Reviews

How We Became Human: New and Selected Poems 1975-2002 by Joy Harjo

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tigerbalmreads's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

5.0

angelcatherinechen's review against another edition

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5.0

Gorgeous poetry portraying the nuances of being human in this beautiful, tragic, magical and dreadful world-- a book to read over and over again.

Some of my favourites are:

Fire
The Woman Hanging From The Thirteenth Floor Window
All of "Secrets From The Centre of the World"
The Real Revolution Is Love
Reconciliation, A Prayer
The Woman Who Fell From The Sky
A Postcolonial Tale
A Map To The Next World
Emergence
Songs From The House Of Death, Or How To Make It Through To The End Of A Relationship

spacestationtrustfund's review against another edition

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3.0

A collection of sharp little moments.

eas2's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.0

butchriarchy's review against another edition

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All I can really say is that I already thought Joy Harjo's poetry, what I'd read of it before (such as An American Sunrise), was very profound and thought-provoking, and after reading this I feel that more strongly. I think the title is very appropriate. The way she weaves together notions of humanity alongside the nature of the universe, the earth, is something that I can't really put into words. Poetry to me should make you wonder at everything, and she does that very well. It's put me into a very contemplative mood, in a time during which I'm struggling a lot. I think I can say she is becoming one of my favorite poets as well.

wemedgeway's review against another edition

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3.0

(3.5) There were many parts of this book that were more prose than poetry in my mind, and I wasn't crazy about most of that. But there were about 10 poems I really enjoyed, and a couple that will stick with me... especially "Morning Prayers".