Joy Harjo is an internationally-renowned musician, playwright, and author. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, she is a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. In June 2019, Harjo was appointed as the 23rd Poet Laureate in Poetry to the Library of Congress. She is the first Native American to hold the honor and was reappointed to a second term in April 2020.
She is the author of nine books of poetry, several published screenplays and collections of prose interviews, and three plays. She is a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets, a founding board member of the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, and the co-director of "For Girls Becoming", an arts mentorship program for young Mvskoke women.
Join ALA President Julius C. Jefferson, Jr., directly after the President's Program for the 2020 ALA Award Presentation. We will honor our stars—those men and women in our profession who have gone beyond what was expected. You will see advocates for libraries, outstanding authors and hear about innovative library programs. For the complete list of winners see the September/October issue of American Libraries.
