Last month, we had the distinct honor of welcoming Joy Harjo—23rd United States Poet Laureate, acclaimed musician and storyteller, and inaugural recipient of the André Harvey Creative Fellowship—to our Gardens for her two-week residency. Harjo’s artistry, rooted in Indigenous traditions and shaped by a lifetime of creative exploration, resonates deeply with the spirit of the fellowship—celebrating the joy of nature through boundless curiosity, humor, wonder, and innovation. Established in 2025 by Bobbie Harvey, wife of renowned Brandywine Valley artist André Harvey, and Longwood Gardens, the biennial fellowship honors Harvey’s remarkable life and vision, and invites creative professionals to immerse themselves in the natural beauty of Longwood and explore how art can deepen our connection to the natural world. I had the privilege of speaking with Harjo during her time here, delving into her creative process, her extraordinary body of work, and the ways in which nature shapes her voice. Read on for a glimpse into her time at Longwood and the inspiration she shared.
Harjo is an internationally renowned performer and writer, the author of ten books of poetry, plays, children’s books, memoirs, works of nonfiction, and several music albums. A member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation in Oklahoma, she is the first Native American to serve as US Poet Laureate, and only the second poet to be appointed a third term, from 2019 to 2022. Harjo’s work is often autobiographical, touching on lessons and stories she has gathered throughout her life—many of which relate to her childhood, her family, her travels, her Indigenous roots, and the wonders of the natural world.
The fellowship’s namesake, André Harvey, is a renowned sculptor with a legacy of spreading joy and appreciation through art. “There’s something humbling about being alone with nature ... those private moments when, surrounded by nature, we think of our own destinies.” —André Harvey. Photo provided by Bobbie Harvey.
“I think we’re all the natural world,” expressed Harjo during our conversation. “We’re part of it. Being out with the plants and animals, there is a different kind of library of knowledge and beingness. It gives you compassion, understanding, and calms you down.”
As we sat under the grove of London plane-trees in the West Conservatory Plaza, Harjo enjoyed the natural beauty of the space. Photo by Carlos Alejandro.
Longwood is a place that can awaken creativity within us all, and Harjo found much inspiration in the beauty of the Gardens. “All of it has something to offer, all the different parts of the Gardens,” Harjo said. “The indoor displays but outside as well … just walking around, you can tell the trees know that they’re protected. They lucked out. And they know it.”
Though Harjo had not been to Longwood prior to her fellowship residency, she quickly familiarized herself with the wide-reaching community that our Gardens has cultivated. When asked if there was any part of Longwood that inspired her the most, Harjo said, “The staff. There’s a generosity of spirit here within everyone.”
On October 19, we welcomed Harjo to The Fountain Room to share selections from her award-winning body of work with an audience of nearly 300 guests. During this event, Harjo read excerpts from her new book, Girl Warrior, which was published in October 2025, as well as pages from her new children's book, For a Girl Becoming, which was published in April 2025; an excerpt from a new piece she was working on during her Longwood residency that explores a memory that came to her while she was in the Meadow Garden; and more. “This [fellowship with Longwood] is giving me a bit of respite,” she shared with me. “Right now, I am writing about memories.”
“I’ve performed in all kinds of places,” Harjo said. “But never here at Longwood Gardens … It was a beautiful day out; it was a warm audience. There was a lot of give and take between me and the audience, and that’s a nice feeling.” Photo by Carlos Alejandro.
“The audience, if you think about it, is very much a part of the performance,” Harjo said. Photo by Carlos Alejandro.
A talented saxophonist and vocalist, Harjo even played recordings of some of her music during this storytelling event. “I started out as an artist,” Harjo shared with the audience. “But then my poetry was taking over … I’ve always loved music … and I found a way to merge the two into performing.”
Harjo shared with me that she even brought instruments with her to her residency—specifically, a travel saxophone, a drum pad, and a flute. As her creativity leads her to a blend of mediums and art forms, Longwood also gifted Harjo a set of watercolors so she could work on a few studies.
“Painting is something I’ve always wanted to go back to,” Harjo shared with the audience. “As I focus on a project, I meanwhile still practice other [art forms]. I figure with all my [creative] energy, I’d be in trouble if I wasn’t doing something.” Photo by Carlos Alejandro.
Throughout her prolific career, Harjo has received many honors including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas, the Josephine Miles Poetry Award, the William Carlos Williams Award from the Poetry Society of America, and the American Indian Distinguished Achievement in the Arts Award. In addition to our André Harvey Creative Fellowship, she has also received fellowships from the Arizona Commission on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Rasmuson Foundation, and the Witter Bynner Foundation. In 2017 she was awarded the Ruth Lilly Prize in Poetry and in 2019 she was appointed Chancellor for the Academy of American Poets.
Harjo received the 2022 and 2023 National Humanities Medals and National Medals of Arts, presented to her by President Joe Biden during a private ceremony at the White House. The National Medal of Arts is the highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the federal government. The President of the United States awards it to individuals who are deserving of special recognition for their outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support, and availability of the arts in the United States.
“[Each accolade] has touched me in one way or the other, but I remember getting this one …,” Harjo shared. “As a child, I would have never thought of myself as a leader. But, when I grew up and my children were younger, I started seeing leadership gatherings for younger people … and I started to think that we should include all children in leadership training because, ultimately, you have to be a leader of yourself.”
A throughline in all of Harjo’s creative works is a commitment to not only passing on her own knowledge and the knowledge of others, but to also be an eternal student. “I’ve had a lot of teachers,” Harjo shared during her storytelling event at Longwood. “A lot of them are elders from other communities, not just my own. Some teachers come to you in real life, some are in books or poems.”
Harjo’s most recent publication, Girl Warrior, can certainly be a teacher for many, as it contains lessons, advice, and insight that she hopes can inspire future generations of writers, artists, and storytellers. “A major impetus of Girl Warrior was to encourage everyone,” Harjo said. “Everybody has their stories. Everyone is creative.”
Even within the Gardens, Harjo recognized unique expressions of creativity that go beyond visual arts or written word—from the work of our horticulturists cultivating natural beauty to the expertise of our staff and volunteers. “There is a lot of crossover between scientific knowledge and the knowledge that you gain through an artistic discipline,” Harjo said as she reflected on her experience touring the Waterlily Court, where she was able to step inside the pools in waders with Horticultural Specialty Grower Tim Jennings and Senior Horticulturist Suzanne Boom as her guides. “They have similarities in their methods and intent, and there’s creativity there in the scientific lens.”
Harjo expressed that one of her favorite parts of the Gardens was the Waterlily Court. Photo by Jessica Smith.
We are truly honored to have welcomed Harjo as our first André Harvey Creative Fellow, and we are immensely proud that our Gardens acted as both a calm, productive place for Harjo to practice her craft and explore her creativity, as well as a muse for her nature-inspired artistic expression.
