Writing Out Loud, 2012
“Joy Harjo has always been able to see with more than her eyes.”—Sandra Cisneros
Joy Harjo
(1951– )
The first Native American to serve as U.S. Poet Laureate (2019–2022), Joy Harjo often uses her poetry to address racial divides as well as the perplexities of cultural and gender gaps. Her poem, “She Had Some Horses” (1983) is a litany of paradoxes and ends with this conundrum: “She had some horses she loved. / She had some horses she hated. / These were the same horses.” She deals with these same dichotomies and nuances in her critically acclaimed memoir, Crazy Brave (2012).
In recent years, Joy, who plays the saxophone, has become a renowned performance artist, starring in her one-woman show, Wings of Night Sky, Wings of Morning Light.
Related links: Wilma Mankiller and Lance Henson
Did You Know...
Joy Harjo has numerous tattoos, but they are more than just novelties to her. She regards them as art and also as a reflection of her essential values.Getting Started with Joy Harjo
Selected WorksThe Woman Who Fell from the Sky, 1994
She Had Some Horses, 2006 (Audio CD)
Crazy Brave, 2012
Joy Harjo’s website