Joy Harjo
Joy Harjo
Joy Harjois a Mvskoke poet, musician, and author. She is often cited as playing a formidable role in the second wave of what critic Kenneth Lincoln termed the Native American Renaissance of the late 20th century. She is the author of such books as Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings, Crazy Brave, and How We Became Humans: New and Selected Poems 1975 - 2002...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth9 May 1951
CountryUnited States of America
dying alive i-am-alive
But come here, Fear. / I am alive! / And you are so afraid / of dying.
beautiful meaningful art
It's important as a writer to do my art well and do it in a way that is powerful and beautiful and meaningful, so that my work regenerates the people, certainly Indian people, and the earth and the sun. And in that way we all continue forever.
memories heart brain
It is memory that provides the heart with impetus, fuels the brain, and propels the corn plant from seed to fruit.
long connections separation
There is no separation. We are all from the same place. As long as there is respect and acknowledgement of connections, things continue working. When that stops we all die.
song land yellow
If we cry more tears we will ruin the land with salt; instead let's praise that which would distract us with despair. Make a song for death, a song for yellow teeth and bad breath
remember universe
Remember that you are this universe and that this universe is you.
sweet laughing kitchen
Perhaps the world will end at the kitchen table, while we are laughing and crying, eating of the last sweet bite.
responsibility circles stories
A story matrix connects all of us. There are rules, processes, and circles of responsibility in this world. And the story begins exactly where it is supposed to begin. We cannot skip any part.
people remember
Remember that you are all people and that all people are you.
bridges historical raw-materials
At least I've had to come to that in my life, to realize that this stuff called failure, this stuff, this debris of historical trauma, family trauma, you know, stuff that can kill your spirit, is actually raw material to make things with and to build a bridge. You can use those materials to build a bridge over that which would destroy you.
sadness noise answers
If you do not answer the noise and urgency of your gifts, they will turn on you. Or drag you down with their immense sadness at being abandoned.
memories doors generations
My generation is now the door to memory. That is why I am remembering.
body nerves theory
I've always had a theory that some of us are born with nerve endings longer than our bodies
became bit border carry love saxophone singing sound sounds
I love the sound of the saxophone. It became my singing voice, and it sounds so human. The saxophone could carry the words past the border of words. It can carry it a little bit farther.