Remember: Joy Harjo's 2023 BGHB Picture Book Honor Speech

Mvto, thank you for the honor of this recognition, for a book that has meant so much to so many long before it was a book. The poem “Remember” was one of my earliest poems, written because we needed to remember what matters, where we come from, and how we are all connected. It has traveled extensively since it emerged into this world and is now on the Lucy spacecraft headed toward ­Jupiter’s orbit. This poem has been danced, sung, and more recently performed in a Mvskoke language at the Library of Congress. Of course, ­Remember is no longer just a poem, it is a book illustrated by the Lingít artist Michaela Goade, whose brilliant artistry brings the thought field of the poem alive in color and design. Each page reminds us that our lives are intrinsically linked beneath the circular arc of the changing horizon of earth and sky.

[Read Horn Book reviews of the 2023 BGHB Picture Book winners.]

From the January/February 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine. For more on the 2023 Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards, click on the tag BGHB23.

Joy Harjo

Joy Harjo received a 2023 Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor Award for Picture Book for Remember (Random House Studio/Random), illustrated by Michaela Goade. (Photo by Shawn Miller/Library of Congress.)

Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.


RELATED 

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?