(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- Join internationally-famed poet, musician and writer of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Joy Harjo for an illuminating conversation about her life and career in the Ocean County Library's Virtual Author Talk series on Thursday, November 16, 2023. The event begins at 4:00pm.

“Why She Writes: An Afternoon Chat with Joy Harjo” will introduce you to the United States Poet Laureate’s observations about poetry, justice and healing, key points in her memoir Catching the Light, available at the Ocean County Library.

Catching the Light takes the reader through a half-century of her experiences as a youth in the turbulent late 1960s, as a single mother and as an ardent advocate for Native nations. The intimate reflections offer a unique perspective of poetry as an expression of spirit, community, purpose and memory.

Appointed the nation’s 23rd Poet Laureate in 2019, the Tulsa, Oklahoma resident is the first Native American to win the designation and the second person to hold the position three times. She has penned nine volumes of poetry and two previous memoirs, and has recorded seven albums featuring her saxophone musicianship.

Please register at https://libraryc.org/theoceancountylibrary to attend this free program, to view the upcoming schedule, and to view previous talks. Registrants will receive links to the program by email and may submit questions for the author when signing up.