I found the book, Crazy Brave: A Memoir by Joy Harjo, completely by accident. I was on the Longview Public Library’s website looking for another book and they suggested this one to me based on other books I have checked out. I really enjoyed this book. It was a breath of fresh air after the heavy story of the House of Gucci. Of course it had it’s own moments of family issues, Harjo was always striving for peace and she found it.
“East is the direction of beginning. It is sunrise. When beloved sun rises, it is an entrance, a door to fresh knowledge. Breathe the light in. Call upon the assistance you need for the day. Give thanks.” Chapter 1
Joy Harjo’s family is from Tulsa, Oklahoma, her mother is Cherokee and her father is Mvskoke. She is reminded to be respectful to mystery and walk this earthly path with compassion. Her father was an alcoholic who abused her mother. They divorced when Harjo was 8-years-old.
“North is the direction where the difficult teachers live. It is prophecy.” Chapter 2
When Harjo’s mother married her White stepfather, he was nice before the marriage but after the marriage, he proved to be physically and emotionally abusive to Harjo, her mother and her 2 brothers and sister. He was very jealous and controlling. Everything creative had to stop when the stepfather came home. He would beat them for singing.
Harjo loved to read. She loved the discipline and the ritual of learning and read her quota of books from the library every week. She was the library reference for her friends. When she was in high school, she was able to get free from her abusive home by traveling to Santa Fe, California and enrolling at the Institute of American Indian Arts, a high school for Native American students from all over the United States.
“We were all ‘skins’ traveling together in an age of metamorphosis, facing the same traumas from colonization and dehumanization. We were direct evidence of the struggle of our ancestors…We continued to battle with troubled families and the history we could never leave behind. These tensions often erupted in violence provoked by alcohol, drugs and the ordinary frustrations of being human.” Chapter 2
“West is the direction of endings. It is the doorway to the ancestors, the direction of tests. It represents leaving and being left and learning to find the road in the darkness.” Chapter 3
Harjo met her high school boyfriend while at IAIA. She enjoyed learning about painting and drawing but also about theatre, dance, meditation — she also became pregnant. After school let out for the summer she joined him in Tahlequah, Oklahoma where his mother lived.
Once the baby was born they moved to Tulsa, then back to Sante Fe. They had tried marriage but it didn’t work and Harjo finally took her son and moved on.
“South is the direction of release. It is fire and creativity. It is the tails of 2 snakes making a spiral, looping over and over, an eternal transformation.” Chapter 4
Harjo’s dreams were always speaking to her and believes if you don’t answer them they will drag you down with great sadness from abandonment. She kept up her schooling and working in political and social topics that meant a lot to here. She found that many Native Americans were inspired by Black Americans but they did not want to become full-fledged United States citizens, they wanted to maintain they tribal culture.
While in school, Harjo began struggling with panic attacks. She was in a relationship with a man that was wonderful if he was sober but not when he wasn’t and she had to finally make the choice to let him go. She also had to face her own alcohol addiction. As she continued to come to know herself she finally was able to begin writing poetry and learn to follow the poetry on her path.
I believe this book is about growth and learning to let go of fear which, to me is the meaning of life. I highly recommend this book and I look forward to reading some of Harjo’s poetry soon.
I got this book at the Longview Public Library. You can get your own copy of Crazy Brave: A Memoir by Joy Harjo on Amazon.
Read My Review on GoodReads:
Crazy Brave by Joy Harjo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I found Crazy Brave by Joy Harjo to be inspiring. I could relate to her on many levels and learn from her as well. There is much to learn from this book and from this woman.
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My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven.
For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information.
If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this:
Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world.
I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me.
I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
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