Indigenous poet and memoirist Joy Harjo will be the featured artist in the next Edwina and Charles Milner Women in the Arts event on Thursday, March 2.
Harjo will share her works and her experience as an international poet, writer, performer and saxophone player of the Mvskoke/Creek Nation beginning at 6:30 p.m. in Light Hall Theater.
Harjo will also be featured as the guest speaker for the Women’s Voices: Past and Present event earlier in the day, at 4:00 p.m. in the Miller Library. A Writing Across the Curriculum program, Women’s Voices will also feature readings by several WNMU faculty and staff members.
Often cited as a playing a formidable role in the second wave of what critic Kenneth Lincoln termed the Native American Renaissance of the late 20th century, Harjo is the author of several books and has released five award-winning albums of original music.
In 2009, Harjo received the Native American Music Award (NAMMY) for Best Female Artist of the Year. She is the recipient of the PEN USA Literary Award for Nonfiction and the Wallace Stevens Award for Poetry.
Both events are free and open to the public. Seating is limited for the 6:30 p.m. lecture and advanced tickets are recommended. Tickets are available in the Office of Cultural Affairs, located in Hunter Hall. For more information, contact 575-538-6469 or visit wnmu.edu/culture.