An American Sunrise

Poems

By: Joy Harjo

Narrated by: Joy Harjo

A stunning new volume from the first Native American Poet Laureate of the United States, informed by her tribal history and connection to the land.

In the early 1800s, the Mvskoke people were forcibly removed from their original lands east of the Mississippi to Indian Territory, which is now part of Oklahoma. Two hundred years later, Joy Harjo returns to her family’s lands and opens a dialogue with history. In An American Sunrise, Harjo finds blessings in the abundance of her homeland and confronts the site where her people, and other indigenous families, essentially disappeared. From her memory of her mother’s death, to her beginnings in the native rights movement, to the fresh road with her beloved, Harjo’s personal life intertwines with tribal histories to create a space for renewed beginnings. Her poems sing of beauty and survival, illuminating a spirituality that connects her to her ancestors and thrums with the quiet anger of living in the ruins of injustice. A descendent of storytellers and “one of our finest - and most complicated - poets” (Los Angeles Review of Books), Joy Harjo continues her legacy with this latest powerful collection.

©2019 Joy Harjo (P)2019 Blackstone Publishing

fantastic

this was so very good. beautiful and eloquent. a wonderful poet and artist. thank you

This is what my heart sounds like

What an honor to hear the voice of the poet read her own works. Harjo's work leads us through the trails of history, memory, vison, and dreams. Thank you, Joy, for sharing your work with us twice (first by writing it, then by reading)!

A must listen.

So beautiful. So moving. So poignant. I felt the whisper of nature in Joy’s words. I felt the stories. My heart was opened to this beautiful and rich culture and way of life.

Moving & Powerful

The host of a recent book discussion on American Sunrise that I participated in recommended listening to this slim volume of Poems read by the author. I am so glad I did! Listening to Harjo’s poetry as spoken word is even more powerful, moving & engaging than reading the poems.

An American Sunrise

I am happy to discover this poet. I am going to read more of her books.

Listening to Harjo Read

So good, I bought a digital copy to teach to others. So good, I'm considering a book order to hold on to these poems for as many years as I have left. Harjo's poetry isn't something you finish beginning to end. She expresses a lifetime of learning & returning to her pages.

Poetry & Stories from the Trail of Tears

Joy Harjo, America’s Poet Laureate, brings her Artist’s Eye and Ear to the Sad History of her people through song, poem, story and interviews.

I am always moved by the connection of Indigenous People to the Earth and Sky they possess so closely. Through Harjo’s words we feel their Souls and the Nature they know so well. Her stories of the Trail of Tears bring the Warriors, Chiefs, Children and Elders to life, not as characters in dry History but as feeling, suffering Human Beings.

It is a Tale we need to hear and really listen to. There are migrants today at our Borders who know these stories well. #SAD!

A Must Listen

Mesmerizing, hypnotic, profound, necessary. Unites ancestries of the heart with today’s real world and makes meaning of living in our histories.

Amazing!

Such a beautiful work of art! As an American of European descent, it really opened my eyes and inspired me to do something. Beautiful voice and beautiful style. I loved every second. This genre of Native American reading is fascinating and I can’t wait to get my hands on more

Joy Harjo is the voice America needs

Beautiful poetry that reads easy and runs deep. I particularly enjoyed her pieces on saxophone, but there is so much here for everyone to enjoy.