I am a member of the Muskogee people. I'm a poet, a musician, a dreamer of sorts, a questioner. Like everyone else, I'm looking for answers of some sort or the other.
Joy HarjoRead
It's important as a writer to do my art well and do it in a way that is powerful and beautiful and meaningful, so that my work regenerates the people, certainly Indian people, and the earth and the sun. And in that way we all continue forever.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Writers have a responsibility to create impactful and beautiful works that resonate with people and nature.
In this quote, Joy Harjo emphasizes the role of writers in crafting art that not only holds beauty and significance but also revitalizes and inspires their communities and the world. She suggests that meaningful art has the power to connect individuals to their cultural heritage and the environment, fostering a sense of continuity and eternal impact.
Themes
WritersArtBeautyMeaningRegenerationCommunityNature
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the role of art in society.
More from Joy Harjo
All quotes →A story matrix connects all of us._x000D_ There are rules, processes, and circles of responsibility in this world. And the story begins exactly where it is supposed to begin. We cannot skip any part.
Joy HarjoRead
You just go where poetry is, whether it's in your heart or your mind or in books or in places where there's live poetry or recordings.
Joy HarjoRead
Bottom line, I have to follow what my soul says, or my spirit. And my spirit said that poetry and the arts should be without borders, should be without political borders.
Joy HarjoRead
I don't like this romanticization of Indian people in which Indian people are looked at as spiritual saviors, as people who have always taken care of the land. We're human beings. But I think different cultures have developed different aspects of humanness.
Joy HarjoRead
Humans are vulnerable and rely on the kindnesses of the earth and the sun; we exist together in a sacred field of meaning.
Joy HarjoRead
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