Month of Joy: Translation by Rachel Cordasco

Many things bring me joy: books, chocolate, my kids (when they’re behaving), languages, books, opera, embroidery, and did I mention books? One thing that has recently been bringing me joy is translation. I’ve always loved languages, going back to when I was 6 or 7 and watching “Pepe le Pew” whisper sweet faux-French nothings into […]

Month of Joy: My Favorite Books of December 2017 by Martha Wells

This was an incredible year for SF and fantasy, both in long and shorter fiction.  There were outstanding debut novels and incredible new work by established authors.  So much new work was original and innovative and outside the box, it was hard to pick a favorites list. Back in November, I did a book rec […]

Month of Joy: Finding Joy in a Fountain Pen by Keith A. Manuel

One of my New Year’s resolutions for 2018 is to take up writing by hand again. I bought my first ever fountain pen, a Pilot Metropolitan, and the most un-holiday-ish Christmas cards I could find on after-holiday discount at my local big retailer store. I also picked up a nice journal and some color pencils. […]

Month of Joy: Pens and Ink by Anne Lyle

When I was eleven years old I started at the local girls’ grammar school, where it was mandatory to use a fountain pen for “neat work”: homework, tests and so on. My parents bought me a Parker 45 Flighter, a pretty swanky pen for a kid, and I felt very grown up using it. That […]

Month of Joy: Connection and Collaboration by Julia Rios

I love it when people connect with each other to spread joy and love, to create new things that couldn’t exist with one person’s efforts alone, and to generally be awesome to each other. Here are a few examples that give me great joy: Star Wars Okay, so the world loves Star Wars. Many of […]

Month of Joy: Audio Commentary by Alex Bledsoe

As both a full-time writer and stay-at-home parent of three children, two cats, and a dog, my days tend to be packed. There is joy in my responsibilities, to be sure, but it’s often balanced by stress, doubt, and the sense of futility experienced by all artists (and parents). However, there is one tiny area […]