Joy Harjo
Teaches Poetic Thinking
Joy Harjo, the 23rd U.S. Poet Laureate, teaches you how to find the language to express yourself and approach your art with deeper meaning.
- Full Access to all Courses
- Watch on your computer and Phone
- Bonus classes guides & content
- Share with your household (3 Devices)
- Full Access to all Courses
- Bonus classes guides & content
- Watch on your computer and Phone
- Share with your household (3 Devices)
Limited Time Offer
2k+ Students
Joy Harjo on Poetry, Music, and Meaning
Immerse yourself in the world of poetry with Joy Harjo, the 23rd U.S. Poet Laureate and a trailblazing Native American poet, as she guides you through finding the language to express yourself and imbue your art with deeper meaning. Joy’s groundbreaking tenure as the first Native American Poet Laureate spotlighted the underrepresentation of Native voices in the American poetic narrative. In her MasterClass, Joy explores the seamless interplay between different forms of expression, from poetry and memoir to song and music. She delves into her creative process, revealing what drives her choice of medium, her journey of discovery, and the importance of play in her artistic practice. A highlight of the course is a bonus lesson where Joy, along with her musical partner Larry Mitchell, transforms a poem into a song, offering a unique insight into the fusion of poetry and music. Joy’s MasterClass is more than a lesson in poetry; it’s an exploration of artistic expression and cultural storytelling, guided by one of the most influential voices in contemporary poetry.
Course Content.
When Joy was named the 23rd U.S. Poet Laureate, she was the first Native American poet to hold the title. But long before that, she was actively raising awareness about the lack of Native representation in the “American book of poetry”—because it contradicts the mythic storyline of America.
For many people, writing is what happens when you sit down and put pen to paper. But before we hastily jump into writing, we need to remember to listen. How can you create space for listening and inspiration before embarking upon writing? Joy shows you how to reach new levels of listening by opening up to the whole of human experience.
Artists and creators feel intimidated by all kinds of blocks. In this lesson, Joy shares her belief that knowledge is endless and shares ways to access that knowledge, such as learning to draw from your dream world to find meaning. She teaches the necessity of undoing beliefs that hold you back. Drawing on these principles will fortify you to work from an endless abundance of creativity.
Writing a poem of witness is an event in and of itself aside from the event that is being written about. In reading several types of poems, Joy shares how she views poetry of witness as essential to her political activism, the transformative power of telling the truth, and how releasing the bad can lead to a deeper understanding.
If traditional forms of poetry don’t resonate with you, explore other ways to tell your stories. In this lesson, Joy pushes you to free yourself from existing structures and make up your own by using figurative language and forms that reflect who you are.
Joy moves fluidly on and off the page—from poetry and memoir to song and music. She shares what inspires her to land on one form over another, her sense of discovery, and how she always takes time to play.
Everybody confronts similar questions: What are we doing here? How did we get here? What’s going to happen next? The mystery of not knowing often brings us to poetry as a way to help us navigate those big questions and craft our origin stories. Joy teaches us to take a breath and honor our unique identities and memories by story gathering and using objects to tap into our personal mythology.
In this lesson, Joy encourages you to look at your favorite poems to determine your “poetry ancestors” and see how relationships to past poets emerge in your writing. Discover how everyone fits into the poetic tradition, and that there is an extensive web that includes all of us.
Joy talks about her work as the U.S. Poet Laureate on the Living Nations, Living Words project, a digital mapping of contemporary Native poets located at the Library of Congress. She discusses how we use poetry for the most important rituals of our lives and urges you to use poetry to map your own soul.
Joy shares a story from her childhood and the reason she learned to play the saxophone at age 40. In this bonus lesson, Joy takes us on a journey with her musical partner Larry Mitchell to turn a poem into a song.
Pricing
ACCESS TO ALL COURSES
$35
$10
- Full Access to all Courses
- Watch on your computer
- Watch on your Phone
- Bonus class guides & content
- Share with your household (3 Devices)
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