Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/06/19/joy-harjo-named-23rd-poet-laur.html
“Words are powerful and can make change when understanding appears impossible.”
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I wonder if she is also the first saxophonist to serve as poet laureate.
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Clearly the LoC is in the hands of the liberal elite. And I’m glad that is the case.
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Native Joy for Real!
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We have a number of Ben Harjo artworks in our collection (my mother-in-law runs a Native American art gallery in Tulsa) – I wondered if there’s any relation, but it turns out that the name “Harjo” is like “Smith” or “Nguyen” elsewhere.
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Really? Which? My family lives in Tulsa and Tahlequah. When we were out a few years ago for the Cherokee Holidays I made sure to take the wife and kids to the Gilcrease. It’s really incredible seeing ancient pieces right alongside contemporary Native artists.
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The Art Market, South Sheridan in Midtown Tulsa. (Until a few years ago, she also had a gallery in Muskogee.) The place doesn’t look like much – it’s in a strip mall – but she has lots of great stuff & knows many artists.
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That’s great, thanks. We don’t get to go too often, but it’s a really important part of my life and childhood and I want to instill an awareness into my kids even of we’re way out in New York.
BTW, when we were out there for the Holidays my wife was feeling queasy and off the whole time because… pregnant! We gave the boy the middle name Sequoyah to honor the language giver and maybe kind of anchor him in that world in a way.
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I met Joy when I volunteered to do A/V tech for the 2nd annual “Red Nation Celebration” music festival in Santa Fe back in the mid-90’s, along with Keith Secola, Joanne Shenandoah, and a lot of the other native acts from back in the day (we also volunteered for the first one at the Paolo Soleri Amphitheater). She was pretty awesome.
We go and say hello whenever she’s in town. Funny how Indian Country is kind of small that way.
So happy for her.
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I had thought the Poet Laureate was appointed by POTUS for some reason. Glad that’s not the case or we’d probably have Ted Nugent.
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When I was going to watchmaking school at OSUIT in 2013, I had a Muskogee friend from the nation with that last name, Austin. He was a good dude. Always thought it was a strange last name. I machined him an engraved custom volume knob for his truck
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grew up in tulsa now in tahlequah & see Joy Harjo around. this is great for all people
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