Reflections on history and navigating the present. Interesting to see her growth of ideas and perspective over quite a lifetime so far, and the influence of a national audience. ( )

Another book that had been on my to-read list for a while, then I picked it up at the library when I spied it on the National Poetry Month display. Beautiful, mournful, inspiring, all the feelings. Another collection that is a mix of traditional poetry, short essays, quotes, and other tidbits -- deliberately creating and enriching the context the poems exist in. I love this format and found it very effective.

This collection is loosely shaped around the Trail of Tears, moving backward and forward in time to explore the dislocations and absences, the culture, homes, and relationships lost, but also finding joy in what remains, in reclaiming memory, in forging new identities and new traditions in the ashes of what was left.

A powerful collection. ( )

Summer 2021 (July);

I started a grand quest through a large assortment of poetry & short story collections recommended from my APSI (AP Summer Institute) for AP Literature, and this is one of the many as you will see.

Another piece by Joy Harjo, previous Poet Laureate, this was another gorgeous and glorious collection of the indigenous experience. I love the way she plays with words, and how she doesn't explain to the read piece meal everything as it's happening but allows for the reader to grow and learn through the over-arcing messages across her pieces. ( )

This collection of poetry, Joy Harjo confronts the site where the Mvskoke people, including her ancestors, were forcibly displaced through one of the many Tail of Tears. She also discusses her mother’s death, her own beginnings in the Native rights movement, and the beautiful path she sees before her.

I’m not usually one for poetry, I may read one or two poetry books a year as I usually have to read it outloud in order for me to fully grasp it. That being said, I fully enjoyed Harjo’s prose poetry. The ones titled Washing My Mother’s Body and Directions to You were two of my favorites.

I love books where I walk away having learned more about history than I did when I started the novel. American Sunrise is no different as I learned more about Native American history, their struggles, and their spirituality. For example: I had no idea that until the Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978, it was illegal for Native citizens to practice their culture - including the making and sharing of songs and stories. I can’t imagine the amount of things lost, it breaks my heart.

Overall, a beautiful poetry collection about the Native American experience and personal struggles of Joy Harjo. ( )

Powerful. ( )