An Interview with Joy Harjo

JO Y H A R JO . P h o t o : H u lle a h T sin h n a h jin n ie . JO Y H A R JO W ILL RECEIVE t h e D i s t i n g u i s h e d a c h i e v e m e n t A w a r d a t t h e W e s t e r n L i t e r a t u r e A s s o c i a t i o n C o n f e r e n c e in N o r m a n , O k l a h o m a , TH IS FA LL. A n In t e r v ie w w it h J o y H a r j o J a n i c e G o u l d T h o u g h I k n e w t h e p o e t r y o f Jo y H a r jo fr o m h a v in g r e a d it in a n t h o lo g ie s a n d in h e r b o o k Sh e H ad So m e H o rse s ( 1 9 8 3 ) , w e d id n o t m e e t u n t il 1 9 8 9 w h e n m y p a r t n e r a n d I m o v e d t o A lb u q u e r q u e so I c o u ld a t t e n d t h e U n iv e r sit y o f N e w M e x ic o . Jo y w a s r e a d in g a t T h e L iv in g B a t c h b o o k st o r e fr o m h e r t h e n n e w m a n u sc r ip t o f p o e m s t h a t w o u ld a p p e a r a s In M ad L o v e an d W ar ( 1 9 9 0 ) . S o o n a ft e r t h a t Jo y m o v e d t o A lb u q u e r q u e , b u t o u r b u sy liv e s o ft e n p r e v e n t e d so c ia liz in g . W e jo k e d w h e n w e sa w o n e a n o t h e r t h a t w e m e t m o r e o ft e n a t n a t i o n a l c o n fe r ­ e n c e s t h a n in t o w n , b a r r in g c h a n c e m e e t in g s a t S m i t h ’s fo o d st o r e in A lb u q u e r q u e ’s n o r t h v a lle y . E v e n t u a lly , w e b o t h m o v e d a w a y fr o m A l b u ­ q u e r q u e — Jo y t o H a w a ii, w h ile I m o v e d t o P o r t la n d . T h e fo llo w in g in t e r v ie w w a s c o n d u c t e d in 1 9 9 9 b y e - m...