Month of Joy: Patterns by Dave Robison
“What brings you joy?” Such a simple question, right? WRONG! You’ve fallen victim to one of the classic blunders. The most famous is ‘Never get involved in a land war in Asia,’ but only slightly less well known is this: ‘Never ask a wordy over-thinker a simple question when… well… ANYTHING is on the line.’ Definitions So first… what IS Joy? The dictionary says it’s “a feeling of great pleasure and happiness,” so that narrows the field a bit. Ice cream, warm sheets on a cold night, sunsets, and the purring of a cat all evoke feelings of pleasure but I wouldn’t qualify them as a “great” pleasure.
Month of Joy: Collaborative Creativity and the Joy of the Great British Bake-Off by Vlad Barash and Lorraine Fryer
1. The Great British Bake-Off It feels like joy is a precious commodity today. It can be hard to remember good things when our TV screens and social media feeds are so overwhelmingly full of bad news. As a way of keeping ourselves from despair, we have tried cultivate a collection of things that give us joy. One of the most undiluted experiences of joy for both of us is sitting down on the couch, warm drinks in our hands, and hearing the upbeat strings of the opening to the Great British Bake-Off. We’ve watched nearly every episode that we can find; we’re just a few tantalizing episodes from the finale of Collection 6 on Netflix (Vlad has not been spoiled for the ending; for the moment, neither has Lorraine).
Month of Joy: Raspberry Curd by Sarah Gailey
Thaw three-quarters of a bag of frozen raspberries. One quarter of that bag was used to infuse a little gin, because C had a hard day and it seemed like a nice idea to make them a cocktail with raspberry-infused gin. The cocktail was a hit, and you watched a movie together and laughed a lot at Al Pacino’s performance, and the dog snored softly throughout the entire thing. Wrap up the raspberries in cheesecloth and squeeze them out as hard as you can. The raspberry juice will be a deep beautiful fucshia, and it will run down your hands, and when you lick a drop of it from the side of your own wrist you will be stunned by how intense the flavor is.
Month of Joy: Space Opera and Me by Cora Buhlert
When I got the invitation to take part in this year’s Month of Joy project at the Skiffy and Fanty Show, I wondered what to write about. So I jotted down a list of things that bring me joy. One item immediately jumped out at me and that was space opera. I sometimes describe myself as a lifelong science fiction fan. Though technically, a lifelong space opera fan would be more correct, because all of my early science fiction influences, which ignited my love of the genre, were space opera.
Month of Joy: The Little Things by Eden Royce
Baby animals: Pictures, gifs, videos… It doesn’t matter! Kittens and big cat cubs are a given for me, especially pictures of my own little (not so much anymore – see below) guy, but the carefree innocence of baby animals playing is a sure way to get my mood back to good. Some of my faves are baby elephants, foxes, pandas, and goats (in pajamas!)
Month of Joy: Pop Culture by Tansy Rayner Roberts
So this is soppy, but something that brings me great joy year after year is sharing favourite pop culture, new and old, with my kids. I now have a 9-year-old and a nearly 14-year-old, and sharing stories or music or TV shows is one of the things that keeps us talking, spending time together, giving us something in common. It makes me happy. You can’t put a price on actually understanding what it is your teenager is flailing about, whether it be something you both hate-watched for pure rage (Paramount Heathers, I’m looking at you) or a beloved classic of modern television that has sparked some seriously intense conversations about relationships, mental illness and musical tastes (Crazy-Ex Girlfriend, we will miss you when you’re gone). While I’ve never quite managed to read enough of the web comic Gunnerkrigg Court to understand my teen’s ongoing love for the series, at least we have a mutual appreciation for Check! Please.
