Joy Harjo has spent a lifetime giving voice to stories, histories, and experiences that have too often been overlooked.
Now, the former U.S. Poet Laureate and citizen of the Mvskoke (Muscogee Creek) Nation is bringing that voice to a new audience with the release of *Insomnia and Seven Steps to Grace*, a spoken-word and jazz album released through Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.
Produced by five-time Grammy Award winner esperanza spalding, the project blends Harjo's poetry with layered musical arrangements, creating a work that explores memory, healing, identity, and the world around us through both language and sound.
Harjo is no stranger to breaking barriers. In 2019, she became the first Native American to serve as U.S. Poet Laureate, later becoming only the second person in history to hold the position for three terms. While many know her as a celebrated poet and author, music has been a central part of her creative life for decades. A saxophonist, vocalist, and performer, she has consistently woven poetry and music together throughout her career.
The collaboration with spalding grew out of a relationship that began years earlier through the Ford Foundation Fellows program, eventually evolving into a project that reflects both artists' commitment to creativity, connection, and cultural expression.
The album has already drawn attention from NPR and Native America Calling, with many listeners celebrating it as another example of Indigenous artists continuing to shape contemporary music, literature, and the arts on their own terms.
