Women’s History Month’s Feature: Joy Harjo, Author, Poet, Performer, Activist, and Educator

Hello, book lovers! In honor of Women’s History Month, I’m excited to introduce you to Joy Harjo—an acclaimed author, poet, performer, activist, and educator. In 1975, she published her first poetry collection, The Last Song, featuring nine of her poems. From 2019 – 2022, she served as the 23rd United States Poet Laureate, becoming the first Native American to hold this prestigious title. She is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation (Este Mvskokvlke) and belongs to Oce Vpofv (Hickory Ground).

Harjo’s work spans poetry, books, plays, and music, earning her numerous awards, accolades, and honors. As Poet Laureate, her signature project, Living Nations, Living Words: A Map of First Peoples Poetry focused on “mapping the U.S. with Native Nations poets and poems.” Her work often draws on Native American oral history, exploring themes of defining self, the arts, and social justice.

Her poetry is included on a plaque on LUCY, a NASA spacecraft launched in Fall 2021, and the first reconnaissance of the Jupiter Trojans. She is also a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets and the first Artist-in-Residence for Tulsa’s Bob Dylan Center. In 2023, she was awarded Yale’s Bollingen Prize for American Poetry. Check out her quote about when she started writing. #womenshistorymonth #author #poet #PoetLaureate #performer #activist #educator #JoyHarjo #vocalexpressions

Comments

Interview with Jacqueline Seewald, Author of THE INHERITANCE

Author’s Bio: Multiple award-winning author, Jacqueline Seewald, has taught creative, expository and technical writing at Rutgers University as well as high school English. She also worked as both an academic librarian and an educational media specialist. Sixteen of her books of fiction have previously been published to critical praise including books for adults, teens and children. Her short stories, poems, essays, reviews and articles have appeared in hundreds of diverse publications and numerous anthologies. What inspired you to write your book? I enjoy writing romantic mystery fiction. The idea for this particular novel just seemed to evolve organically from my imagination. Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult? I would have to say reading the Bible was influential. As far as regular books go, I’m a big fan of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Is this your first book? How long did it take to start and...

National Poetry Month’s Feature: Poet Cherrie Amour

Poet’ s Bio: Cherrie Amour aka Cherrie Woods is a Baltimore-based, award-winning poet known for her candid, narrative verse exploring love, identity, relationships, and the layered complexities of belonging. Her work is featured in her poetry collection, Free to Be Me: Poems on Love, Life and Relationships. She is the creator of the Words, Wine & Wings Poetry and Open Mic Show and has been featured by FOX45 News, The Baltimore Beacon , and Baltimore City Paper . Her poetry has appeared in Paterson Literary Review , Understorey Magazine , Poet’s Ink , The Pen Woman , The Fire Inside: Collected Poems and Stories from Zora’s Den , America’s Future Anthology , Yellow Arrow Journal , and Maryland in Poetry . She is currently submitting her new poetry chapbook manuscript, Sit Comfortably Elsewhere , to publishers—a deeply personal collection exploring her life and perspective as a double immigrant. Deliah Lawrence: When did you first realize poetry was a p...

National Poetry Month’s Feature: Poet Buddah Desmond

Poet’ s Bio: Buddah Desmond aka BDEZ (he / him / they / them) is an award-winning author, poet, artist, and singer based in the DMV. His writing shares lessons from adversity to triumph and offers messages of hope, love, faith, and persistence. He ’ s the author of multiple poetry collections, including the most recent releases Everything I Miss(ed) At Home (2023), Coming Up From the Downside: Finding Joy in Our Song (2024), and Exotic Shifter: 11th Anniversary Edition (2025). His writing has appeared in Creative Currents , Rebel ’ s Zeitgeist , Liquid Cat Quarterly , MelaNation , Mixed Mag , and The Sound of the Collective Pen: A Poetry Anthology by Emerging Voices . He served as a healing leader in the DC-based arts + faith + social justice organization, The Sanctuaries. He ’ s currently a National Board of Trustees At Large Member (Beta Chapter) for the professional arts fraternity, Gamma Xi Phi. ...

Vocal Expressions

Search This Blog