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Poet Warrior: A Memoir Hardcover – September 7, 2021

by Joy Harjo (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars 504 ratings
Editors' pick Best Biographies & Memoirs
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National bestseller
An ALA Notable Book

Three-term poet laureate Joy Harjo offers a vivid, lyrical, and inspiring call for love and justice in this contemplation of her trailblazing life.

Joy Harjo, the first Native American to serve as U.S. poet laureate, invites us to travel along the heartaches, losses, and humble realizations of her "poet-warrior" road. A musical, kaleidoscopic, and wise follow-up to Crazy Brave, Poet Warrior reveals how Harjo came to write poetry of compassion and healing, poetry with the power to unearth the truth and demand justice.

Harjo listens to stories of ancestors and family, the poetry and music that she first encountered as a child, and the messengers of a changing earth―owls heralding grief, resilient desert plants, and a smooth green snake curled up in surprise. She celebrates the influences that shaped her poetry, among them Audre Lorde, N. Scott Momaday, Walt Whitman, Muscogee stomp dance call-and-response, Navajo horse songs, rain, and sunrise. In absorbing, incantatory prose, Harjo grieves at the loss of her mother, reckons with the theft of her ancestral homeland, and sheds light on the rituals that nourish her as an artist, mother, wife, and community member.

Moving fluidly between prose, song, and poetry, Harjo recounts a luminous journey of becoming, a spiritual map that will help us all find home. Poet Warrior sings with the jazz, blues, tenderness, and bravery that we know as distinctly Joy Harjo.

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  1. Print length
    240 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    W. W. Norton & Company
  4. Publication date
    September 7, 2021
  5. Dimensions
    5.8 x 0.9 x 8.6 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0393248526
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0393248524
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Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Praise for Joy Harjo and Crazy Brave

"Joy Harjo has always been able to see with more than her eyes. Her writing is a testament to this gift…Her hero’s journey is a gift for all those struggling to make their way."
― Sandra Cisneros

"Joy Harjo is a giant-hearted, gorgeous, and glorious gift to the world. Her belief in art, in spirit, is so powerful, it can’t help but spill over to us―lucky readers."
― Pam Houston

"Insightful…Crazy Brave brings one of our finest―and most complicated―poets into view…Raw and honest."
― Jack Shakely, Los Angeles Review of Books

"Harjo is a magician and a master of the English language…[S]he knows how to navigate the rough waters of silence, exile and cunning."
― Jonah Raskin, San Francisco Chronicle

"A…saga about the survival of spirituality and creativity in the face of generations of racism, dispossession, and familial dysfunction…[F]antastic, terrible, and beautiful."
― Rebecca Steintz, Boston Globe

"Harjo gives readers a glimpse into her own mythic life moments: waking dreams that result in some of her most evocative and important poems. Harjo’s poetry, woven throughout, makes this memoir a must-read for her fans and a fascinating door into her world for those new to her work."
― Elizabeth Wilkinson, Minneapolis Star Tribune

About the Author

Joy Harjo is a member of the Mvskoke Nation. She is the author of several poetry collections, memoirs, children’s books, and music albums. She is the recipient of many awards for her creative work, including a National Humanities Medal. She lives in Oklahoma.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company; First Edition (September 7, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393248526
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393248524
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.8 x 0.9 x 8.6 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 out of 5 stars 504 ratings

About the author

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Joy Harjo

Joy Harjo

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Joy Harjo is an internationally renowned poet, performer, and writer of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and served three terms as the 23rd Poet Laureate of the United States. Harjo is the author of ten books of poetry, several plays, children's books, and two memoirs; she has also produced seven award-winning music albums and edited several anthologies. Her many honors include the Ruth Lily Prize from the Poetry Foundation, the Academy of American Poets Wallace Stevens Award, two NEA fellowships, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a Tulsa Artist Fellowship. She is a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets and Board of Directors Chair of the Native Arts & Cultures Foundation. She lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she is the inaugural Artist-in-Residence for the Bob Dylan Center.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
504 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers appreciate the book's unique form of poetry and its ability to inspire both heart and spirit. They find it readable and engaging, with one customer noting how the oral tradition morphs into written language. The memoir resonates with many Native American readers, and one customer describes it as a spiritual journey that connects everything in the universe.

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17 customers mention "Poetry"17 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the unique form of poetry in the memoir, with one noting how the oral tradition morphs into written language.

"...The author is a fine poet, who writes a unique form of poetry that speaks to her spiritual outlook, as well as her deep grounding in life as a..." Read more

"...With humbling insights, remarkably thoughtful verse, she achieves the rarified air of leaving us better than before the readings. I'm in awe." Read more

"her words are magic. i re-read several paragraphs just because it sounded so beautiful i needed to read it again." Read more

"...The poetry is injected at just the right points in her story. I learned of other indigenous writers and poets that I now want to explore." Read more

10 customers mention "Heartfelt story"10 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the heartfelt story of the memoir, finding it humbling and inspiring for heart and spirit, with one customer noting how it spiritually connects everything in the universe.

"...is a fine poet, who writes a unique form of poetry that speaks to her spiritual outlook, as well as her deep grounding in life as a regular human..." Read more

"...With humbling insights, remarkably thoughtful verse, she achieves the rarified air of leaving us better than before the readings. I'm in awe." Read more

"I cannot do Joy Harjo’s memoir justice with my words. This is a compelling and moving story told in just the right way with authenticity...." Read more

"...Reminded me of the importance of poetry and song and listening to a higher spirit. I know this spirit as God." Read more

9 customers mention "Readability"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable, with one describing it as a beautiful memoir and another noting it's a pleasure to read.

"Excellent! Joy Harjo’s journey and poetry are shared in such an honest, heartfelt manner." Read more

"Indescribably beautiful , poetic well beyond acceptable definition, , a book too meaningful to relish only once, poetry and prose beg for..." Read more

"This memoir is a treasure and a pleasure to read. Thoughtful, honest, heart-grabbing...." Read more

"Loved this book. Will read another by her." Read more

3 customers mention "Sex scenes"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the sex scenes in the book, with one mentioning it resonates with many Native American readers.

"...She takes you down the path of her life. She reveals the authentic Native woman she is." Read more

"Joy Harjo gives voice to the wisdom and experience of the indigenous nations, the native woman and the poet spirit within us all...." Read more

"I liked how the book relates to many Native American people today and how they are growing up in today's society." Read more

3 customers mention "Song quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the songs in the book, with one describing them as sacred.

"...Reminded me of the importance of poetry and song and listening to a higher spirit. I know this spirit as God." Read more

"..." is so much more than a book: it is revelation, a testimony, a sacred song, a love poem . Joy Harjo is a true national treasure." Read more

"She sings a song of life...." Read more

What Do the Birds Say to You?
5 out of 5 stars
What Do the Birds Say to You?
Poet Warrior The oral tradition morphs into written language. Music and poetry become one. The genocided and bigotried lose then find opportunity. In "The Poet Warrior," Joy Harjo memoirs herself, voices a people, histories a nation, and spiritually connects everything in the universe. The stories in this memoir enthrall the reader, teach the unlearned, justify the transcendent, and inspire writers of all genres.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Paul G Tamminen
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book.
    Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This book is part biography, part philosophical review of a complex and fascinating life Well lived under difficult conditions. The author is a fine poet, who writes a unique form of poetry that speaks to her spiritual outlook, as well as her deep grounding in life as a regular human being. Highest recommendation possible.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Michael Haller
    5.0 out of 5 stars Remarkable - Insightful and Uplifting
    Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Joy Harjo's inspired writing is on its own wave length to the hearts of her readers. With humbling insights, remarkably thoughtful verse, she achieves the rarified air of leaving us better than before the readings. I'm in awe.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • SHOPPER
    5.0 out of 5 stars BEautiful
    Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    her words are magic. i re-read several paragraphs just because it sounded so beautiful i needed to read it again.
    One person found this helpful
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  • MW
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wow - Just Amazing
    Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    I cannot do Joy Harjo’s memoir justice with my words. This is a compelling and moving story told in just the right way with authenticity. I have the greatest compassion for her life’s journey, through hardship and joy. Once I started, I could not put this book down. I was moved to my core with the greatest empathy.
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  • judanha
    4.0 out of 5 stars Meaningful Insight
    Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Through the stories of her life in this memoir, I learned the sense of rootlessness or loss of tribal identity that many indigenous people in the U.S. feel. I learned of their sturggles and how they are spiritual seekers and how they need their ancestral roots. The stories are not chronological but the total picture is clear. The poetry is injected at just the right points in her story. I learned of other indigenous writers and poets that I now want to explore.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • francesca rose
    5.0 out of 5 stars Love
    Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Joy Harjo is such a fenominal writer.
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  • Michael Boyajian
    5.0 out of 5 stars Time for a Pulitzer and a Nobel for Joy Harjo
    Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    There’s a reason why Native American poet, author, playwright and saxophonist Joy Harjo was the United States Poet Laureate. In this memoir she shares the sorrow and tough times that will make you say yeah I’ve been there yet she will seamlessly show you the way back to the sunny side of life while teaching Native American history like but differently than the book 1619 does for African Americans. Time for a Pulitzer and a Nobel for Joy Harjo whose favorite childhood poet was Emily Dickinson who delighted her with the query “I am a nobody are you a nobody.” Well Joy Harjo you aren’t a nobody and because of your writing neither are your readers.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Tom Ketner
    5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful memoir of a beautiful soul.
    Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Joy Harjo opens her heart to the reader in the most vulnerable way, through prose and verse. She takes you down the path of her life. She reveals the authentic Native woman she is.
    3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Lilia333
    4.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 14, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    A great read - lots of information and insight into the life and mind of a very talented poet. A powerful, easy-read memoir
    Report