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Hooray for Joy!

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U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, June 6, 2019. Photo by Shawn Miller.

Today is one of the biggest days of the year for the Poetry and Literature Center—it’s the day of the Poet Laureate announcement. I want to say how honored and excited we at the Center—and throughout the Library of Congress—are that Joy Harjo will be our 23rd Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry.

Today’s announcement has been more than six months in the making, and it involved:

  • Soliciting and receiving laureate nominations from over 90 different nominators in 27 states, including past poets laureate; scholars and critics; directors of centers, conferences, festivals, and residencies; and bookstore owners and editors, among others.
  • Working with an internal library committee to create a recommendation memo to the Librarian of Congress—and meeting with the Librarian and senior staff, during which Dr. Hayden decided on her appointment choice.
  • Organizing a two-day Poet Laureate orientation at the Library of Congress that included a lunch with the Librarian and senior staff as well as background conversations and strategy sessions with various administrative offices, visits to reading rooms and sneak peeks at our collections, and meetings with other outside organizations to discuss partnership ideas.

The end result couldn’t be better—Joy seems the perfect poet to take on the role right now. She’s recently received major honors from the Academy of American Poets, Poetry Foundation, and Poets & Writers, and with both a new poetry collection and a new anthology forthcoming she’ll be out on the road promoting poetry in a big way.

I’ve known of Joy’s work since I was in college and saw a copy of In Mad Love and War on a friend’s bookshelf, and I’ve followed her ever since. Later I had the chance to hear her read (and sing!) her poems for an event I organized at the AWP Conference in Denver, to interview her about her memoir Crazy Brave for the Library’s National Book Festival, and even once to celebrate her birthday with a trip out to my favorite Thai restaurant in Queens! But nothing compares to this experience.

Below is a short video interview I did with Joy up in the Poetry Room—otherwise known as the office of the laureate—during her laureate orientation. I hope you enjoy, and if you’re in D.C. on September 19th I hope you come celebrate Joy’s laureateship with us at her big opening reading.

Comments (6)

  1. This is so amazing! I, too, was inspired by Ms. Harjo as a college student and have this beautiful memory of her taking the time to talk to me when I called to interview her for a project I was doing.
    Interestingly, I just did a reading of Eagle Poem for my yoga teacher training graduation practice last week.
    I am also at Library of Congress right now and can only hope to catch a glimpse of her.
    Many congratulations to Joy Harjo!

  2. Great choice!
    Patricia Gray

  3. We honor our sister for her gift of poetry – we are proud of her!

  4. I am from the baby boomer age group. I am also a woman of color. I do not read or listen to poetry that often. When I do read or listen,
    poetry inspires me. Joy Harjo has given me the incentive to read poetry daily.
    Congratulations to Ms. Harjo.

  5. Thrilled as we all join to offer our highest congratulations to Joy Harjo the very first American Indian poet to be laureate of the USA.

  6. From the first time I heard Joy on NPR reciting “She Had Some Horses” until the present I have loved her words. Congratulations, Joy!

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