Award-Winning Poet Naomi Shihab Nye Holds Workshop for Students

Renowned author’s visit to the Rose O'Neill Literary House was part of the Kent County Poetry Festival

The Washington College Rose O’Neill Literary House was proud to host world-renowned poet Naomi Shihab Nye as she held a speaking event and poetry workshop exclusively for students during this year’s Kent County Poetry Festival. In addition to sharing writing tips, Nye offered insights from her life as a writer.  

The author or editor of over 30 books, Nye’s visit was her third trip to the Eastern Shore and her first to Washington College’s campus. Critically lauded for her unique style, Nye uses writing to convey imagery and emotion, allowing for an engaging experience and interaction between reader and poem.  

“Nye uses her writing to attest to our shared humanity,” Lit House Director and Associate Professor of English James Allen Hall said when introducing Nye.

One of her main tenets of writing she wanted to convey to the assembled budding writers was the importance of having advisers who writers can look to for inspiration.  

“Having a single mentor, or a few strong mentors, can really help you,” she said, encouraging the young poets to look up everything they could find about their own mentors and inspirational writers.  

For Nye, one of these inspirations is poet William Stafford, whose poem, Any Morning, Nye read aloud to students. She cited Stafford as a huge inspiration for her at a young age and through today, saying, “He has remained my most important poet.” 

Nye additionally wanted to inspire those who are interested in publishing and attempted to ease the fears of younger writers, who may be uneasy about publishing their works. “I have never regretted anything I have written being published,” she assured them. 

She talked about holding her own when asked to change her story and the importance of taking charge of one’s work. Recounting how a publishing company once asked to change a work and make the ending “grimmer,” she told students her response was to tell the publisher to throw the piece away. It is paramount, she said, that the writer tells the story the writer wants to tell.

“The more you write, the more you will be given to write,” she said, assuring students that they will not use up their body of material. “Life will keep happening.”

She followed up her talk with a workshop that allowed students to try a different way to write poetry. Providing three brief questions, Nye asked those present to briefly answer each and then combine their responses into poems. The point of the exercise was to encourage note taking strategies to make the writing process easier, she stressed. A few Washington students shared their poems and were met with applause from Nye and the rest of the audience.

Nye’s next book from Greenwillow Books, “Gracenotes: Poems about Families,” will hit shelves on May 7, 2024.

For over 50 years, the Washington College Rosie O’Neil Literary House has fostered a sense of community around young writers who want to make a positive impact on the world. Additionally, the Literary House fosters a place of community between Washington College students, and the surrounding Chestertown community through classes, guest speakers, and other activities. Find out more about their offerings, summer camps, internships and more on their webpage. 

- Dominic Rapposelli '25