U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo read poems from her newest collection “An American Sunrise: Poems” on Jan. 30.

Some of the poems she read were “Break My Heart,” “Dawning” and “Washing My Mother’s Body.” Harjo said she tends to draw her inspiration from real-life experiences, her family and her heritage.

“Being a poet is about learning how to listen, as it is with all art forms,” she explained. For example, “Washing My Mother’s Body” was written to express the sadness she felt over her mother’s death, and how she wanted to be with her mother as she “moved on to this new world.”

Harjo’s website describes the book and the process of writing it as:

“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.”

Not only is she an award-winning writer, but she is also a performer and a saxophone player. During the reading, Harjo played one of the songs on her upcoming album, which is set for a late March-early April release.

The song, “American Sunrise,” sets her poem of the same name to music. She is featured playing her saxophone.

At the end of the program, Harjo answered some questions from the audience members.

One person asked her if there was a difference between poem and prayer. She responded, “Well, it depends on who you ask, really, but I don’t think there is any.”

When asked if her music got in the way of her poetry, she explained that it never really did. She said she believes that is because she phrases music and poetry in similar ways.

Harjo was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is a member of the Mvskoke (Creek) Nation.

She is the first Native American to hold this office.

In a few days, there will be a recording of the program on the Booth Library’s YouTube channel. The library will also post the link on its Instagram for easy access. Anyone interested in Joy Harjo’s work can also go to joyharjo.com to find her poetry collections and anthologies.

Emilee Tosh can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].