Book Club: An American Sunrise of Indigenous Poetry (Fall 2026)

Fall 2026

Book Club: An American Sunrise of Indigenous Poetry

The An American Sunrise Poetry Journey, named for Joy Harjo’s poetry collection, is a two-cycle program for participants 18+ exploring An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo, and other notable Indigenous poets. Through close readings, discussions of Indigenous history and culture, and generative writing exercises led by teaching artists, participants create original work centered on identity, heritage, and independence. The Journey culminates in a published zine and a poetry showcase.

Book Club Joy Harjo's Collection of Poetry An American Sunrise

Fall 2026 Pre-Enrollment Is Open!

Express your interest in this Journey by filling out the form below.

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Learning Objectives

Literary Analysis & Thematic Exploration

Analyze selected poems from An American Sunrise to identify and interpret themes of identity, history, resilience, and cultural memory.

Historical & Cultural Contextualization

Examine Indigenous histories and contemporary cultural expressions to better understand how context informs literary work.

Creative Composition & Craft Development

Create original poetry or hybrid pieces inspired by close reading, discussion, and generative writing exercises.

Collaboration, Publication & Performance

Revise, contribute to, and publish a collective zine, culminating in a public performance of their original work.

Journey Teaching Artist

Annaya Baynes

Girls Write Now Staff

Annaya Baynes (she/they) is a Community Coordinator. They graduated from Spelman College with a Bachelor of Arts in English and French. As an undergraduate, she worked on Spelman’s social justice podcast, The Blue Record, and the reproductive justice-oriented podcast Black Feminist Rants. Annaya has interned at various publishing houses, including Penguin Random House, Macmillan, and The Feminist Press. They have a deep love for literature and film. She is a Master’s student at NYU’s Martin Scorsese Department of Cinema Studies.

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All Journeys within this Adventure focus on close readings of books and creative works in community with other writers. Think of them as a Girls Write Now book club! Learn more about the other Adventures offered at Girls Write Now below.

Book Club: An American Sunrise of Indigenous Poetry is a Journey in the Read 360 Adventure.

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