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Dominican University presents Joy Harjo, the first Native American U.S. Poet Laureate, in the Eighth Annual Caesar and Patricia Tabet Poetry Reading on Thursday, February 18 at 7 p.m. This virtual event is free, although a $10 donation is suggested.

A member of the Muskogee (Creek) Nation, Harjo is a playwright, author and musician. She is the author of nine books of poetry, including the acclaimed “An American Sunrise;” two memoirs, including “Crazy Brave,” which received the 2012 American Book Award; and two books for children. She plays the saxophone with her band, Arrow Dynamics, and has produced six albums. Harjo’s poetry draws on First Nation storytelling, as well as feminist and social justice poetic traditions. Nature is central to much of her work, which is often set in the Southwest.

Harjo is serving a third term as U.S. Poet Laureate. She received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas, the Wallace Stevens Award from the Academy of American Poets, the William Carlos William Award from the Poetry Society of America and the Ruth Lily Prize in Poetry. To register for the Tabet Poetry Reading, visit https://www.dom.edu/arts-minds The Tabet Poetry Reading is made possible through the generous support of Dominican University alumna Patricia Tabet. Since 2013, the program has featured renowned writers including Li-Young Lee, Luis Alberto Urrea, Stuart Dybek and Julia Alvarez.

About Dominican University

Founded in 1901, Dominican University is a comprehensive, coeducational Catholic institution offering bachelor’s and master’s degrees through the Rosary College of Arts and Sciences, the Borra College of Health Sciences, the Brennan School of Business and the College of Applied Social Sciences. The university also offers a doctoral degree in information studies. U.S. News & World Report ranks Dominican University #10 of all Midwest regional master’s level universities, the best value in the Chicago area and #1 in Illinois for ensuring the social mobility of its graduates.