Book Discussion Series: An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo

Tuesday, November 24, 2026 · 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

UMass Downtown — 108 N Pleasant St., Amherst, MA

Join us for a special three-part book club exploring the poetry of Joy Harjo from An American Sunrise in conversation with the art of Athena LaTocha, co-hosted by Jones Library and the University Museum of Contemporary Art. We’ll begin with a guided tour and discussion of LaTocha’s exhibition Buried Heat at the museum, featuring large sculptures and works on paper responding to the land. Together, we’ll read selected key poems by Harjo that connect to the work on view. The next two sessions will meet at UMass Downtown, where we’ll dive deeper into Harjo’s poetry, reflect on LaTocha’s practice, and explore both artists’ powerful connections to land, time, memory, mourning, and renewal. Copies of the book are available to borrow at the Jones Library reference desk, or you can place a hold in the CW Mars catalog. Register Here! Attendance at all sessions is encouraged but not required.