Joy Harjo

Remember you are this universe, and this universe is you.

On Saturday, April 29 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., the Belle Isle Library is hosting recent U.S. Poet Laureate, Joy Harjo and celebrating her upcoming children's book, Remember illustrated by Michaela Goade.

After renovation, the Belle Isle Library opened on April 8, 2022 with a sculpture titled, Nourishment, that has en excerpt from Joy Harjo's poem Remember.

Join us as we hear from Joy Harjo, celebrate poetry month and our connection to the Earth, and the 1-year anniversary of the Belle Isle Library re-opening! Begin the day by meeting Joy Harjo and hearing her read her poetry and stay for family-friendly activities.

Joy Harjo will be available for a book signing following her presentation. Books will be sold by Full Circle Bookstore. Joy Harjo and Michaela Goade's books will also be available for check out from the library.

Earth Day and Poetry Month Events

This event is in the "Teens" group
This event is in the "Adults" group

How to Write a Poem

1:00pm–3:00pm
Teens, Adults
Choctaw Library
Library Branch: Choctaw Library
Room: Meeting Room (Choctaw)
Age Group: Teens, Adults
Program Type: Arts & Crafts, DIY & Hobbies
Event Description:

If you’ve ever wondered how poems are made (or wanted to try writing one yourself), this beginner-friendly workshop will guide you through the basics.

This event is in the "Adults" group

Creative Writing Sunday

3:00pm–5:00pm
Adults
Warr Acres Library
Registration Required
Registration will close on April 26, 2026 @ 3:00pm.
Library Branch: Warr Acres Library
Room: Meeting Room A (Warr Acres)
Age Group: Adults
Program Type: Writing
Registration Required
Event Description:

Have you always wanted to explore creative writing but never had the chance? Are you looking for a supportive community of writers with whom you can share your work?

This event is in the "Teens" group

Visual Poetry: From Page to Pin

5:30pm–7:00pm
Teens
Almonte Library
Library Branch: Almonte Library
Room: Meeting Room (Almonte)
Age Group: Teens
Program Type: Arts & Crafts
Event Description:

Choose a page of poetry and turn it into art you can wear!  In this creative workshop, participants will take inspiration from a single word that resonates with them and interpret it through drawing.

This event is in the "Adults" group

Intro to Poetry with Metro Poet Laureate Hallie Waugh

5:30pm–7:30pm
Adults
Warr Acres Library
Registration Required
Registration will close on April 29, 2026 @ 5:30pm.
Library Branch: Warr Acres Library
Room: Meeting Room A (Warr Acres)
Age Group: Adults
Program Type: Writing
Registration Required
Event Description:

Whether you're a poetry lover or feel like you don't quite "get" poetry, this session is for you.

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About Joy

Joy Harjo is an internationally renowned performer and writer of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. She served three terms as the 23rd Poet Laureate of the United States from 2019-2022 and is the winner of Yale's 2023 Bollingen Prize for American Poetry.

The author of ten books of poetry, including the highly acclaimed, Weaving Sundown in a Scarlet Light: Fifty Poems for Fifty Years, several plays and children's books, and two memoirs, Crazy Brave and Poet Warrior, her many honors include the National Book Critics Circle Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award, the Ruth Lily Prize for Lifetime Achievement from the Poetry Foundation, the Academy of American Poets Wallace Stevens Award, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. As a musician and performer, Harjo has produced seven-award winning music albums including her newest, I Pray for My Enemies. She served as Executive Editor of the anthology When the Light of the World was Subdued, Our Songs Came Through - A Norton Anthology of Native Nations Poetry and the editor of Living Nations, Living Words: An Anthology of First Peoples Poetry, the companion anthology to her signature Poet Laureate project.

She is a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets, Board of Directors Chair of the Native Arts & Cultures Foundation, and is the first Artist-in-Residence for Tulsa's Bob Dylan Center. She lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Joy Harjo Books