Poet Warrior - BookWyrm

Annette C. Boehm reviewed Poet Warrior by Joy Harjo

Review of 'Poet Warrior' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

this book felt like listening to a wise, kind friend talk about (her) life. So good!

Eduardo Santiago reviewed Poet Warrior by Joy Harjo

Review of 'Poet Warrior' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I always feel somewhat lost when reading Harjo; as if I skipped over a key paragraph or like the key to understanding is dancing just out of the corner of my eye. It’s not, and I’ve stopped trying to wrap my head around it, because it’s like night vision: stare directly at the object, and you’ll never see it. Only by gazing obliquely do you have any chance of seeing its outline.

Side glances are not my thing. I’m left-brained, analytical. Give me bright direct sunlight, not shimmery reflections. I’m also trying to grow, in whatever few days are left to me, and that’s why I keep reading Harjo. We speak different languages, even inhabit slightly overlapping realities, but hers is a reality I can and want to learn from: one of forgiveness, compassion, strength, respect. I will never fully understand her works, but I want to be someone who …

I always feel somewhat lost when reading Harjo; as if I skipped over a key paragraph or like the key to understanding is dancing just out of the corner of my eye. It’s not, and I’ve stopped trying to wrap my head around it, because it’s like night vision: stare directly at the object, and you’ll never see it. Only by gazing obliquely do you have any chance of seeing its outline.

Side glances are not my thing. I’m left-brained, analytical. Give me bright direct sunlight, not shimmery reflections. I’m also trying to grow, in whatever few days are left to me, and that’s why I keep reading Harjo. We speak different languages, even inhabit slightly overlapping realities, but hers is a reality I can and want to learn from: one of forgiveness, compassion, strength, respect. I will never fully understand her works, but I want to be someone who keeps trying.

brenticus reviewed Poet Warrior by Joy Harjo

None

3 stars

I realized, as we approach the end of the year, I had a reading challenge buried in my pile that asked for a memoir by an Indigenous person. I've read a few books by Indigenous authors based on their experiences, and I've listened to many speak about their lives, but this is the first memoir I've picked up. It's also the first I've read of someone who traces her family to the trail of tears, which is a much different context than what I'm used to in Canada.

Harjo speaks mostly about how she came to poetry, and how she found her sources of strength. Thus, Poet Warrior. And certainly, it's an interesting journey, and certainly she learns how to use her strength as she moves through life. She lived the sort of life that often sounds mundane as she tells it but lies far enough outside my experience that …

I realized, as we approach the end of the year, I had a reading challenge buried in my pile that asked for a memoir by an Indigenous person. I've read a few books by Indigenous authors based on their experiences, and I've listened to many speak about their lives, but this is the first memoir I've picked up. It's also the first I've read of someone who traces her family to the trail of tears, which is a much different context than what I'm used to in Canada.

Harjo speaks mostly about how she came to poetry, and how she found her sources of strength. Thus, Poet Warrior. And certainly, it's an interesting journey, and certainly she learns how to use her strength as she moves through life. She lived the sort of life that often sounds mundane as she tells it but lies far enough outside my experience that at times it boggles my mind.

I found this kind of hard to read as a memoir, though. The style of looping back around in telling her story and the vagueness of the timeline makes it occasionally hard to follow. Some things she glosses over so heavily that you wonder if they even happened. Some things that she says are so important are left with scant details while she delves deeply into experiences that are hard to place into the narrative. You let yourself feel the words carry you around, but in the end you're not sure you went on a full journey.

Still, this was an interesting read, and the poems throughout are lovely. At the very least, it makes me want to pick up Harjo's earlier memoir to see if it fills in the gaps I felt at the end.