Poetry brings focus on decades-old conflict

Conner Howard

Two professional poets from Hebrew and Palestinian backgrounds discussed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through poetry Thursday.

The Wick Poetry Corner in the University Library hosted the dialogue between Chana Block, a Jewish poet and translator from Berkeley, Calif., and her close friend, Palestinian poet Naomi Shihab-Nye.

The two women read examples of their own poetry as well as selections from other authors, with a heavy focus on the pain and hardships suffered by those caught up in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

After their readings, Block and Shihab-Nye took questions from the audience, discussing war, politics and how their work relates to the Kent State shooting of 1970.

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– Conner Howard