Children’s author Nikki Grimes to present the season’s first Landscape of Urban Education Lecture

Children’s author Nikki Grimes to present the season’s first Landscape of Urban Education LectureOctober 02, 2008Patrick Farrellpmfarrel@syr.edu

Nikki Grimes, celebrated children’s author, poet and teacher, will present the first lecture of the School of Education’s Landscape of Urban Education Lecture Series for the 2008-09 season. Grimes’ lecture, “The Power of Poetry,” will take place on Friday, Oct. 17, at 4 p.m. in the Public Events Room (Room 220) in Eggers Hall. The lecture is free and open to the public. (Paid parking is available in the Irving Avenue garage.)

A New York Times bestselling author, Grimes received the 2006 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children and the 2005 Golden Dolphin Award by the Southern California Children’s Book Association, recognizing her body of work. Her best-known publications include ALA Notable Children’s Book “What is Goodbye?” (Hyperion, 2004), the novels “Jazmin’s Notebook” (Penquin, 2000), “Dark Sons” (Hyperion, 2007) and “The Road to Paris” (Penguin, 2008), which is part of the Coretta Scott King Author Honor Books series. Grimes also is creator of the popular Danitra Brown poetry series about the joys of teenage friendship.

Grimes, who was born and raised in New York City, considers herself more a poet than a storyteller. She began composing verse at the age of six and has been writing ever since. Grimes has written articles for such magazines as Essence, Today’s Christian Woman, Book Links, and Image, Journal of Arts & Religion. An accomplished and widely anthologized poet of both children’s and adult verse, Grimes has conducted poetry readings and lectures at international schools in Russia, China, Sweden and Tanzania; short-term mission projects have taken her to such trouble spots as Haiti.

As part of Teen Read Week, an event sponsored by the Onondaga County Public Library, the Syracuse City School District (SCSD) and Syracuse University, Grimes will meet with all 1,600 SCSD eighth graders to read from her work and answer questions in Hendricks Chapel before her lecture. Grimes also will present two interactive poetry sessions for Syracuse-area elementary school students in the OCPL’s Curtin Auditorium on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Doors will open 30 minutes before each program. There is no charge, but seating is limited. Books will be available for purchase before and after each program.

Grimes’ visit to Syracuse is sponsored by the School of Education in cooperation with the SCSD and the Onondaga Public Library, with funding from the School of Education and Friends of the Central Library. For information about the lecture, contact Florence DiGennaro at (315) 443-4696, e-mail fadigenn@syr.edu. For information about the Saturday poetry programs, contact the Onondaga County Public Library at (315) 435-1900, or visit http://www.onlib.org.