Autumn 2021 – Spring 2022

For the 12th consecutive year, the National Endowment for the Arts has chosen Staten Island OutLOUD to present The Big Read in our community! From Autumn 2021 through Spring 2022, we are proud to present a series of events exploring “An American Sunrise” – a volume of poetry by Joy Harjo, the first Native American writer to be appointed Poet Laureate of the United States – She has been renominated to serve three terms, an honor given to only one other poet in 80 years. Though some may think of her as a shy, virginal recluse, she was a daring pioneer in American poetry. We’ll examine her life in American letters, her essays and other volumes of poetry, her work as a musician and composer, her poetic themes and adventurous forms, and the work of writers who have been influenced by her work.

Throughout our series for the NEA/Big Read, we’ll feature An American Sunrise, Harjo’s poetry collection published in 2019.