In a return visit to Macon, American poet, playwright, and musician Joy Harjo, a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and the 23rd U.S. poet laureate, will read from her work at Middle Georgia State University (MGA) as part of the second annual Being Human Festival.
The National Humanities Center announced the sites of 16 festival events taking place across the United States, including MGA's Macon Campus.
"Building on the success of last year's inaugural effort, this year's festival will include events in sixteen locations across the country. These community-focused events, organized and presented by local artists, scholars, and educators, highlight the incredible breadth of the humanities and demonstrate the innumerable ways that they add depth and meaning to our daily lives, help us understand ourselves and one another, and provide context for the complex world around us.
"'We are excited to partner with all of the researchers and organizations involved in this year's festival to present a range of events that explore the ways the humanities help us understand and appreciate the world around us,' said J. Porter Durham, interim president and director of the National Humanities Center. 'This year's festival, which is organized around the notion of 'landmarks,' is nearly double the size of our inaugural festival in 2024, with 19 events in 12 states. The fascinating variety of events, topics, and forms of these events are a testament to the ways that the humanities add depth and meaning to our lives in the communities where we live.'"
Harjo will read from her work at 11 a.m. Thursday, April 24, in the Volleyball Gym on MGA's Macon Campus. The event is free and open to the public.
