Crazy Brave: A Memoir - PDF
Crazy Brave: A Memoir - PDF
Tax included. No shipping required.
Couldn't load pickup availability
186 Downloads - 137 Pages
Multi-Device Compatibility
24/7 Customer Service
A “raw and honest” (Los Angeles Review of Books) memoir from the first Native American Poet Laureate of the United States.
In this transcendent memoir, grounded in tribal myth and ancestry, music and poetry, Joy Harjo, one of our leading Native American voices, details her journey to becoming a poet.
Born in Oklahoma, the end place of the Trail of Tears, Harjo grew up learning to dodge an abusive stepfather by finding shelter in her imagination, a deep spiritual life, and connection with the natural world. She attended an Indian arts boarding school, where she nourished an appreciation for painting, music, and poetry; gave birth while still a teenager; and struggled on her own as a single mother, eventually finding her poetic voice.
Narrating the complexities of betrayal and love, Crazy Brave is a memoir about family and the breaking apart necessary in finding a voice. Harjo’s tale of a hardscrabble youth, young adulthood, and transformation into an award-winning poet and musician is haunting, unique, and visionary.
This is a PDF version, not a hardcover book!
History is not just the past—it echoes in the present
History never sleeps. It is not merely a collection of past events but a living force that shapes identities, landscapes, and the way people navigate the present. An American Sunrise reminds us that history does not remain locked in books; it lingers in memories, in wounds both visible and invisible, in the very land beneath our feet. This collection of poetry is a testament to how history reverberates through time, influencing not only those who lived it but also those who inherit its weight and wisdom.
Language has the power to resurrect what was thought lost
Language is more than a tool for expression—it is an act of revival. A culture, an identity, or a memory that seemed buried can be resurrected through the power of words. In An American Sunrise, poetry is not just a means of storytelling but an act of reclaiming. Through rhythm, imagery, and lyricism, words become a force of resistance against erasure, breathing new life into voices that have been silenced for too long.
Nature is both a witness and a participant in human resilience
Some stories are not recorded in books or spoken aloud, yet they are written in the rivers, in the wind, in the soil. Nature is not just a passive setting in this poetry collection—it is an active witness to loss, survival, and renewal. In An American Sunrise, nature becomes a bridge between past and present, between memory and hope. It holds the echoes of past struggles while offering a source of healing and continuity for those who seek to reconnect with their roots.
Pain is not an ending—it is a transformation
No pain is permanent. Loss, no matter how profound, can be reshaped into something stronger, more illuminating. An American Sunrise does not dwell in sorrow but moves toward transformation. It is not about forgetting but about channeling past wounds into strength, about turning loss into a foundation for renewal. This poetry collection urges us to find resilience not in erasing the past but in learning from it, honoring it, and building a future informed by its lessons.