of almost one hundred original poems is a stunning and engaging tribute to the diverse voices past and present that comfort us, compel us, lead us, and give us hope.

"I think the air is full of voices. If we slow down and practice listening, we hear those voices better. They live on in us. Inspiration? We need it every day. We deserve it. It is essential, like food, water, clean air, shelter. Here are some poems celebrating the voices that have changed my life and continue to do so."—Naomi Shihab Nye, Award-winning poet and author

Voices in the Air is a collection of almost one hundred original poems written by the award-winning poet Naomi Shihab Nye in honor of the artists, writers, poets, historical figures, ordinary people, and diverse luminaries from past and present who inspire her and us. Full of words of encouragement, solace, and hope, this collection offers a message of peace and empathy.

Voices in the Air focuses on the inspirational people who strengthen and motivate us to create, to open our hearts, and to live rewarding and graceful lives. With short informational bios about the influential figures behind each poem, and a transcendent introduction by the poet, this is a collection to cherish, read again and again, and share with others.

Featuring brief bios of the "voices"" and an introduction by the author.

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      March 12, 2018
      "People do not pass away./ They die/ and then they stay," declares Nye's brief poem "Voices in the Air," the titular work in her collection of 95 poems. The meaning of the collection's subtitle is twofold: the poems are moving when read aloud, but Nye is also asking readers to take part in a more profound and subtle type of listening, a kind that cuts through the noise and hears what matters. Each poem is inspired by an individual's life or words, including poet Henry David Thoreau; political activist, writer, and teacher Grace Paley; and Caroline Mueller, an organic farmer from Ferguson, Mo. Valuable short biographies of each figure are included in the collection's back matter, which allows for a better understanding of Nye's references. Some poems directly address individuals. In "Train Across Texas" (dedicated to Langston Hughes), she writes: "Langston, what did Texas look like back then." Other allusions are far less clear, left like trails of clues for readers to follow. Despite being divided into three loosely themed sections, Nye's collection invites readers to freely meander through the pages in order to experience each poem on its own terms. Ages 13-up.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

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