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Listening to Harjo read her memoir, heck, listening to Harjo read anything is an immersive experience. I put this one on my #TBR after reading/listening to An American Sunrise last year. Beautiful prose & mystical storytelling about the hard points as well as the highlights of her life. Beautiful & inspiring. 💜

This one had been on my TBR list for a long time. What an interesting creative memoir by one talented powerful woman. All that she weathered to realize her calling and follow her path. A great read for my eastern Oregon camping/hiking trip, a place that gives me strength to weather rough times and get my head clear for my own path.

Last night, I attended a reading and discussion with Joy Harjo, the United States Poet Laureate, and the first Native American Poet Laureate. She is a woman of many talents: writer, playwright, musician. Joy played a few hypnotic songs on a flute, shared some howling during a story, and told us a real life ghost story. I look forward to reading her poetry and her other books. #nativeamerican

At one point in her memoir, Harjo recalls the moment she learned that poetry could serve her in her Native identity; she writes, “the English language was pleased to occupy new forms.” This book definitely felt like a new form to me! I wasn‘t sure I liked it at first. It felt disjointed as she skipped between memory, family history, dreams, poems, songs, short stories, & visions. But it wasn‘t disjointed. Just new. After settling in, I LOVED it.

This memoir as my introduction to Joy Harjo, the first Native American poet laureate. I really enjoyed how she wove poetry into this story of her early life. She has a second memoir that I‘m definitely reading. #nonfictionnovember

Joy Harjo has a beautiful spirit. I‘m thankful to have read her memoir. Looking forward to Poet Warrior and more of her poetry.

#NativeAmericanHeritageMonth

#falltreasures #nativeamericanday
Celebrating our poet laureate today.

I have to meet her. She created the most beautiful, most painful work that I have read in a long time. The abuse, the fear of abuse touched me because I have been there. I want to meet her so much. This may be the gateway to get me to enjoy poetry.

#Nonfiction2021 Native American @Riveted_Reader_Melissa

There are plenty of #maladjusted characters in Harjo‘s memoir, though with her command of language and imagery (and poetic license) - it‘s easy to see we all have some maladjustment within us and our pasts. Part of the human experience...
#maycharacters @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

First of all, I have a new tablet!!! Which is great news because I‘ve been reading books on my cracked iPhone 7... and this is much more enjoyable.
I enjoyed but didn‘t love this book. A memoir of the incessant struggles and abuse her life gave her. She defines the contemporary warrior (literally in this book and figuratively in her life). She supplements the chapters with her poems.

A beautiful and painful memoir. I wished it was longer!

It made me wish I was more interested in poetry but it's still not my thing.

Also this was a great pick to kick off a year of #integrateyourshelf reading! @ChasingOm @Emilymdxn I definitely recommend!

Listening to Joy Harjo‘s voice and words is a pure delight. Our nation‘s first Native American Poet Laureate delivers a beautiful memoir that is unique but also feels somewhat representative. Spending an evening in fear because the family matriarch‘s enemy is sitting outside the house in the shape of a bird? I have lived that experience too but never read anyone else recall something like it before. A gorgeous, important tale of a Native life.

A really lovely memoir from our Poet Laureate. A great read for Native American Heritage Month.

#ThankfulThoughts @Eggs
#Memoir

I wanted to read the memoir of the U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo before I read her poetry so I was happy to find the ebook through my public library. From her childhood in Oklahoma until she was accepted into a native American arts school in Santa Fe, this is also the story of how she found her poetry voice. ⤵️

#BookReport and #WeeklyForecast @Cinfhen : With seminary in full swing, my only fun reading time comes from listening to audiobooks while running, doing laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc. This week I've been LOVING these two from @Emilymdxn 's #NewYearWhoDis list ( @monalyisha ) and will hopefully finish Crazy Brave next week! It's so gorgeous on audio 😍 And my new boyfriend and I are reading Crime and Punishment together 🥰😁

None of the books I have on pile for remainder of 2019 work for any of my challenges so I‘m calling it quits on 2019 challenges. For #booked2019, I managed to do 17 of the 24 prompts. Only season I completely finished was Winter (6 of 6). Spring was 4 of 6, summer was 4 of 6 and Fall was 3 of 6 prompts completed. Favorite book I read for this challenge was Crazy Brave.

I‘m sad to say that I did not know of Joy Harjo until after she was named Poet Laureate of the US, the footer Native American to be named so. Since her being named Poet Laureate, I have wanted to read something by her, thus I was excited to listen to her memoir in her own voice. I learned so much about Harjo, for instance her stepfather was abusive and kicked her and her siblings out of the house over the years. #TIL Next, read more Harjo #NFNov

Excited to finally read this!!

Exciting news: Joy Harjo Becomes The First Native American U.S. Poet Laureate https://www.npr.org/2019/06/19/733727917/joy-harjo-becomes-the-first-native-amer...

(Image taken from article at link)

If you haven‘t read her, you should.

My 11 reads for February. Not bad for a short month! Favorite books were Crazy Brave (gutting and inspirational), News of the World (loved the relationship of the grumpy old man and the young German girl he is trying to return to her family many years after she was stolen by a Native American tribe and raised as one of their own) and the very amusing We Are Never Meeting In Real Life.

1) Amusing that some people answer in terms of comfort food and some answer in terms of comfort books. Food: a cup of tea if it‘s chilly and some nuts. Books: the ones I think of most fondly even though I haven‘t reread are Winnie the Pooh and Alice in Wonderland.
2) Going to theatre to watch Oscar nominated documentary shorts.
3) This memoir has been one of my fave reads in 2019.
4) I can roll my tongue.
5) 🙌
#friyayintro @howjessreads

What a mindblowing memoir. I don‘t know that I‘ve ever read such a lyrical memoir of a life with so much pain in it. This is the story of a painful life lived with a lot of hope and creative power. It always impresses me when writers in memoirs are prepared to show you their bad decisions and faults, it makes the whole exercise more vulnerable and honest. Up there with Becoming as the best autobiographies I‘ve read in a while

I meant to read this in January but didn‘t get to it, I‘m excited to be starting it now though

Book I just finished enjoying my #partyforone .I found it painful and heartbreaking. But it was also musical and poetic. I could hear her voice in my head. Overall a good memoir.

Repost for @GatheringBooks :

Hey Litsy folks, here‘s the first #WomenReadWomen2019 ReadAlong Chat prompt for Joy Harjo‘s “Crazy Brave”. If I have failed to tag you but still want to join in, please feel free to do so. This is a fascinating memoir.

5 🌟 This book was EVERYTHING. Still trying to process. Her poetry and story telling are amazing. Have started listening to some of her music on Spotify as well. Her memoir is raw, devastating and ultimately uplifting. Can‘t wait to delve into some of her poetry collections. #readingwomenchallenge

Third and Final ReadAlong Chat Discussion Prompt for #WomenReadWomen2019 Book for January, Jo Harjo‘s “Crazy Brave.” Looking forward to reading everyone‘s thoughts and insights. Here‘s hoping you had sufficient time to read Harjo‘s words which felt uplifting for me, notwithstanding its rootedness in pain, fear, and abandonment.

I have only prepared three ReadAlong Chat Qs for #WomenReadWomen2019 January book, Crazy Brave by Jo Harjo. Here‘s my second prompt. Tagging @Carolyn11215 @suzisteffen @Readergrrl @Chrissyreadit @catebutler @Emilymdxn @IndoorDame @kspenmoll Anyone else who has read the memoir and feel like joining, please feel free to chime in your thoughts.

Hey Litsy folks, here‘s the first #WomenReadWomen2019 ReadAlong Chat prompt for Joy Harjo‘s “Crazy Brave”. If I have failed to tag you but still want to join in, please feel free to do so. This is a fascinating memoir.

Rabbit is Up to Tricks, an amazing poem in her memoir, is also a spoken word/song on one of her CDs. Here‘s link to YouTube video. https://youtu.be/X6QyVpNFSAY #readingwomenchallenge

Listening to some of her music on Spotify while I read this memoir for #readingwomenchallenge.

“If you do not answer the noise and urgency of your gifts, they will turn on you. Or drag you down with their immense sadness at being abandoned.” 🎯 Too real. A moving and intense memoir that leads up to everything else I know about poet, essayist, and musician Harjo. Can‘t wait to discuss it with @GatheringBooks et al in the 2/2 #WomenReadWomen2019 chat!

Just a quick check-in that our first #WomenReadWomen2019 ReadAlong Chat is on 02 February. Will be posting discussion questions to “chat” about. 🧚🏼‍♀️😍😘💕📚 Let me know if you would like to join!

First #24in48 book done! Granted, I only needed to read the last 30 pages or so. The time (28 mins or so) also includes a few pages on to my next title, Every Heart A Doorway. And since I am discussing this title with other #WomenReadWomen2019 ReadAlong participants next week, suffice it to say that I enjoyed its heartbreaking truths thoroughly. I was deeply immersed in this memoir. Heartbreaking and liberating.

A pretty modest #Bookstack to begin with for the #24in48 Challenge as we are on our way to doing community service. Will read in the bus. #ReadEverywhere. Both books fit our #WomenReadWomen2019 theme as well as our ReadAloud! :)

Alert! #WomenReadWomen2019 first book for Feb. 2 chat is Joy Harjo‘s lyrical #memoir, Crazy Brave. Chat will be hosted by @GatheringBooks , who organized this entire plan (and from home I am sharing this post ). Hurray!

“I was entrusted with carrying voices, songs, and stories to grow and release into the world, to be of assistance and inspiration. These were my responsibility. I am not special.” 😍 Joy Harjo! #WomenReadWomen2019 @GatheringBooks

Our first book for the #WomenReadWomen2019 ReadAlong Chat is Joy Harjo‘s “Crazy Brave.” To give us more time to read, the chat is scheduled on 02 February. Do join us or please do share just in case there are people who are keen on joining.

Excited to start this for #WomenReadWomen2019! I love Joy Harjo, and I got to see her speak last year at the Eugene Public Library. I read her poetry often, including a couple of books last year. Looking forward to the memoir. @GatheringBooks

As you know, we are doing a #WomenReadWomen2019 theme over at GatheringBooks. And we thought of doing a #ReadAlong. Please feel free to read these books for the first quarter of the year along with me. If there is enough interest, I can post updates and points for discussion at the end of each month with the hashtag above. Do let me know if you are reading along so I can tag you, and see whether it is a feasible reading challenge this year.

One of my top five favorite poets.

#MakeMeReadIt
Finished Crazy Brave,a beautifully written,sensual, spiritual, gritty memoir.She chronicles her journey from birth with”knowing”to guide her,& expresses her spirit & her Native American world in a country that has stolen her people‘s land &culture.They are the“ disappeared”.She discovers poetry, dance & music as her ways of expression.An unsettling,powerful depiction of a passionate, activist for change& recognition of her people.

#MakeMeReadIt
Joy Harpo was 5 years old when this happened. Imagine my delight at sharing this memory & similar feelings of anger & the injustice of it all. I was about the same age when this happened to me: I was running shirtless with my boy cousin who was my age,& my brother who was 18 months older in my cousin‘s yard. My aunt from Oklahoma called me in to put a shirt on, as “ladies do not go shirtless”. I acquiesced like Joy, but never forgot.

#MakeMeReadIt #catsofLitsy

😥😡😩

#MakeMeReadIt #porchlife #coffeeandbooks

I remember how the lilac tree outside our house near Boston would whisper to my sisters & I. #naturepoem #JoyHarjo #poetrymonth

“It was the spirit of poetry who reached out and found me as I stood there at the doorway between panic and love.” This memoir is heartbreaking and hopeful. Harjo weaves poetry and spirituality into her tales of childhood and marital abuse. She recounts her ancestors' voices and the things that saved her. She was a new author to me and I have so much to catch up on. I read the book much too fast. This deserves a slower reread in the future.

I believe that if you do not answer the noise and urgency of your gifts, they will turn on you. Or drag you down with their immense sadness at being abandoned.

A heartfelt and inspiring memoir by a celebrated poet of Creek and Cherokee heritage. #nativebooks #IndigenousVoices