1/9/13

For my Tapa Notebook which will be part of the Tapa Notebook Series in the University of Auckland Library


I am always taking notes. I am not faithful--to a particular notebook. I have a hand-sized notebook in turquoise leather, an 8x10 lined Moleskin notebook, my computer, and other pieces of paper I take notes on. I have tried to write everything in one place, to keep it organized. Like, dreams in this notebook, poems in this one, notes for poems, story notes, play notes. But everything runs wild. And for me, all of these forms overlap. Yet, I find the material from these sources eventually coalesce in ways that I cannot imagine as I am jotting things down. So in a sense, the tapa is a collage of notebooks! And photographs are part of an ongoing life collage. I am often photographing. I am also not reliable in my practice, that is, I do not write from 7 to 10AM every morning, or 9 to midnight everyday. Some days I write and some days not. Most days I write something, even if it is my dreams. It’s the same with music. I practice my saxophone, bass, ukulele or voice a little everyday...sometimes extensively. I like it when I can have a discernible routine and this happens when I am not traveling. Then the day is roughly: write in the morning; business, errands, calls and emails midday;  practice music in the afternoon, the gym, evening more of what is pending. 

Joy Harjo January 9, 2013 4:40PM Mvskoke Nation/Oklahoma 

P.S. Tapa (Kapa in Hawaiian)--fabric made by Maoris
Also, my tapa was a collage of pieces of writing and images from my various, current notebooks.

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