E-books are available for purchase on the websites of publishers and online bookstores. Some libraries offer e-books over the Internet at no cost. In this picture, a librarian demonstrates how to download a library book onto an e-reader.
Credit: AP Photo

September is Library Card Sign-up Month. Libraries around the world are waiting for you to stop by and check out what they have to offer! While you may think libraries are just for checking out books, they have so much more in store. From E-books to workshops, librarians stay busy reaching out to community members like you. Libraries hold troves of information beyond the stacks of books – in their databases! Many libraries hold book clubs, workshops for various hobbies, career fairs, computer classes, and more!

A library is an organized collection of books and other materials. Such materials may include magazines, newspapers, maps, films, compact discs (CD’s), online databases, and other print, electronic, and multimedia resources. Libraries play a vital role in the world’s systems of communication and education. The numerous resources and services that libraries provide help people carry out their work, studies, and leisure-time activities. Libraries rank among society’s most important and useful cultural institutions.

The organization of materials is one of the central tasks of a librarian’s work. This library worker is shelving books according to call numbers, which reflect the subject matter of the books.
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Libraries provide access to knowledge and information that has been accumulated throughout history. People of all ages and all walks of life—including students, teachers, scientists, business executives, and government officials—use library resources for their work. In addition, large numbers of people turn to libraries to satisfy a desire for knowledge, to pursue a hobby, or to read in their free time. Many people also take part in special programs and events at libraries. Such events may include discussions, concerts, lectures, exhibitions, and story hours.

Libraries have graced the world since people began writing to record information about 5,500 years ago. Libraries back then were a pile of clay tablets, which makes libraries today seem like amusement parks! The most famous library of ancient times was the Alexandrian Library in Alexandria, Egypt. Alexander the Great founded Alexandria in the 330′s B.C. His successors as ruler of Egypt, Ptolemy I and Ptolemy II, developed the Alexandrian Library into the greatest collection of scrolls in the ancient world.

The Alexandrian Library in Alexandria, Egypt, was the most famous library of the ancient world. It had a copy of every existing scroll known to the library’s administrators.
Credit: © Montagu Images/Alamy Images

Today’s libraries differ greatly from libraries of the past—not only in the resources and services they offer, but also in physical layout and atmosphere. In turn, future libraries will differ from those of today. This is so because libraries constantly strive to expand and perfect the services they provide and the contributions they make to society.

The contents of libraries have changed so much through the years that the word library itself is, in a sense, inaccurate. The word comes from the Latin word liber, which means book. It is used because libraries traditionally were largely collections of books. Today’s libraries house many books, of course. However, they also have a wide variety of other resources that communicate, educate, and entertain.

Libraries provide access to information in a wide variety of formats. Library users can obtain information from books, magazines, manuscripts, newspapers, pamphlets, and online databases. Library users also have access to audio and visual materials such as CD’s, DVD’s, films, maps, paintings, and photographs.

In addition to regular books, a library may have large-type books, braille books, and recordings of books, called audiobooks. Librarians keep pace with the changing contents of libraries to serve as many people as possible. Their efforts have turned libraries into multimedia resource centers, which house educational and recreational materials in a variety of forms.

The expansion of library resources greatly increases the library’s ability to communicate and educate. For example, people interested in classical music can listen to CD’s and read books about famous composers. Individuals who enjoy art can use library computer terminals to search the Internet for informative writings, pictures, and video presentations. Students of agriculture can read magazines and watch films on farming methods.

Immigrants to the United States can find pamphlets on becoming a citizen and read books about the United States in their original language. In addition, many people use magazines, newspapers, and websites to find the most up-to-date information on current events.

School libraries also supply materials that students and teachers need for their work. The librarians teach students how to use a library and how to locate and evaluate information—skills that will benefit them throughout life. Head over to your local library to sign up today!

American actor Chris Colfer
Credit: © Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock

In honor of international literacy day, World Book is celebrating actor-turned-writer Chris Colfer. Colfer is an American actor and writer. You might recognize Colfer as Kurt Hummel on the television show “Glee.” He has also written popular fantasy books for young adults.

Colfer wrote, produced, and starred in the film Struck By Lightning, released in 2012. Also in 2012, Colfer’s debut novel, The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell, was published. Colfer continued the series through 2017, releasing one novel a year. The series tells the story of twins, Connor and Alex, who find themselves drawn into a magical world based on stories they had read. In 2018, the first book of Colfer’s series A Tale of Magic… was released. The series follows the adventures of fairy Brystal Evergreen before the events of The Land of Stories.

Christopher Paul Colfer was born May 27, 1990, in Clovis, California. Colfer began performing in elementary school. He joined a local theater group, Good Company Players, when he was 10. For a few years, Colfer’s parents homeschooled him while he auditioned and performed with the group.

After graduating from Clovis East High School, Colfer traveled to Los Angeles and auditioned for a role on “Glee.” He auditioned for the role of Artie, a bookish member of the glee club who uses a wheelchair. The show’s creator, the American television producer Ryan Murphy, created the role of Kurt Hummel for Colfer instead. As Kurt, Colfer portrayed a gay student coming to terms with his identity and finding a spot in the school’s glee club. “Glee” aired from 2009 to 2015. Critics praised Colfer for his portrayal of Kurt. On “Glee,” Colfer was also able to display his singing talent. Colfer’s countertenor singing range allowed him to cover songs like “Defying Gravity” from Wicked (2003), “Rose’s Turn” from the musical Gypsy (1959), and “I Have Nothing” by Whitney Houston (1993).

Australian author Emily Rodda.
Credit: © Michael Small

If you find yourself surrounded by giants with golden eyes, lake creatures, sand beasts, orchard keepers, and fighting spiders, you might have fallen into Australian author Emily Rodda’s imagination. Emily Rodda is the pen name of Jennifer Rowe, an Australian writer. Rowe has also published books under the pen name Mary-Anne Dickinson.

Rodda is known for her fantasy novels for children. In her series “Deltora Quest” (2000-2006), the boy Lief and his companions embark on quests to save the magical land of Deltora from the grips of the evil Shadowlord. Rodda has authored or co-authored over 100 children’s books.

Jennifer June Rowe was born on April 2, 1948, in Sydney. Rowe attended Abbotsleigh School for Girls in Sydney. She graduated from the University of Sydney with a master’s degree in English literature in 1973. Rowe began her career in publishing as a book editor and publisher at the company Angus & Robertson. She served as editor of the magazine Australian Women’s Weekly from the 1980’s to 1992. She has been a full-time writer since 1994.

Rodda’s stories are engaging, creative, and full of surprises. Rowe submitted her first published book, Something Special (1984), under her grandmother’s name, Emily Rodda. It won the Australian Children’s Book Council Book of the Year for Younger Readers Award.

Rodda has won the award six times. She has become known for children’s fantasy series, including “Deltora Quest,” “Deltora Shadowlands” (2002), “Dragons of Deltora,” (2005), “Rowan of Rin” (1993), and “Star of Deltora” (2015-2016). An anime (Japanese animation) series based on “Deltora Quest” ran from 2007 to 2010.

She was named a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2019. Rodda has also published adult mysteries and cookbooks under her real name, Jennifer Rowe.

The Vietnamese American author Bao Phi based this prize-winning graphic novel on his childhood memories of fishing with his father at a pond near their home in Minnesota, and his father’s boyhood memories of fishing in Vietnam. The novel is illustrated by the Vietnamese-born American artist Thi Bui.
Credit: © Capstone Publishers

July is Graphic Novels in Libraries month. This holiday started in 2019 to celebrate graphic novels, comics, and manga that can be checked out at the library. A graphic novel is a book-length story that combines pictures and text. Graphic novels resemble comic books. However, graphic novels are much longer and often bound in heavy paper covers like paperback books. Graphic novels can be any genre, including action, crime, comedy, fantasy, and horror.

Many graphic novels are created specifically for young readers from elementary school through middle school or high school. Authors usually create both the text and illustrations, though some only write the stories and collaborate with artists on the visual material. Graphic novels aimed at adult readers generally tell more complex stories than comic books, and their subject matter is often more serious like in Maus: A Survivor’s Tale (1986-1981) by Art Spiegelman.

In the graphic novel New Kid, the American author and illustrator Jerry Craft combines humor and social commentary in a story about an African American seventh-grader entering a largely white middle school.
Credit: © Harper Collins

Graphic novels became the fastest-growing segment of book publishing in the early 2000’s. Their popularity spread with the success of several motion pictures adapted from graphic novels.

Spotlight on: Raina Telgemeier

Raina Telgemeier, American Graphic and writer.
Credit: © Leonardo Cendamo, Getty Images

Raina Telgemeier is an American author, cartoonist, and illustrator. She gained recognition for four graphic novel adaptations of the “Baby-Sitter’s Club” series of novels, written by Ann M. Martin. Telgemeier’s adaptations are Kristy’s Great Idea and The Truth About Stacey (both 2006), Mary Anne Saves the Day (2007), and Claudia and Mean Janine (2008).

Telgemeier has also created several original best-selling graphic novels for teens, including Smile (2010), Drama (2012), Sisters (2014), Ghosts (2016), and Guts (2019). These works have been praised for Telgemeier’s ability to sensitively portray the challenges that middle schoolers and high schoolers face.

Telgemeier was born on May 26, 1977, in San Francisco, California. She was interested in comics from a young age and wanted to become a cartoonist. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York City in 2002. From 2002 to 2005, she created her first published comics, seven short stories in the series “Take-Out.” Her work has appeared in many other comic series and anthologies.

The play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child continues the story of Harry Potter, the hero of a series of novels by the British author J. K. Rowling. First performed in 2016, the play follows the boy wizard Harry into adulthood. Here, actors perform the play in New York City in 2018.
Credit: © Sara Krulwich, The New York Times/Redux Pictures

While the Philosopher’s stone gives immortality in the Harry Potter series, the first book Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone has already lived for 25 years. On second thought, the Philosopher’s Stone might not work on books. Someone ask Granger what she thinks! On June 26, 1997, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was published, and The Boy Who Lived shared his magical journey with the Muggle world.

British author J. K. Rowling came up with the idea for the Harry Potter characters while sitting on a train in London in 1990. She completed the first novel while she was an unemployed teacher in Edinburgh, Scotland. Rowling submitted the manuscript to several publishers before one saw the potential in the story of a young boy who finds out he is a wizard. That UK publisher, Bloomsbury, made a good call! The Harry Potter series is unique in publishing because of its widespread popularity among both adults and young people. In addition, both boys and girls enjoy the series, which is unusual in literature for children. Some literary critics proclaim the novels will be classics of children’s literature.

The magical “Harry Potter” series by J.K. Rowling
Credit: © Shutterstock

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is a gripping story of loss, friendship, hope, and, of course, magic! After the wicked sorcerer Lord Voldemort murders Harry Potter’s parents, the orphaned boy is raised by his nasty Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon Dursley. Harry turns 11 years old as the series begins. In an incident with a talking snake at the zoo and its habitat wall disappearing, he learns that he is a wizard. Potter is invited to attend the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to study magic skills. Potter survives one danger after another, accompanied by his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Potter and his friends finish their first year at Hogwarts, ready for six more years of adventure in the seven-volume series.

Daniel Radcliffe is a British motion-picture and stage actor. He is best known for his portrayal of the boy wizard Harry Potter in the “Harry Potter” series of motion pictures, shown .
Credit: Warner Brothers Corp.

The novel became an immediate best seller in both the United Kingdom and the United States, where it was published under the title Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (1998) by Scholastic. Rowling continued the series with six more books, following Potter and his friends as they grow up and battle dark forces in the wizarding world. The motion-picture versions of the Harry Potter books were international box-office hits. In the motion pictures, Daniel Radcliffe plays Potter, Emma Watson plays Granger, and Rupert Grint plays Weasley. Additional books, prequel movies, and a play have been created, supplementing the original series.

The 25th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is a great excuse to reread the series or pick it up if you have never read it before. Some people read it every year or share it with their children. Go meet the Gryffindors, learn the flighted game of Quidditch, and most importantly, figure out just what the Philosopher’s stone is and who is trying to get their hands on it!

Author Jason Reynolds visits the Build Series to discuss his novel “Look Both Ways” at Build Studio on October 08, 2019 in New York City.
Credit: © Gary Gershoff, Getty Images

February is Black History Month, an annual observance of the achievements and culture of Black Americans. This month, Behind the Headlines will feature Black pioneers in a variety of areas. 

When you check out the new releases section of your library or bookstore, you are bound to see several colorful and eye-catching books by Jason Reynolds. Reynolds is an American author of novels and poetry for young adult and middle-grade readers. His works explore a variety of topics from a young person’s perspective. Such topics include the Black American experience, as well as such issues as gun and gang violence.

In 2020, the librarian of Congress appointed Reynolds National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. The position involves traveling and speaking to groups of children, parents, and teachers to promote the joy of reading. Although normally a two-year position, the term was extended to three years for Reynolds because the COVID-19 pandemic (worldwide epidemic) interrupted his speaking schedule.

Reynolds was born on Dec. 6, 1983, in Washington, D.C. He grew up in neighboring Oxon Hill, Maryland. Reynolds graduated from the University of Maryland in 2005 with a degree in English.

Reynolds became interested in poetry at a young age. An interest in rap music inspired him to explore literature. He advocates using rap and comic books as nontraditional ways to reach young readers. Reynolds’s first book, When I Was the Greatest, was published in 2014. It tells the story of three Black teenage boys growing up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, in New York City. Reynolds often chooses Black teenagers—particularly teenage boys—as his subjects. He portrays the uncertainty or fear many of the boys feel, to encourage young male readers to express their own emotions.

Reynolds is best known for such books as Miles Morales: Spider-Man and Long Way Down (both 2017) and the “Track” series, which began with Ghost (2016). His other books include The Boy in the Black Suit (2015); All American Boys (2015, with Brendan Kiely); As Brave as You (2016); Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks (2019); Stuntboy, in the Meantime (2021); and Ain’t Burned All the Bright (2022).

Reynolds also wrote Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You (2020). The book is an adaptation, for middle-grade and teen readers, of the award-winning book Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America (2016), written by the historian and activist Ibram X. Kendi. The books show ways in which past ideas and practices have embedded assumptions about race into modern thinking, and how people can identify racist thinking in their own lives in order to change it.

Reynolds has won many awards for his works, including the 2015 Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award for When I Was the Greatest. Pick up one of Reynold’s award-winning books today, you may not be able to put it down!

Isabel Allende, a Chilean author, became internationally famous for her novels set in modern Chile, for her historical fiction, and for her autobiographical writings.
© Tiziana Fabi, AFP/Getty Images

People in the United States observe National Hispanic Heritage Month each year from September 15 to October 15. During this period, many Latin American countries celebrate their independence. These countries include Cuba, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.

Isabel Allende is one of the leading novelists and journalists in Chile. Her novels and short stories, which were first published in the 1980′s, have won her international fame and several literary awards.

Allende was a journalist and television reporter in Chile in the 1960′s before joining the staff of the women’s magazine Paula in 1967. In 1970, her cousin and godfather, Salvador Allende Gossens, a socialist politician, was democratically elected president of Chile. In September 1973, Salvador Allende was overthrown and died during a right-wing military coup led by army general Augusto Pinochet Ugarte. The Allende family fled Chile, and Isabel moved to Venezuela, where she worked as a journalist. In 1983, she moved to the United States, where she held various university teaching posts while still pursuing her literary career.

Allende’s first novel, The House of Spirits (1982), is a direct reflection of her experiences in Chile during the time of the Pinochet coup and her later separation from her family. The novel arose out of a letter she wrote during 1981 to her dying grandfather, who had stayed in Chile. The letter recounted all the memories she had that would keep the old man alive for her. The House of Spirits became a best seller, and Allende won great critical acclaim. Her work was compared with that of the eminent Colombian novelist Gabriel García Márquez.

Latin American writers have composed many classics of modern world literature. They include the novels One Hundred Years of Solitude by the Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez, The House of the Spirits by the Chilean writer Isabel Allende, and the short story collection Ficciones by the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges.
One Hundred Years of Solitude (Translated by Gregory Rabassa. English translation © 1970 by Harper & Row. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins); The House of the Spirits (Penguin Random House); Ficciones (Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial)

Allende’s other works, also steeped in Chile’s turbulent history, include two more novels, Of Love and Shadows (1984) and Eva Luna (1989); and the short story collections Tales of Eva Luna (1990) and The Infinite Plan (1992). Daughter of Fortune (2000) is a historical romance about a Chilean-born woman searching for her lover in California during the 1849 gold rush. Portrait in Sepia (2001) is a family chronicle set in Chile and California from 1862 to 1910. It draws on characters from The House of Spirits and Daughter of Fortune.

Allende’s historical novel Zorro (2005) portrays a dashing hero in California during the early 1800′s. Another historical novel, Inés of My Soul (2006), is set during the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire in South America during the 1530′s. Her novel Island Beneath the Sea (2010) portrays a revolt of enslaved people in Haiti. In the novel Maya’s Notebook (2013), a young woman flees to a remote island off the coast of Chile to escape from pursuing assassins and law enforcement agents. Ripper (2014) is a mystery novel that features a child detective. The Japanese Lover (2015) is a love story about a Polish-born woman and her one-time Japanese gardener over a period of 70 years of modern history. In the Midst of Winter (2017) deals with three troubled characters with roots in Latin America whose lives intermingle starting with their unexpected meeting in Brooklyn, New York, in the United States. Long Petal of the Sea (2020) tells a story about refugees who flee to Chile to escape the Spanish civil war during the 1930’s.

Allende wrote Paula (1995) in the form of a letter to her daughter, Paula, who was dying of an inherited blood disease. She also wrote a children’s story, La Gorda de Porcelana (The Porcelain Fat Lady) (1984). For young adults, she wrote the trilogy of novels City of the Beasts (2002), Kingdom of the Golden Dragon (2004), and Forest of the Pygmies (2005). In 1997, Allende completed Afrodita: cuentos, recetas y otros afrodisíacos (translated as Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses), a nonfiction collection of writing about the history of love potions, which also included recipes. Allende wrote a memoir called My Invented Country: A Nostalgic Trip Through Chile (2003), as well as the related memoir The Sum of Our Days (2008). She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of the highest civilian honors in the United States, in 2014.

Isabel Allende was born on Aug. 2, 1942, in Lima, Peru, where her father was a diplomat. Following the divorce of her parents, her mother took her back to live in Chile, where she lived from the age of 3 until their exile to Venezuela in 1973.

James Baldwin
Credit: Allan Warren (licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0)

June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month. All month long, Behind the Headlines will feature LGBTQ+ pioneers in a variety of areas.

The Black novelist, essayist, and playwright James Baldwin (1924-1987) has gained fame for his works about racial injustice and sexual identity. Baldwin was born in the United States, but he lived much of his life in France. Whether writing in the United States or abroad, he offered fiery protests against racial inequality.

Baldwin promoted civil rights and encouraged people to accept social differences in several powerful essay collections. These include Notes of a Native Son (1955), Nobody Knows My Name (1961), The Fire Next Time (1963), No Name in the Street (1972), and The Devil Finds Work (1976). These five collections and other nonfiction pieces were compiled in The Price of the Ticket (1985).

Baldwin also explored interracial conflict in his fiction and drama, including the novel Another Country (1962), the play Blues for Mister Charlie (1964), and the short-story collection Going to Meet the Man (1965). In his novel Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone (1968), Baldwin presented his most detailed portrayal of civil rights activities during the 1960′s.

James Arthur Baldwin was born on Aug. 2, 1924, in the Harlem district of New York City. He was a minister as a teenager, and many of his works use the rich language and tone of Biblical scripture, Black sermons, and gospel and blues music. His early writings explore the characters’ psychological struggles with their religious faith and relationships. His first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain (1953), and first play, The Amen Corner (1955), portray tensions within Black families and churches. Baldwin explored the subject of homosexuality in his second novel, Giovanni’s Room (1956), and in other works of fiction.

Baldwin’s other works include the novels If Beale Street Could Talk (1974) and Just Above My Head (1979). A motion picture adaptation of If Beale Street Could Talk was released in 2018. Baldwin also wrote poetry and nonfiction with other writers and civil rights activists. He wrote one children’s book, Little Man, Little Man, that portrays the world of a black child growing up in Harlem during the 1970′s. The book was originally published in 1976 and reissued in a new edition in 2018. His essays were gathered in Collected Essays (published by the Library of America in 1998) and The Cross of Redemption: Uncollected Writings (2010). The Library of America also published two volumes of Baldwin’s fiction, Early Novels & Stories (1998) and Later Novels (2015). Baldwin died on Dec. 1, 1987.

American poet Allen Ginsberg.
Credit: Public Domain (Dutch National Archives)

April is National Poetry Month, an annual celebration of this unique form of literature. Each week, Behind the Headlines will feature the art of poetry or a famous poet.

“I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness….”

So begins the epic poem Howl by the American poet Allen Ginsberg. In the poem, Ginsberg rails at length against dehumanizing forces in modern society. He also laments their effect on the people in his life.

Howl, first read publicly in October 1955, shocked audiences with its graphic descriptions of violence, mental illness, sexuality, and drug abuse. The poem’s publisher, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, was even charged with obscenity. However, Howl came to be seen as a revolutionary work of great indignation and humanity, and Ginsberg has come to be honored among the greatest modern poets.

Ginsberg was born on June 3, 1926, in Newark, New Jersey. He became known as a leader of the beat literary movement of the 1950′s and also of the cultural and political protests of the 1960′s. Critics have praised him as a prophetic poet in the tradition of William Blake of England and Walt Whitman of the United States.

Ginsberg’s writing combines the spiritual and rhythmic qualities of certain Eastern and Western religious texts with the language, imagery, and subject matter of modern life. Many critics see him as representing a struggle for spiritual survival in a dehumanized, repressive society.

The death of Ginsberg’s mother in 1956 inspired his famous elegy “Kaddish” (1961). His other works include Reality Sandwiches (1963), The Fall of America: Poems of These States (1972), and Mind Breaths (1978). Ginsberg died on April 5, 1997. His Collected Poems 1947-1997 was published in 2006. Wait Till I’m Dead: Uncollected Poems was published in 2016.

Poet Laureate of the United States Joy Harjo
Credit: Shawn Miller, Library of Congress

April is National Poetry Month, an annual celebration of this unique form of literature. Each week, Behind the Headlines will feature the art of poetry or a famous poet.

National Poetry Month promotes the appreciation and awareness of poetry. So, too, does Joy Harjo, the poet laureate of the United States. The poet laureate is the official poet of a state or nation. Harjo is a writer, a musician, and a member of the Muskogee (also spelled Muscogee or Mvskoke) Creek Nation. In 2019, she became the first Native American chosen to be poet laureate of the United States.

Harjo was born Joy Foster in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on May 9, 1951. Her father was Muskogee Creek, and her mother was of Cherokee and European ancestry. At age 19, Joy became a member of the Muskogee Creek Nation and took the last name of her father’s mother—Harjo—a common last name among the Muskogee. Harjo earned a B.A. degree in creative writing from the University of New Mexico in 1976 and an M.F.A. degree from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop in 1978. She has since taught at the Institute of American Indian Arts in New Mexico and at universities in several states.

In 1975, Harjo published her first collection of poems in a short book called The Last Song. Her first full-length volume of poetry was What Moon Drove Me to This? (1979). Her poetry became well known with such collections as She Had Some Horses (1983), In Mad Love and War (1990), and The Woman Who Fell from the Sky (1994). Her forceful, intimate style draws on both natural and spiritual influences. Her poems often incorporate elements of Native American mythology and imagery. Harjo’s later collections include A Map to the Next World (2000), How We Became Human (2002), Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings (2015), and An American Sunrise (2019). She has won many awards for her work.

Harjo also wrote The Good Luck Cat (2000), a children’s picture book about a girl who worries about her lucky cat, who has used up eight of his nine lives. A poetic picture book for young adults called For a Girl Becoming (2009) celebrates the birth of a baby girl and the girl’s path to adulthood. Harjo’s memoir, Crazy Brave (2012), describes her own youth and her discovery of her creative voice.

Harjo has written screenplays for television and contributed, as a writer or narrator, to several documentaries on aspects of Native American culture. As an accomplished musician and saxophone player, she has released several recordings. She also is an activist for Native American and other causes.