Catching the Light
Catching the Light by Joy Harjo, published by Yale University Press on October 24, 2023, is a reflective exploration of the significance of poetry in the pursuit of justice and healing. This edition spans 128 pages and is presented in English. Harjo, a National Humanities Medalist and former U.S. Poet Laureate, shares her insights on the transformative power of words, drawing from her extensive experience as a poet over the past fifty years.
In this lyrical meditation, Harjo offers intimate vignettes that illuminate her journey from youth in the late 1960s to her role as a single mother and advocate for Native nations. The book delves into how poetry serves as a means of expressing purpose, community, and memory, while also addressing the broader themes of historical fractures and social justice. Through her reflections, Harjo emphasizes the importance of storytelling as a way to reclaim narratives and foster understanding, inviting readers to engage with the profound impact of language in shaping identity and community.
Official synopsis Publisher
National Humanities Medalist and U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo examines the power of words and how poetry summons us toward justice and healing
“Her enduring message–that writing can be redemptive–resonates: ‘To write is to make a mark in the world, to assert “I am.”‘ The result is a rousing testament to the power of storytelling.”–Publishers Weekly
“Harjo writes as if the creative journey has been the destination all along.”–Kirkus Reviews
In this lyrical meditation about the why of writing poetry, Joy Harjo reflects on significant points of illumination, experience, and questioning from her fifty years as a poet. Composed of intimate vignettes that take us through the author’s life journey as a youth in the late 1960s, a single mother, and a champion of Native nations, this book offers a fresh understanding of how poetry functions as an expression of purpose, spirit, community, and memory–in both the private, individual journey and as a vehicle for prophetic, public witness.
Harjo insists that the most meaningful poetry is birthed through cracks in history from what is broken and unseen. At the crossroads of this brokenness, she calls us to watch and listen for the songs of justice for all those America has denied. This is an homage to the power of words to defy erasure–to inscribe the story, again and again, of who we have been, who we are, and who we can be.
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