More Joy!
On reading and loving and more reading and more loving and abandoned spaceships!
Hello dear Beyonders!
So many of you enjoyed last month’s roundup of joy so I thought it would be lovely to share more! But first a few updates.
Michigan has been hit hard by the Canadian wildfires these past weeks so Delilah and I have been shut inside quite a bit whilst my old man Rudy refuses to leave the garden. Even though I prefer open windows, I’m feeling especially grateful for air conditioning. My heart goes out to all those impacted by these tragic fires including all the wildlife. The Guardian reported 742 wildfires are currently burning, two-thirds of which are considered out of control!! Deep gratitude to all the firefighters. What extraordinary humans.
Speaking of wildland firefighters, River Selby (they/them)’s memoir, Hotshot, comes out next week. It’s getting starred reviews everywhere and was blurbed by no less than George Saunders: “A beautiful reflection on justice, the environment, the self, and much more." I’m excited to read it! To learn more about River, you can read their beautiful answers to the Beyond Questionnaire!
So many great upcoming interviews! Yesterday, I spoke with Anna Malaika Tubbs who wrote The Three Mothers and Erased. Beyonders…have you read these phenomenal books? I feel like they should be assigned at birth! I’m very excited to share all the gloriousness that came out of our conversation later this month!
September, I’ll be speaking with Elizabeth Gilbert. I’ve just started her astoundingly beautiful memoir, All The Way To The River, about her relationship with the love of her life, Rayya Elias, and my heart is already blown to bits. My ex-husband and Rayya were best friends, so I first met Rayya when I was eighteen back in the early eighties. Liz captures her in all her magnificent Rayyaness! Of course! And, from what I can tell thus far, Liz also lays herself bare with such tender yet piercing honesty. I’m riveted.
In October, I’ll be speaking with Victoria Redel about her novel I Am You. I haven’t started it yet but I already know it’s gorgeous because everything (I do mean, EVERYTHING!) Victoria writes is gorgeous. And she’s one of the kindest and wisest people I know. She’ll say loads of things that will blow your mind! Sarah Jessica Parker is publishing the book and you can enter a raffle to win cool prizes here.
🌸 I’ve included the links to Liz and Victoria’s books because preorders help authors so so so much! If you want to support an author, preorder their book! 🌸
And now for some more responses to my final interview question:
So much is hard right now. Where are you finding joy?
I, for one, found joy in these beautiful answers!
xJane
Anything Is Possible
In between the covers of books. I feel like I’m twelve again. I’m fourteen again. I’m sixteen again. And I feel like change is possible, like anything is possible because I read it in a book.
— Nana-Ama Danquah [read Nana-Ama’s full interview]
😻
Paying Attention
Everywhere, everywhere. I will say that part of me finding joy is I really pay attention to where I am that day. For example I’m more conscious about taking in world news. It used to be automatic for me, every day, every morning. Now I'm like, “you know what? That's going to be bad for me to take in right now.” Meaning, if I take it in right now I won’t have more to offer the world, I’ll have less.
But–Where do I find joy? My partner is so funny. I find so much joy with her. My dogs. I find so much joy taking them on walks. On days I can’t go on walks, I drive to the dog park with Meg and then I sit there and roll down the window and I just watch them run.
I find joy outside. I feel so much joy alone. It's interesting because I think that I have friends who think that they are the only ones who I'm not seeing a lot. But really, for about two and a half years, I've hardly seen anyone but Meg. It has been such an insular time. I used to be such an out-going person, always having people around. Sort of the conductor of the party. And that's not what this time has been at all, though I feel more love for my community than I ever have. I've just wanted to spend most of this time alone.
— Andrea Gibson [read Andrea’s full interview]
*As many of you may know, our beloved Andrea died last month. In celebration of their beautiful life, I’ve dropped the paywall on their interview and will leave it down until the end of this month.
😻
Slow Down and Remember Love
One of them is bundled up in front of me right now—Zazu! Whenever big things are hard, and frankly, big things have been hard in my life and in the world, I remember the joys of each day and each moment. Can you feel a sense of wonder as you walk through your neighborhood and you see the beautiful flowers growing in your neighbor's yard? Can you feel that wonderful happiness when you get together with friends and share laughter or jokes or conversation? Or, in my case, every day walking with my dear husband, Brian, and having the conversations we have. And loving on my cats and my dogs and on my teenagers as often as they'll let me. Those are the things that have sustained me. Remembering that love is really what matters the very most. And not just to love, but to be loved. When we slow down and remember that, there is always joy.
— Cheryl Strayed [read Cheryl’s full interview]
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Another World
I may not be able to write romance or fantasy or sci-fi, but I love to read it. Reading literary fiction does feed me in a certain way. I still read literary fiction, too. I read serious nonfiction—I just reread Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time, and doing so feeds something inside of me. It introduces some light into my life, but it’s also a pleasure to read material that allows me a sense of escapism. It’s nice to read fantasy or sci-fi that doesn’t require me to work, where I’m immersed in another world with another group of people, and I can just experience it. I’m immersed in a different experience.
— Jesmyn Ward [read Jesmyn’s full interview]
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The (Un)usual Suspects
So much of it is where I always find it: Friends. Writing. Martinis. Abandoned spaceships. Breakfast sandwiches.
— Alexander Chee [read Alexander’s full interview]
In case you missed last month’s list of joys, here you go!!
My partner and soul mate passed away 14 months ago. I was sitting outside on the deck in my back yard and I told him that I missed him. A few minutes later a deer appeared and touched her nose to the fence on the side, then walked around to the back and turned and looked at me again.
That brought me much joy.
Thank you so much for mentioning my forthcoming (in five days!) book, Jane. Hotshot is a very optimistic book, calling for several paradigm shifts, and I hope it does some good in the world <3.